her shoulder
with a quick movement. And the man saw the deep blush spreading over
face and throat.

"By God!" he said, "you _are_ an actress! I admit it. But now you are
going to learn something about real life. You think you've got me,
don't you?--you and your Englishman? Because I have been fool enough
to trust you--hide nothing from you--act frankly and openly in your
presence. You thought you'd get a hold on me, so that if I ever caught
you at your treacherous game you could defy me and extort from me the
last penny! You thought all that out--very thriftily and cleverly--you
and your Englishman between you--didn't you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you? Then why did you ask me the other day whether it was not
German money which was paying for the newspaper which I bought?"

"The _Mot d'Ordre_?"

"Certainly."

"I asked you that because Ferez Bey is notoriously in Germany's pay.
And Ferez Bey financed the affair. You said so. Besides, you and he
discussed it before me in my own salon."

"And you suspected that I bought the _Mot d'Ordre_ with German money
for the purpose of carrying out German propaganda in a Paris daily
paper?"

"I don't know why Ferez Bey gave you the money to buy it."

"He did not give me the money."

"You said so. Who did?"

"_You!_" he fairly yelled.

"W-what!" stammered the girl, confounded.

"Listen to me, you rat!" he said fiercely. "I was not such a fool as
you believed me to be. I lavished money on you; you made a fortune for
yourself out of your popularity, too. Do you remember endorsing a
cheque drawn to your order by Ferez Bey?"

"Yes. You had borrowed every penny I possessed. You said that Ferez
Bey owed you as much. So I accepted his cheque----"

"That cheque paid for the _Mot d'Ordre_. It is drawn to your order;
it bears your endorsement; the _Mot d'Ordre_ was purchased in your
name. And it was Max Freund who insisted that I take that precaution.
Now, try to blackmail me!--you and your English spy!" he cried
triumphantly, his voice breaking into a squeak.

Not yet understanding, merely conscious of some vague and monstrous
danger, the girl sat motionless, regarding him intently out of
beautiful, intelligent eyes.

He burst into laughter, made falsetto by the hysteria of sheer
hatred:

"That's where you are now!" he said, leering down at her. "Every paper
I ever made you sign incriminates you; your cancelled cheque is in the
same packet; your _dossier