giers. Behold! the magic wand touches age with a gentle touch, and
what follows?"

Lady Ruth is standing between the two, and within arm's length of
either.

The Sister has not moved, but, as if confident of influencing John,
holds her own. She shoots daggers with her eyes at the English girl,
but looks cannot hurt.

As Lady Ruth utters her last words, she makes a sudden move.

With a dexterous fling of an arm she succeeds in tearing from the
Sister's face the cleverly-made thin stage mask that was contrived to
conceal the features of one who did a double act.

The professor laughs.

From the crowd that is still gathering various sounds arise, for no one
can even give a guess as to the nature of the peculiar trick which is
thus being enacted.

As for John Craig, he holds his breath at the stupendous nature of the
disclosure, for little as he has dreamed of the fact, he sees before him
the well-known features of Pauline Potter.

This queen of the stage has made even another attempt to get John, and
might have succeeded only for the opportune coming of his friends.

He backs away from her.

"So, it is you again, wretched girl?" he exclaims, in something of
righteous wrath.

She has lost once more, but this is frolic to one of her nature, and
she laughs in his face.

"Oh, it's a long road that has no turning, and my chance will yet come!
Bah! I snap my fingers at such weak friendship. Good-night, all of you,
but not good-by."

Thus she disappears.

Craig feels abashed.

He has almost come to blows with his best friend about this female, and,
after all, she turns out to be the plotting Pauline.

"I think I need a guardian," he murmurs, as if rather disgusted with
himself.

"From the ugly looks some of these chaps are bending on you, I think
ditto," declares Philander, nor are his words without meaning, for the
natives scowl dreadfully.

"Lady Ruth, I owe you thanks; but, while we walk to the hotel, tell me
how you came to know she was masquerading in that style."

"It is easily told, sir. A mere accident put me in possession of the
facts, and, thank Heaven, I am able to build two and two together. You
were frank enough, Doctor Craig, to give me certain particulars
concerning that creature's plotting, and that confidence has now borne
fruit.

"Listen, then. I was in the hotel, in my room. Some freak of fortune
placed her in the apartment opposite. Knowing what presumably brought
her to Algiers, t