she knew nothing of the
occurrence in the Rue Maule, nor did he mention it, fearing that it
might distress her.

"For your own safety," he continued, "why do you not turn the
scoundrels over to the authorities? They should make quick work of
them."

She hesitated for a moment before replying.

"There are two reasons," she said finally. "One of them it is that
keeps the count from doing that very thing. The other, my real reason
for fearing to expose them, I have never told--only Rokoff and I know
it. I wonder," and then she paused, looking intently at him for a long
time.

"And what do you wonder?" he asked, smiling.

"I was wondering why it is that I want to tell you the thing that I
have not dared tell even to my husband. I believe that you would
understand, and that you could tell me the right course to follow. I
believe that you would not judge me too harshly."

"I fear that I should prove a very poor judge, madame," Tarzan replied,
"for if you had been guilty of murder I should say that the victim
should be grateful to have met so sweet a fate."

"Oh, dear, no," she expostulated; "it is not so terrible as that. But
first let me tell you the reason the count has for not prosecuting
these men; then, if I can hold my courage, I shall tell you the real
reason that I dare not. The first is that Nikolas Rokoff is my
brother. We are Russians. Nikolas has been a bad man since I can
remember. He was cashiered from the Russian army, in which he held a
captaincy. There was a scandal for a time, but after a while it was
partially forgotten, and my father obtained a position for him in the
secret service.

"There have been many terrible crimes laid at Nikolas' door, but he has
always managed to escape punishment. Of late he has accomplished it by
trumped-up evidence convicting his victims of treason against the czar,
and the Russian police, who are always only too ready to fasten guilt
of this nature upon any and all, have accepted his version and
exonerated him."

"Have not his attempted crimes against you and your husband forfeited
whatever rights the bonds of kinship might have accorded him?" asked
Tarzan. "The fact that you are his sister has not deterred him from
seeking to besmirch your honor. You owe him no loyalty, madame."

"Ah, but there is that other reason. If I owe him no loyalty though he
be my brother, I cannot so easily disavow the fear I hold him in
because of a certain episode in