he was
choking down the rage she must have felt at the other's cynical
depravity. For Sophia, though capable of committing a murder out of
jealousy perhaps, was yet incapable of killing for reward.

"Well," I heard Petrovitch say in the tone of one who is taking his
leave, "I must send some one 'round to remove our friend."

"Do not trouble, if you please. I will see to the funeral," came in
icy tones from the Princess.

"What, still sentimental! Be careful, my good Sophia Y----, you will
lose your value to us if you give way to such weaknesses."

I heard his steps move across the carpeted floor, and then with
startling suddenness, the words came out:

"Curse me if I can believe he _is_ dead!"

My blood ran cold. But it turned out to be only a passing
exclamation. At the end of what seemed to me minutes--they can only
have been seconds--the footsteps moved on, and the door opened and
closed.

"Thank God!" burst from Sophia.

Her next words were plainly an apostrophe to myself.

"So you did not trust me after all!"

I was within an ace of opening my eyes on the supposition that she
had found me out, when I was reassured by her adding, this time to
herself,

"He must have done it when I fainted!"

I saw that she was referring to my theft of the key.

There was a soft rustle of silk on the floor, and I felt her hands
searching in my pockets for the stolen key.

"Fool! To think that I could outwit him!" she murmured to herself at
last.

She had taken some time to learn the lesson, however.

CHAPTER XXIII

A RESURRECTION AND A GHOST

It was soon evident that the Princess Y---- had taken her new maid
into her confidence to a certain extent.

She must have rung for Fauchette without my hearing anything, for
presently the door opened again, and I heard my assistant's voice.

As the result of a hurried consultation between the two women, in
which Fauchette played to perfection the part of a devoted maid who
is only desirous to anticipate the wishes of her mistress, it was
decided to wheel the sofa on which I lay into the oratory, and to
bring the wax dummy into the Princess's bedroom, to lie in state till
the next day.

The arrangement did not take long to carry out.

Partly from what I was able to overhear, and partly from the report
afterward furnished to me by Fauchette, I am able to relate
succinctly what took place.

To begin with, I was left in the oratory, while the counterfeit
cor