ost certainly the former. He has guessed that
we are somewhat handicapped by our anxiety to keep Prince Eugen's
predicament quite quiet, and he is taking advantage, of that fact. As he
already is fairly rich, on his own admission, the reward which has been
offered to him must be enormous, and he is absolutely determined to get
it. He has several times recently proved himself to be a daring fellow;
unless I am mistaken he will shortly prove himself to be still more
daring.'

'But what can he do? Surely you don't suggest that he will attempt the
life of Prince Eugen in this hotel?'

'Why not? If Reginald Dimmock fell on mere suspicion that he would turn
out unfaithful to the conspiracy, why not Prince Eugen?'

'But it would be an unspeakable crime, and do infinite harm to the
hotel!'

'True!' Racksole admitted, smiling. Little Felix Babylon seemed to brace
himself for the grasping of his monstrous idea.

'How could it possibly be done?' he asked at length.

'Dimmock was poisoned.'

'Yes, but you had Rocco here then, and Rocco was in the plot. It is
conceivable that Rocco could have managed it--barely conceivable. But
without Rocco I cannot think it possible. I cannot even think that
Jules would attempt it. You see, in a place like the Grand Babylon, as
probably I needn't point out to you, food has to pass through so many
hands that to poison one person without killing perhaps fifty would be
a most delicate operation. Moreover, Prince Eugen, unless he has
changed his habits, is always served by his own attendant, old Hans, and
therefore any attempt to tamper with a cooked dish immediately before
serving would be hazardous in the extreme.'

'Granted,' said Racksole. 'The wine, however, might be more easily got
at.

Had you thought of that?'

'I had not,' Babylon admitted. 'You are an ingenious theorist, but I
happen to know that Prince Eugen always has his wine opened in his own
presence. No doubt it would be opened by Hans. Therefore the wine theory
is not tenable, my friend.'

'I do not see why,' said Racksole. 'I know nothing of wine as an expert,
and I very seldom drink it, but it seems to me that a bottle of wine
might be tampered with while it was still in the cellar, especially if
there was an accomplice in the hotel.'

'You think, then, that you are not yet rid of all your conspirators?'

'I think that Jules might still have an accomplice within the building.'

'And that a bottle of wine could be o