ll,
because she knew that she would be very seasick."

"Excellent! the very thing!" exclaimed the Prince. "It couldn't be
better if I had arranged it myself. My yacht is down in the Solent
waiting for Cowes Week. I'll be afloat to-morrow. Give that woman a
ten-pound note from me with my blessing. Now, I shall leave everything
else to you. Do what you think fit with regard to our friends of the
International. Kill as many of their spies as you can with safety, and
make the chiefs believe that they are fighting the Devil himself. And
now, good-night."

When Peter Petroff brought him the papers the next morning, the Prince
took up the _Telegraph_, and turned to the page devoted to the minor
events of the previous day. His eye was almost immediately caught by a
paragraph headed:

"SUICIDE IN THE WATERLOO ROAD

"Shortly after seven last evening the passers-by on the eastern
side of this thoroughfare were startled by hearing the report of a
firearm, apparently coming from the office of Mr Isaac Josephus at
138a. Constable 206 Q., who was on point-duty near the spot, had
seen Mr Josephus enter the office with his key only a few minutes
before, walking in a rather curious way, and staring straight
before him. As the door was locked, the officer thought it his duty
to force it. The door of the inner office was also locked, and when
this was opened, the unfortunate man was found lying across the
desk with a bullet wound in his temple. His right hand still
clutched a cheap revolver which was loaded in five chambers. There
appears at present to have been no reason for the rash act. Mr
Josephus was a broker dealing chiefly in curios and antique
jewellery. Although not in a large way of business, his affairs are
understood to have been in a prosperous condition. What makes the
tragedy all the more strange is the fact that suicide is almost
unknown among persons of the Jewish faith."

Oscarovitch felt a little shiver run down his back as he read the
commonplace lines. The man who had done this had been in this room with
him a few hours before, and one of the means of murder was now in his
safe. It would have been just as easy for Phadrig to have caused him to
look upon the fatal gem, left a bottle of poison with him, and told him
to take it as medicine on going to bed. The only difference would have
been that there would have been a very mu