themselves on the group two minutes too early. Some of them fired a gun
that they took for the signal and that served to warn the Nihilists.
But I will let them all rot in prison until I learn which one fired that
shot."

"You needn't look far for that," said Rouletabille. "I did it."

"You! Then you must have gone outside the touba?"

"Yes, in order to warn them. But still I was a little late, since you
did take Natacha."

Koupriane's eyes blazed.

"You are their accomplice in all this," he hurled at the reporter, "and
I am going to the Tsar for permission to arrest you."

"Hurry, then, Excellency," replied the reporter coldly, "because the
Nihilists, who also think they have a little account to settle with me,
may reach me before you."

And he saluted.

XV. "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU"

At the hotel a note from Gounsovski: "Don't forget this time to
come to-morrow to have luncheon with me. Warmest regards from Madame
Gounsovski." Then a horrible, sleepless night, shaken with echoes of
explosions and the clamor of the wounded; and the solemn shade of Pere
Alexis, stretching out toward Rouletabille a phial of poison and saying,
"Either Natacha or you!" Then, rising among the shades the bloody form
of Michael Nikolaievitch the Innocent!

In the morning a note from the Marshal of the Court.

Monsieur le Marechal had no particular good news, evidently, for in
terms quite without enthusiasm he invited the young man to luncheon for
that same day, rather early, at midday, as he wished to see him once
more before he left for France. "I see," said Rouletabille to himself;
"Monsieur le Marechal pronounces my expulsion from the country"--and he
forgot once more the Gounsovski luncheon. The meeting-place named was
the great restaurant called the Bear. Rouletabille entered it promptly
at noon. He asked the schwitzar if the Grand Marshal of the Court had
arrived, and was told no one had seen him yet. They conducted him to
the huge main hall, where, however, there was only one person. This man,
standing before the table spread with zakouskis, was stuffing himself.
At the sound of Rouletabille's step on the floor this sole famished
patron turned and lifted his hands to heaven as he recognized the
reporter. The latter would have given all the roubles in his pocket to
have avoided the recognition. But he was already face to face with
the advocate so celebrated for his table-feats, the amiable Athanase
Georgevitch