up....

He made up his mind to slip out on to the landing. Despite his efforts,
he could not prevent his shoes creaking: it was spring-time, and already
the stair carpet had been taken up. He was on the point of going
downstairs, when he heard the portress calling from above:

"Who's there?... What do you want?"

Had she heard him leave the flat? Was he to be stupidly caught, just as
he was escaping?... He must act at once. He went up a step or two of the
next flight of stairs and called out:

"Is Monsieur Mercadier at home?"

"Ah, no, monsieur! He has just this minute gone out! I am surprised you
did not meet him!..."

"Very good, madame. I will come another time!"

Fandor turned on his heel, and, whistling, with hands in pockets, he
gained the ground floor, passed the entrance gate, and found himself in
the street. He mingled with the passers-by, and learned from the first
plaque he came to with the name of the street on it, that he was in rue
Lecourbe, Vaugirard....

XX

UNDER THE HOODED MASK

What had happened? By way of what mysterious adventures had the corpse
of sugar refiner Thomery reached that empty room in rue Lecourbe, where
Jerome Fandor had come across it?

Two days previous, on the afternoon of Elizabeth Dollon's arrest,
Monsieur Thomery was working in his study, when a servant came to tell
him that a lady wished to speak to him.

"Did she give you her name?" asked Thomery.

"No, monsieur, this person said her name would tell you nothing; but she
was sure monsieur would see her, for she would only detain him a minute
or two...."

Piles of papers were stacked on the great sugar refiner's study table:
typists were laying numerous letters before him, which awaited his
signature. Thomery thought to himself:

"I have still a good half-hour's work before me ... deuce take this
importunate visitor!" He was on the point of saying he could not see any
one, when the servant added:

"This person declares she comes with reference to Madame the Princess
Danidoff."

Though he was a man of business, Thomery was a gallant man also; and
very much in love; his approaching marriage with the Princess, which had
been kept secret, was now known. The name of Princess Danidoff settled
the question.

"Very well, let her come in!"

The manservant disappeared a minute, then ushered into the study a very
unassuming woman of uncertain age and quite ordinary looking.

Thomery rose to meet her, poin