r he is alive. As you say, he could hardly have been killed on
such a night without attracting attention. Besides, the motives for
Paul's killing him were wholly inadequate. No, let me go on. Therefore
I say that he was taken alive."

"Where?"

"In Santa Sophia."

"But then," argued Balsamides, "the driver would have seen him carried
out."

"Yes," I admitted. "That is the difficulty. But he might perhaps have
been taken through the porch; at all events, he must have gone down the
stairs alone, taking the lantern."

"They found the lantern," said Gregorios. "You did not know that? A long
time afterwards the man who opens the towers confessed that when he had
gone up with the brothers and the kavass he had found that his taper was
burnt out. He picked up the kavass's lantern and carried it down,
meaning to return with the next party of foreigners. No other foreigners
came, and when he went up to find the Patoffs they were gone and the
carriage was gone. He kept the lantern, until the offers of reward
induced him to give it up and tell his story."

"That proves nothing, except that Alexander went down-stairs in the
dark."

"I have an idea, Griggs!" cried Balsamides, suddenly changing his tone.
"It proves this,--that Alexander did not necessarily go down the steps
at all."

"I do not understand."

"There is another way out of that gallery. Did you know that? At the
other end, in exactly the same position, hidden in the deep arch, there
is a second door. There is also a winding staircase, which leads to the
street on the opposite side of the mosque. Foreigners are never admitted
by that side, but it is barely possible that the door may have been
open. Alexander Patoff may have gone down that way, thinking it was the
staircase by which he had come up."

"You see," I said, delighted at this information, "everything is not
exhausted yet."

"No, I begin to think we are nearer to an explanation. If that door was
open,--which, however, is very improbable,--he could have gone down and
have got into the street without passing the carriage, which stood on
the other side of the mosque. But, after all, we are no nearer to
knowing what ultimately became of him."

"Would it be possible to find out whether the door was really open, and,
if so, who passed that way?" I inquired.

"We shall see," said Gregorios. "I will change my mind. I will make the
acquaintance of your Russian friend. I know him by sight, though I never