quet
that there have been ten."

"It hardly matters. It is since these ten that you have had..."

"What?" she demanded anxiously.

"You know well--the flooring."

"Sh-h-h."

She glanced at the door, watching the policeman statuesque before the
setting sun.

"No one knows that--not even my husband."

"So M. Koupriane told me. Then it is you who have arranged for these ten
police-agents?"

"Certainly."

"Well, we will commence now by sending all these police away."

Matrena Petrovna grasped his hand, astounded.

"Surely you don't think of doing such a thing as that!"

"Yes. We must know where the blow is coming from. You have four
different groups of people around here--the police, the domestics, your
friends, your family. Get rid of the police first. They must not be
permitted to cross your threshold. They have not been able to protect
you. You have nothing to regret. And if, after they are gone, something
new turns up, we can leave M. Koupriane to conduct the inquiries without
his being preoccupied here at the house."

"But you do not know the admirable police of Koupriane. These brave men
have given proof of their devotion."

"Madame, if I were face to face with a Nihilist the first thing I would
ask myself about him would be, 'Is he one of the police?' The first
thing I ask in the presence of an agent of your police is, 'Is he not a
Nihilist?'"

"But they will not wish to go."

"Do any of them speak French?"

"Yes, their sergeant, who is out there in the salon."

"Pray call him."

Madame Trebassof walked into the salon and signaled. The man appeared.
Rouletabille handed him a paper, which the other read.

"You will gather your men together and quit the villa," ordered
Rouletabille. "You will return to the police Headguarters. Say to M.
Koupriane that I have commanded this and that I require all police
service around the villa to be suspended until further orders."

The man bowed, appeared not to understand, looked at Madame Trebassof
and said to the young man:

"At your service."

He went out.

"Wait here a moment," urged Madame Trebassof, who did not know how to
take this abrupt action and whose anxiety was really painful to see.

She disappeared after the man of the false astrakhan. A few moments
afterwards she returned. She appeared even more agitated.

"I beg your pardon," she murmured, "but I cannot let them go like this.
They are much chagrined. They have insisted on knowing w