me phenomena to him
that they were to me. I forgot the 'four others' who were being kept in
loose boxes, so to speak, out of a deference to that complex yet
extremely admirable reluctance of his to abandon those who had reposed
in the broad shadow of his protection and who had been honoured by his
august notice. I have never been able, by the by, to make up my mind
whether I myself admired or loathed this singular idiosyncrasy.

"'You mean,' he questioned, quietly, 'that she was his mistress on the
island?' I shook my head.

"'No,' I said, 'that's the very thing I don't mean. And as I told you,
Nikitos has not that temperament. He makes rather a hobby of his own
chastity.'

"M. Kinaitsky regarded me with interest. 'I mean,' I added, 'his
emotions are his mistresses, so to speak. There _are_ some men,' I went
on in doubtful fashion, 'to whom women make no positive appeal. But
perhaps....'

"'Oh, undoubtedly!' he startled me by agreeing with sudden emphasis.
'Undoubtedly! But if not women, what?' he demanded.

"'Well,' I said, slowly, 'he struck me as being just what you describe
him--in with some political crowd. I don't speak the language, you must
remember, and have only a hazy notion of what all this trouble is about,
but in the _Cafe Odeon_ I gathered from various obscure hints that he
was part of the show. And another thing, Monsieur, he certainly gave me
to understand that he meditated some sort of revenge upon the person who
had robbed him of this girl. That was how he put it, you know. He is
quite unable to believe that she detested him. He is ignorant of the
details of her life lately, I may say. He even suspected me of having
abducted her. Made some very violent threats, but I put that down to his
mania for long words.'

"M. Kinaitsky looked at me with grave concern.

"'This is very serious,' he remarked at length, 'very serious. It is
only a matter of days, hours, before he learns anything he wishes. The
government at Constantinople have been most negligent in their attitude
toward the revolutionary leaders here.'

"'What alarms you?' I enquired.

"'Everything!' he returned, getting up and walking to and fro on the
polished parquetry flooring, his arms folded, his head bent.
'Everything!' He halted suddenly in his advance toward the far end of
the room which opened upon a small byzantine balcony and looked at me
over his shoulder.

"'I believe,' he said, slowly, 'that you are entirely trustworthy-