and shirt.

Suddenly I heard an ejaculation--at first striking the note of
surprise and curiosity merely, but deepening to fear.

In a moment the locket was lifted from my chest, and forced open with
a metallic click.

"Ah!--Ah!"

She let the open locket drop from her fingers on my bare throat.

Instantly it was clutched up again. I could picture the frenzied gaze
of jealousy and hate in those burning eyes of deepest violet; I could
actually feel the passionate breathing from between the clenched
teeth of whitest ivory.

"Miserable child!" she hissed, the hand that held the locket
trembling so that I could feel it against my neck. "So _you_ have
robbed me of him!"

She paused, and then added, forcing out each word with a passion of
distilled hate----

"But you shall never have him! He shall be mine! Mine! Mine, in the
grave!"

CHAPTER XXII

A PERILOUS MOMENT

I lay with every nerve strained to its utmost tension, listening for
the least movement on the part of the maddened woman which might
indicate she was about to stab me then and there.

In the silence that followed, if she did not hear the beating of my
heart it was only because her own stormy emotions had rendered her
deaf and blind to everything else.

For a time her rapid breathing continued to warm my uncovered neck.
Then she snapped-to the locket and let it fall, and rose from my side
to pace the floor of the room with swift, irregular steps.

Fauchette, who must have been anxious to know how I was faring, now
came back without waiting to be summoned.

"Well?" the Princess demanded, halting in her promenade.

"Gregory has gone for M. Petrovitch, Madame. Is there anything I can
do?"

"I have tried every restorative," came the answer. "See if you can
detect any signs of life."

The last command seemed to come as an afterthought. No doubt, Sophia
wished to test her work before Petrovitch arrived.

I was encouraged to think that she had no immediate intention of
killing me; and as the maid bent over me I contrived to give her hand
a reassuring squeeze.

"He is quite dead, Madame," the girl said, turning away. "Would you
like to have the body carried into another room?"

"No. Wait till M. Petrovitch comes," her mistress replied. "You can
go."

As my assistant withdrew I again became on the alert for any
dangerous move on the part of the Princess.

It was not long before I was conscious that the room had grown
darker.

I g