and divulge the facts of the Princess's
abduction.

Well, fate had ruled it otherwise. The unconscious girl and her maid
were still in St. Petersburg and under his charge. Whither should he
convey them? But he must be quick. Zouroff was a man of resource. He
might have hired a passing conveyance and, accompanied by his two
burly satellites, be rapidly on his track.

And then the thought came swiftly to him. He would turn the carriage
round and drive by devious ways to the house of Golitzine. Once in the
Count's care, his precious charge would be safe. And, if he took that
devious route, there would be no chance of encountering the formidable
Zouroff on the way.

He halted at the door of the Count's house; but here an unexpected
difficulty awaited him. He dare not leave his horses, high-mettled and
but slightly blown by their short gallop. Ah, there was a convenient
lamp-post, a couple of feet in front of him. He would dismount and tie
his reins round it while he knocked at the door.

While he was engaged in this task, a carriage drove up out of the
dark, as it were, and halted beside the other one. A cold sweat broke
out over the young man as he observed its arrival. This devil of a
Zouroff had been too quick for him.

Then his countenance cleared as he recognised the first man who
stepped out. It was the leader of his faithful bodyguard. He had, in
the excitement of passing events, forgotten them.

"You have lost sight of us, Signor, but, you see, we have not lost
sight of you," said the chief of the party. "We followed you to that
mean street where your friend lodged, we saw you come out transformed
in appearance, we followed you to the villa of Madame Quero, we drove
behind you and Prince Zouroff to the Palace, we saw what happened
there, and we came after you at lightning speed. Now, how can we help
you? There is some strange work going on, that is easy to see. This is
the house of Count Golitzine, you want to see him. But I expect they
are all gone to bed."

"Yes, my friend, so much has happened in the last hour or two that I
had forgotten you," was Corsini's answer. "Tell one of the men to
knock at the door till it is opened. If the Count has gone to bed, he
must get up. And you and the others guard that carriage and look out
for Prince Zouroff."

The house seemed wrapped in darkness, and in fact everybody had
retired to rest except the energetic Count himself. Five nights out of
six he worked into the