nity, "thou art a pig!"

"Pig I am not."

"Pig!" she repeated with more acerbity.

Renwick was in no mind to take a part in their quarrel and was moving
toward the door of the adjoining room when a phrase caught his ear.

"And thou art a magpie, Zaidee, always croaking. It will get us into
trouble, thy talking. I have but to set my foot outside the house and
thy tongue wags like the clothing of a scarecrow."

"I have done no harm," she said angrily.

"It is no affair of thine--they will come again asking questions. I have
no humor to talk with any of that accursed breed."

"What harm can come--if we tell the truth----?"

"Bah--what do the police care about the truth?"

Renwick turned and reentered the room.

"The police!" he said quickly.

"Zaidee talks too much. A month ago in my absence they came inquiring."

"And what wouldst _thou_ have said?" cried Zaidee angrily. "To shelter a
sick woman is no crime----"

"I should have said nothing."

"And what happened?" asked Renwick eagerly, now aware of the bone that
chance had thrown in the way of a starving man.

"In the middle of the night which followed the day upon which the
Archduke was assassinated----"

"And whose tongue is wagging now--thou magpie?" put in Zaidee
spitefully.

"Be quiet----" said Selim.

Renwick glared at the woman as though he would have liked to choke her,
and she subsided.

"An automobile stopped at my door. There were three people, an Austrian
officer, a lady who was sick, and a man who drove the car. They asked
admittance on account of the Excellency who was sick. I could not
refuse, for they said that they would pay me well."

Selim paused, hunting in his pockets for a match to light his pipe, and
Renwick, containing his patience with difficulty, stood, his hands
clenched behind him, waiting. They had stopped here--at this very house.

"And then----?" he asked calmly.

"We put the Excellency to bed----"

"_I_ did," said Zaidee.

"Bah! What matter? They were bound upon a journey over the mountains to
Vlasenica, where the Excellency was taking his wife for the waters."

"His wife," mumbled Renwick.

"They traveled at night to avoid the heat of midday, but the sudden
sickness of the Excellency made further travel impossible."

"The officer Excellency lied----!" said Zaidee.

"Be quiet, thou----!" roared Selim.

"Let Zaidee speak. I am no policeman," said Renwick.

"What interest is it of yours?"

Renwick cau