es, Monsieur," she said quietly. "I filled the bottle with water
this afternoon, in case of accident. I have preserved the previous
contents, in case you should care to have them analyzed."

"You have done well, very well, my girl."

Fauchette blushed with pleasure. I do not often say so much to my
staff.

"Madame does not know that I had just emptied the bottle into that
china bowl," I added carelessly.

"It is useless to try to serve Monsieur; he does everything himself,"
murmured the poor girl, mortified.

"Nonsense, Fauchette, I have just praised you. It is always possible
that I may overlook something."

Fauchette shook her head with an incredulous air.

I have found it good policy to maintain this character for
infallibility with my staff. It is true, perhaps, that I do not very
often blunder.

"And now," I went on, "it is time for the poison to take effect! As
soon as I am dead, you will awake Madame."

I lay down on another couch, and composed myself in a rigid attitude
with my eyes closed. I did not believe, of course, that it would be
possible to deceive a close observer, but I trusted to the wild
emotions of the Princess to blind her to any signs of life.

I heard Fauchette dart on her mistress with a well-acted scream, and
sprinkle her face and neck with cold water.

Sophia seemed to revive quickly.

"Andreas!" I heard her gasp. "Where? What has become of him?"

"M. Sterling has also fainted," the maid replied with assumed
innocence.

"Ha!"

It was more like a shriek than a sob. I heard a hasty rustling of
skirts, and then Sophia seemed to be kneeling beside me, and feeling
for the beat of my heart.

"Go, Fauchette! Send Gregory instantly to M. Petrovitch to inform him
that M. Sterling has been taken ill in my house, and that I fear he
is dead."

The Princess began loosening my necktie.

Had Fauchette been present I should have been able to point to this
as a proof that I was not incapable of an occasional oversight.

As a matter of fact, I had not anticipated this very natural action
on Sophia's part. Yet it should have been evident that, were it only
to keep up appearances before any one who might come to view my
supposed corpse, she would be bound to free my neck.

And I was wearing the locket which contained the portrait of my
promised bride!

I lay, really rigid with apprehension, while Sophia's caressing
fingers tenderly removed the necktie, and began unfastening my collar