resent half maudlin state he would, I am afraid, if
in serious danger of conviction, make statements likely to cause a
good deal of inconvenience to myself, my sister's friends, and
others."

"Does he know himself who committed the murder?" Arnold asked.

Sabatini smiled.

"Perfectly well," he admitted, "but the fact helps him very little.
Isaac Lalonde is rather a notable figure among European criminals.
He belongs to a company of anarchists, well-meaning but
bloodthirsty, who hold by one another to the death. If Starling, to
save himself, were to disclose the name of the real murderer, he
would simply make his exit from this life with a knife through his
heart instead of the hangman's rope about his neck. These fellows, I
believe, seldom commit crimes, but they are very much in earnest and
very dangerous. If you ever happen to meet one of them with a red
signet-ring upon his fourth finger, you can look out for trouble."

Arnold shivered for a moment.

"I have seen that ring," he murmured.

"You were a spectator of the tragedy, I remember," Sabatini agreed,
pleasantly. "Now are you quite satisfied about Starling?"

"I have heard all I want to about that," Arnold admitted.

"We come, then, to your last question," Sabatini said. "You demand
to know the meaning of the unfortunate incident which occurred in my
sister's boudoir. Here I think that I am really going to surprise
you."

"Nothing," Arnold declared, fervently, "could surprise me. However,
go on."

"Neither Fenella nor myself," Sabatini asserted, "have the slightest
idea as to how that man met with his death."

"But you know who he was?" Arnold asked. "You know why he was
watching your house, why he seems to have broken into it?"

"I can assure you," Sabatini repeated, "that not only am I ignorant
as to how the man met with his death, but I have no idea what he was
doing in the house at all. The night Rosario was there it was
different. They were on his track then, without a doubt, and they
meant mischief. Since then, however, there has been a pronounced
difference of opinion between the two branches of the revolutionary
party--the one which I represent and the one which includes Lalonde
and his friends. The consequence is that although we may be said to
be working for the same ends, we have drawn a little apart. We have
had no communications whatever with Lalonde and his friends since
the murder of Rosario. Therefore, I can only repeat that I am