ollowed at an unobtrusive distance by
his guards. His heart was singing happily within him, as a result of
his interview with the bluff, but genial General.

He was grateful to La Belle Quero for her unselfish interference on
his behalf: she had braved detection, Zouroff's vengeance, on his
account. When his lips were unsealed he would express to the singer
his thanks.

But it was the Princess who had more fully schemed and plotted, set to
work her woman's wit, and ultimately triumphed on his behalf. Was it
due to a kind pure woman's compassion only, or--delicious thought--was
she attracted to him as he was to her? Was it love that had
stimulated her brain, urged her to that desperate measure of the
anonymous note to the Chief of Police?

A letter was handed to him by the hall-porter as he entered the hotel.
He was told that it had been delivered by a shabbily-dressed man, who
would not wait for his return.

It was from Ivan, no longer an outlaw, and ran as follows:

"Come to my lodging with your guards at twelve-thirty
to-night. The meeting is an hour later. I will give you full
instructions. Your Friend."

CHAPTER XX

Peter the valet was a man of criminal instincts, cunning, avaricious,
and unscrupulous. Perhaps his sole remaining qualities were his
devotion to his master, Zouroff, and his ardent love for the
Princess's maid, Katerina.

His interview with the formidable and awe-inspiring Beilski had shaken
him considerably. His faith in Zouroff was great, but in that brief
conversation he had begun to realise the sinister power of the police,
at which body, the Prince, in his arrogance, was wont to snap his
fingers.

He returned home full of thought and much perturbed. He had already
determined in his own mind the cause of the failure to remove Corsini.
In an unguarded moment, he had revealed to Katerina certain facts
about a travelling carriage whose first stoppage was to be at
Pavlovsk. Katerina had blabbed all this to somebody.

But, until his interview with Beilski, he had been content to let
matters stand where they were. It did not greatly concern him that
Corsini had been rescued and was back again in St. Petersburg. His
master would never suspect him: he would rather suspect one of the
four other men of having given it away, for the sake of the reward
that he would claim. So reasoned Peter in his narrow, but cunning
brain. Therefore, for many reasons, he did not tax Katerin