the man. He was as cool as if he sat at dinner among friends, merely
resting a finger on the trigger of his weapon, the muzzle of which he
held to the ground.

"What is this, sir?" demanded the Prince, coming to a pause and staring
at the scene. Holgate answered nothing. I doubt if the Prince had seen
him from where he stood, for he addressed Barraclough, and now he
repeated his question with dignity. At that moment a door opened
somewhere with a click, and Mademoiselle entered the corridor.
Barraclough made no sign, but with his teeth on his under lip stared
before him helplessly.

"But you have the treasure," suddenly cried a tremulous voice in broken
English, and Mademoiselle was in our midst. "Go back, Messieurs: you
have broke your word. You have the treasure."

The Prince stared at her. "What treasure?" he asked with a puzzled
expression.

"Sir John has made peace with them," she cried excitedly. "He has
delivered up the treasure, and they will let us go free. It is all
settled. Let him go, 'Olgate. You shall let him go."

"Why," said the Prince with a singular expression on his face, "it
means I am surrounded with traitors. There is treachery everywhere.
Yvonne, you have betrayed me."

"Ah, _non_, _non_!" she cried plaintively, clasping her hands together.
"We shall be saved. Sir John sees to that."

"So you made terms," said the Prince to Barraclough in his deep voice
of fury.

"I acted for the best," said Barraclough; and now that he met the storm
he faced it with dignity. Perhaps I alone knew the measure of his
temptation. He had fallen a victim to the arts of a beautiful woman.
There was nought else could have melted that obdurate British heart or
turned that obstinate British mind. This obtuseness had been his ruin,
and he must have recognised it then; for he had admitted the enemy and
our stronghold was in their hands. But the last blow had yet to fall.

"Fool!" said the Prince with a bitter laugh. "The treasure is not
there. You have played without cards."

"I will be damned if I didn't think it was his royal highness," said
Holgate in his even voice, and as he spoke he rose into sight.

It was grotesque as it sounded, certainly not a bit like the prelude of
high tragedy; yet that was on the way, and fell at once. Holgate's
voice arrested the Prince, and he started, as if now for the first time
aware of the presence of the mutineers. Till that moment he had merely
been bent on rating a servan