lessly in love with her. Never had he seen hair grow so exquisitely
about the temples and neck as this one's hair--but, just to confound his
budding singleness of interest, his gaze at that instant wandered off
and fell upon something that caused him to stare hard at a certain spot
far removed from the coiffure of a fair and dainty lady.

His eye had fallen upon a crack in the door that led to the kitchen,
although he had no means of knowing that it was a kitchen. To his
amazement, a gleaming eye was looking out upon the room from beyond
this narrow crack. He looked long and found that he was not mistaken.
There was an eye, glued close to the opposite side of the rickety door,
and its gaze was directed to the Countess Marlanx.

The spirit of adventure, recklessness, bravado--whatever you may choose
to call it--flared high in the soul of this self-despised outsider. He
could feel a strange thrill of exaltation shooting through his veins; he
knew as well as he knew anything that he was destined to create
commotion in that stately crowd, even against his better judgment. The
desire to spring forward and throw open the door, thus exposing a
probable con-federate, was stronger than he had the power to resist.
Even as he sought vainly to hold himself in check, he became conscious
that the staring eye was meeting his own in a glare of realisation.

Without pausing to consider the result of his action, he sprang across
the room, shouting as he did so that there was a man behind the door.
Grasping the latch, he threw the door wide open, the others in the room
looking at him as if he were suddenly crazed.

He had expected to confront the owner of that basilisk eye. There was
not a sign of a human being in sight. Beyond was a black little room, at
the back of which stood an old cooking stove with a fire going and a
kettle singing. He leaped through, prepared to grasp the mysterious
watcher, but, to his utter amazement, the kitchen was absolutely empty,
save for inanimate things. His surprise was so genuine that it was not
to be mistaken by the men who leaped to his side. He had time to note
that two of them carried pistols in their hands, and that Tullis and
Quinnox had placed themselves between the Prince and possible danger.

There was instant commotion, with cries and exclamations from all. Quick
as the others were, the old woman was at his side before them, snarling
with rage. Her talon-like fingers sunk into his arm, and h