glanced gratefully at the stout little man with his
grotesque Derby hat and his good-humoured smile.

"I have been brought here by a trick," she said breathlessly, "by this
man"--she pointed to Serganoff. "Will you help me leave? You're English,
aren't you?"

"American, miss," said Cherry Bim. "And as for helping you, why, bless
you, you can class me as your own little bodyguard."

"Stop!" cried Serganoff hoarsely, and instinctively, at the sight of the
levelled revolver. Cherry's hands went up. "You'll keep out of this and
do not interfere," said Serganoff. "You'll have all the trouble you want
before this evening is through. Irene, come here."

At one side of the room was a narrow doorway, which most of the members
believed led to a cupboard, but which a few knew was a safety bolt in
case of trouble. The Prince had recognized the door by its description,
and had edged his way towards it, taking the key from his pocket.

He gripped the girl by the waist, inserted the key and flung open the
door. She struggled to escape, but the hand that held the key also held
the revolver, and never once did it point anywhere but at Cherry Bim's
anatomy.

"Help!" cried the girl. "This man is Serganoff, the Chief of Police at
Petrograd----"

There was a crash, and the sound of hurrying footsteps. A voice from the
outer hall screamed, "The police!"

At that moment Serganoff dragged the girl through the doorway and
slammed it behind him. They were in a small cellar, almost entirely
filled with barrels, with only a narrow alley-way left to reach a
farther door. He dragged her through this apartment, up a short flight
of stairs. They were on the level of the restaurant, and the girl could
hear the clatter of plates as he pushed her up another stairway and into
a room. By its furniture she guessed it was a private dining-room. The
blinds were drawn and she had no means of knowing whether the apartment
overlooked the front or the back of the premises.

He stopped long enough to lock the door and then he turned to her,
slipping off his mask.

"I thought you would recognize me," he said coolly.

"What does this outrage mean?" asked the girl with heaving bosom. "You
shall pay for this, colonel."

"There will be a lot of payment to be made before this matter is
through," he said calmly. "Calm yourself, Irene. I have saved you from a
great disgrace. Are you aware that, at the moment I brought you from
that room, the English police