l, I am going to die!"

"You love her, then?" inquired Pere Alexis.

"No," replied Rouletabille, with a self-mocking smile. "No, I don't love
her. But if it is she who poured the poison, then it was not Michael
Nikolaievitch, and it is I who had Michael Nikolaievitch killed. You can
see now that therefore I must die. Show me your finest images.

"Ah, my little one, if you will permit your old Alexis to make you a
gift, I would offer you these two poor ikons that are certainly from the
convent of Troitza at its best period. See how beautiful they are, and
old. Have you ever seen so beautiful a Mother of God? And this St.
Luke, would you believe that the hand had been mended, eh? Two little
masterpieces, little friend! If the old masters of Salonika returned to
the world they would be satisfied with their pupils at Troitza. But you
mustn't kill yourself at your age!"

"Come, bat ouclzka (little father), I accept your gift, and, if I meet
the old Salonican masters on the road I am going to travel, I shan't
fail to tell them there is no person here below who appreciates them
like a certain pere of Aptiekarski-Pereoulok, Alexis Hutch."

So saying Rouletabille wrapped up the two little ikons and put them
in his pocket. The Saint Luke would be sure to appeal to his friend
Sainclair. As to the Mother of God, that would be his dying gift to the
Dame en noir.

"Ah, you are sad, little son; and your voice, as it sounds now, hurts
me."

Rouletabille turned his head at the sound of two moujiks who entered,
carrying a long basket.

"What do you want?" demanded Pere Alexis in Russian, "and what is that
you are bringing in? Do you intend to fill that huge basket with my
goods? In that case you are very welcome and I am your humble servant."

But the two chuckled.

"Yes, yes, we have come to rid your shop of a wretched piece of goods
that litters it."

"What is this you say?" inquired the old man, anxiously, and drawing
near Rouletabille. "Little friend, watch these men; I don't recognize
their faces and I can't understand why they have come here."

Rouletabille looked at the new-comers, who drew near the counter, after
depositing their long basket close to the door. There was a sarcastic
and malicious mocking way about them that struck him from the first. But
while they kept up their jabbering with Pere Alexis he filled his pipe
and proceeded to light it. Just then the door was pushed open again and
three men entered, si