emens--very bad man!"

CHAPTER XXXII.

IS THE CONCLUSION.

"Do you really believe that man?" asked Cane, turning to us quite coolly,
a sarcastic smile upon his lips.

He was a marvellous actor, for he now betrayed not the slightest
confusion. He even laughed at the allegations made against him. His bold
defiance utterly amazed us. Yet we knew now how resourceful and how
utterly unscrupulous he was.

"Yes, I do!" was the officer's reply. "You murdered her Highness, fearing
that she should go to her father and expose you before you could have
time to dispose of your stolen concession to him. Had she gone to him,
the police would hunt you down as Sir Digby's assassin. But by closing
her lips you hoped to be able to sell back the concession and still
preserve your guilty secret."

"Of course," remarked Fremy, "the whole affair is now quite plain. Poor
Miss Shand was drawn into the net in order to become this scoundrel's
victim. He intended from the first to make use of her in some way, and
did so at last by making her believe she had killed her alleged rival in
Mr. Royle's affection. Truly this man is a clever and unscrupulous
scoundrel, for he succeeded in obtaining a quarter of a million francs
from a reigning sovereign for a document, to obtain which he had
committed a foul and dastardly crime!"

"A lie--lies, all of it!" shouted the accused angrily, his face as white
as paper.

"Oh, do not trouble," laughed Fremy, speaking in French. "You will have
an opportunity to make your defence before the judge--you and your
ingenious accomplice, Mrs. Petre."

"We want her in England for the attempted murder of Mr. Royle," Edwards
remarked. "I'll apply for her extradition to-morrow. Your chief will, no
doubt, decide to keep Cane here--at least, for the present. We shall want
him for the murder of the Englishman, Sir Digby Kemsley."

"You may want me," laughed the culprit with an air of supreme defiance,
"but you'll never have me! Oh, no, no! I'll remain over here, and leave
you wanting me."

"Prisoner, what is the use of these denials and this defiance?" asked
Fremy severely in French, advancing towards him. "You are in my
custody--and under the law of the Kingdom of Belgium I arrest you for the
murder of Sir Digby Kemsley, in Peru, and for the murder of Stephanie,
daughter of his Highness the Grand Duke of Luxemburg." Then, turning to
his two subordinates, he added briefly: "Put the handcuffs on him! He may