cted to read in the other's face. 'We will say that the girl fell
ill, and I, in my anxiety, sent Madame Sagan--my own wife, mark you--to
accompany her to Revonde. If both should happen to be killed by an
accident we should be well rid of them--and what could the world say?'

Elmur drew away from the insistive finger with an unmistakable movement.
He bowed stiffly and moved towards the door.

'I do not know what the world might do or say but I can answer for
Ludwig von Elmur. My master does not deal in murder, my lord, and so I
beg your leave to withdraw.'

'What?' sneered the other, 'he does not deal in murder? Rather, you
would say, he prefers to deal in murder wholesale! What of your wars and
annexations? What of the Germans in West Africa? Take care, Elmur, that
you are not acting over hastily. For my part I don't believe that a life
or so would weigh too heavy in the balance as against a province, even
in your master's judgment. I take my world as I find it, my good Baron!'

'Pardon me, my lord, you take the world as your ancestors found it! You
may be all your fathers were, but however time goes at Sagan, the rest
of the world has not stood still since the middle ages. And the world is
on my side to-day. Besides,' he added more suavely, 'we should gain
nothing. We should alienate Selpdorf, who is useful, and who knows too
much. As for the Duke, after such an affair he could never be eased of
his suspicions.'

'I don't ask to ease him, I mean to cure him,' retorted Sagan,
meaningly.

'I am certain Madame de Sagan has been silent. The speech of Mdlle.
Selpdorf was the indignant outburst of a girl who thought her friend
discourteously treated.'

'Discourteously treated? Isolde rudely treated? By whom?'

'Forgive me once more, my lord; but, in the first place, by yourself.'

Sagan laughed aloud; his ill-temper vanishing before the humour of the
notion that anyone could take exception to a man's rudeness towards his
own wife.

'Pooh! the girl is a bigger idiot than I thought her. Let us hope she'll
never meet with worse at the hands of her own husband.'

'I join in the hope, my lord, since I am to be that most fortunate man!'
It was not the most felicitous moment, but Elmur was aware that in no
other way could he assure Valerie's safety against the treachery of his
colleague.

Sagan fell back a step.

'So--the wind blows from that quarter? Take heed, Baron, Selpdorf is a
slippery fish.'

'But by this