"Well; no, I don't think so. Julia didn't say a word about it. In fact,
I don't know how it came up. But you never heard such a woman to
talk--an ugly, old, hideous little creature! But the two are always
together."

"If you don't take care you'll find that Julia is married to the count
while you are thinking about it."

Then Archie began to consider whether he might not as well tell his
brother of his present scheme with reference to Julia. Having discussed
the matter at great length with his confidential friend, Captain Boodle,
he had come to the conclusion that his safest course would be to bribe
Madam Gordeloup, and creep into Julia's favor by that lady's aid. Now,
on his return to London, he was about at once to play that game, and had
already provided himself with funds for the purpose. The parting with
ready money was a grievous thing to Archie, though in this case the
misery would be somewhat palliated by the feeling that it was a
bona-fide sporting transaction. He would be lessening the odds against
himself by a judicious hedging of his bets. "You must stand to lose
something always by the horse you mean to win," Doodles had said to him,
and Archie had recognized the propriety of the remark. He had,
therefore, with some difficulty, provided himself with funds, and was
prepared to set about his hedging operations as soon as he could find
Madam Gordeloup on his return to London. He had already ascertained her
address through Doodles, and had ascertained by the unparalleled
acuteness of his friend that the lady was--a Russian spy. It would have
been beautiful to have seen Archie's face when this information was
whispered into his ear, in private, at the club. It was as though he had
then been made acquainted with some great turf secret, unknown to the
sporting world in general.

"Ah!" he said, drawing a long breath, "no; by George, is she?"

The same story had been told everywhere in London of the little woman
for the last half dozen years, whether truly or untruly I am not
prepared to say; but it had not hitherto reached Archie Clavering; and
now, on hearing it, he felt that he was becoming a participator in the
deepest diplomatic secrets of Europe.

"By George," said he, "is she really?"

And his respect for the little woman rose a thousand per cent.

"That's what she is," said Doodles, "and it's a doosed fine thing for
you, you know! Of course you can make her safe, and that will be
everything."

Ar