draughts through his glasses.
"Anyway, congratulations to Koupriane for being away from there through
his fear."

For Gounsovski there was only Koupriane! The life or death of Trebassof
did not occupy his mind. Only the acts and movements of the Prefect of
Police had power to move him. He ordered a waiting-maid who glided into
the apartment without making more noise than a shadow to bring a small
stand loaded with zakouskis and bottles of champagne close to the
game-table, and he moved one of his pawns, saying, "You will permit me?
This move is mine. I don't wish to lose it."

Rouletabille ventured to lay his hand on the oily, hairy fist which
extended from a dubious cuff.

"What is this you tell me? How could you have foreseen it?"

"It was easy to foresee everything," replied Gounsovski, offering
cigars, "to foresee everything from the moment Matiew's place was filled
by Priemkof."

"Well?" questioned Rouletabille, recalling with some inquietude the
sight of the whipping in the guards' chapel.

"Well, this Priemkof, between ourselves," (and he bent close to the
reporter's ear) "is no better, as a police-guard for Koupriane than
Matiew himself. Very dangerous. So when I learned that he took Matiew's
place at the datcha des Iles, I thought there was sure to be some
unfortunate happening. But it was no affair of mine, was it? Koupriane
would have been able to say to me, 'Mind your own business.' I had gone
far enough in warning him of the 'living bombs.' They had been denounced
to us by the same agency that enabled us to seize the two living bombs
(women, if you please!) who were going to the military tribunal at
Cronstadt after the rebellion in the fleet. Let him recall that. That
ought to make him reflect. I am a brave man. I know he speaks ill of me;
but I don't wish him any harm. The interests of the Empire before all
else between us! I wouldn't talk to you as I do if I didn't know the
Tsar honors you with his favor. Then I invited you to dinner. As one
dines one talks. But you did not come. And, while you were dining down
there and while Priemkof was on guard at the datcha, that annoying
affair Madame Gounsovski has spoken about happened."

Rouletabille had not sat down, in spite of Madame Gounsovski's
insistences. He took the box of cigars brusquely out of the hand of the
Chief of the Secret Service, who had continued tendering them, for this
detail of hospitality only annoyed his mood, which had been dark