ing and dastardly treatment of the girl known as Marie Bracq."

"I don't want to hear, I tell you!" he shouted in English. "If I'm
arrested, take me away, put me into prison and send me over to England,
where I shall get a fair trial."

"But you shall hear," replied the big-faced official. "There is plenty of
time to take you to Brussels, you know. Listen. The man Senos has alleged
that you stole from the man you murdered a blue paper--bearing a number
of seals. He is perfectly right. You sold that paper on the eighth of
January last for a quarter of a million francs. Ah! my dear friend, you
cannot deny that. The purchaser will give evidence--and what then?"

Cane stood silent. His teeth were set, his gaze fixed, his grey brows
contracted.

The game was up, and he knew it. Yet his marvellously active mind was
already seeking a way out. He was amazingly resourceful, as later on was
shown, when the details of his astounding career came to be revealed.

"Now the true facts are these--and perhaps mademoiselle and the man Senos
will be able to supplement them--his Highness the Grand Duke of
Luxemburg, about two years ago, granted to an American named Cassell a
valuable concession for a strategic railway to run across his country
from Echternach, on the eastern, or German, frontier of the Grand Duchy,
to Arlon on the Belgian frontier, the Government of the latter State
agreeing at the same time to continue the line direct to Sedan, and thus
create a main route from Coblenz, on the Rhine, to Paris--a line which
Germany had long wanted for military purposes, as it would be of
incalculable value in the event of further hostilities with France. This
concession, for which the American paid to the Grand Duke a considerable
sum, was afterwards purchased by Sir Digby Kemsley--with his Highness's
full sanction, he knowing him to be a great English railroad engineer.
Meanwhile, as time went on, the Grand Duke was approached by the French
Government with a view to rescinding the concession, as it was realised
what superiority such a line would give Germany in the event of the
massing of her troops in Eastern France. At first the Grand Duke refused
to listen, but both Russia and Austria presented their protests, and his
Highness found himself in a dilemma. All this was known to you, m'sieur
Cane, through one Ludwig Mayer, a German secret agent, who inadvertently
spoke about it while you were on a brief visit to Paris. You then
resolv