ng apart. Saxe Leinitzer and the Duchess
have both told me the history of your married life. Or is the whole
thing a monstrous lie?" he cried, with a sudden dawning sense of the
truth. "Nonsense! I won't believe it. Lucille! You're not afraid! I
shall be good to you. You don't doubt that. Sabin will divorce you of
course. You won't lose your friends. I--"

There was a sudden loud tapping at the door. Brott dropped her wrist
and turned round with an exclamation of anger. To Lucille it was a
Heaven-sent interposition. The Prince entered, pale, and with signs of
hurry and disorder about his usually immaculate person.

"You are both here," he exclaimed. "Good! Lucille, I must speak with you
urgently in five minutes. Brott, come this way with me."

Lucille sank into a chair with a little murmur of relief. The Prince led
Brott into another room, and closed the door carefully behind him.

"Mr. Brott," he said, "can I speak to you as a friend of Lucille's?"

Brott, who distrusted the Prince, looked him steadily in the face. Saxe
Leinitzer's agitation was too apparent to be wholly assumed. He had all
the appearance of being a man desperately in earnest.

"I have always considered myself one," Brott answered. "I am
beginning to doubt, however, whether the Countess holds me in the same
estimation."

"You found her hysterical, unreasonable, overwrought!" the Prince
exclaimed. "That is so, eh?"

The Prince drew a long breath.

"Brott," he said, "I am forced to confide in you. Lucille is in terrible
danger. I am not sure that there is anybody who can effectually help
her but you. Are you prepared to make a great sacrifice for her sake--to
leave England at once, to take her to the uttermost part of the world?"

Brott's eyes were suddenly bright. The Prince quailed before the
fierceness of his gaze.

"She would not go!" he exclaimed sharply.

"She will," the Prince answered. "She must! Not only that, but you will
earn her eternal gratitude. Listen, I must tell you the predicament in
which we find ourselves. It places Lucille's life in your hands."

"What?"

The exclamation came like a pistol shot. The Prince held up his hand.

"Do not interrupt. Let me speak. Every moment is very valuable. You
heard without doubt of the sudden death at the Carlton Hotel. It took
place in Mr. Sabin's sitting-room. The victim was Mr. Sabin's servant.
The inquest was this afternoon. The verdict was death from the effect
of poison. The po