e would not be likely to spare his own sister, if
she offended him in the same way.

It was not till the middle of the next day that Katerina had charmed
out of Peter certain information which confirmed her worst fears.

Briefly, the information amounted to this. The Prince had sent one of
his trusted servants into the country to order relays of horses. A
travelling carriage was to be waiting at midnight close to the Zouroff
Palace. But Peter either did not know, or would not tell, who was to
be the occupant or the persons in attendance on the carriage.

One little important detail he had dropped. The carriage was to make
its first halt at Pavlovsk, the first stage of the journey, on the
Moscow road.

There was no longer any doubt in Nada's mind as to the Prince's
intentions. Corsini was to be entrapped on leaving the Palace and
thrust into the carriage; in all probability, drugged and bound. Of
his ultimate fate she shuddered to think.

She knew the Chief of Police, General Beilski, well. He was an old
friend of the family, also one of the Emperor's most trusted
adherents. While devoted to her mother and herself, he had never shown
himself much attached to the Prince.

Nothing easier than for her to pay a private visit to the General at
his office, or invite him to the Palace, and request his assistance in
thwarting her brother's foul designs. It was the course which Madame
Quero could have taken had she so wished, in the first instance.

The same reason held back both women. Such a step must have brought
about the immediate ruin of Zouroff, with its consequent degradation
for his relatives. The General was a man who would put duty and
patriotism before every other consideration. He would not consent to
any paltering with justice, he would drive no bargain. He would not
save Corsini at the cost of letting the Prince go free and unpunished.

It was a terrible situation for so young a girl, thrown upon her own
resources. True, she could have taken counsel with her mother, but she
shrank from exposing her brother's villainy to such a close relation.
She would keep the shameful secret locked in her own breast so long as
it was possible.

And then came a ray of light. She wrote a letter in a feigned hand to
the General, which ran thus:

"A travelling carriage will set out to-night from St.
Petersburg at any time after midnight, and will halt at
Pavlovsk, on the road to Moscow. Let the carriage be