with
bull-dog tenacity, when an astounding thing happened. The Frenchman's
handsome moustaches fell off, and beneath the clever make-up on her face
were visible the boldly handsome features of La Belle Chasseuse, now
distorted by rage and fear.

"You fool!" yelled Talbot to Winter. "You have let him escape!"

Tearing himself from the midst of the fight, he was just in time to see
the female figure, which he now knew must be Dubois masquerading in his
mistress's clothes, jumping into a cab and driving off towards the Corso
Vittorio Emmanuele.

"Come on, Fairholme!" he cried. "He cannot get away! Here comes an empty
carriage!"

But now Macpherson and his allies had reached the scene. Using a
"monkey-wrench or the first thing to hand," they placed the Turks, Gros
Jean, and the crew of the _Belles Soeurs_ on the casualty list.

Mr. Winter's indignation on finding that he had arrested a woman was
painful. In his astonishment he released his grasp and turned to look at
the disappearing vehicle containing the criminal he so ardently longed
to lay hands upon.

La Belle Chasseuse, with the vicious instinct of her class, felt that
Talbot's pursuit of her lover must be stopped at all costs.

She suddenly produced a revolver and levelled it at him. Fairholme and
Edith alone noted her action. At the same instant they rushed towards
her, but the girl reached her first.

With a frenzied prayer that she might be in time--for she had been told
of this woman's prowess with a pistol--Edith caught hold of her wrist
and pulled it violently. Her grip not only disconcerted Mademoiselle's
deadly aim, but also caused her to press the trigger. There was a loud
report, a scream, and Edith collapsed to the ground with a severe bullet
wound in her left shoulder. Even her cloth jacket was set on fire by the
close proximity of the weapon.

It is to be feared that Fairholme flung La Belle Chasseuse from off the
quay into the harbour with unnecessary violence. Indeed, the Italian
onlookers, not accustomed to sanguinary broils, subsequently agreed that
this was the _piece de resistance_ of the spectacle, for the lady was
pitched many feet through the air before she struck the water, whence
she was rescued with some difficulty.

[Illustration: "Fairholme flung La Belle Chasseuse with unnecessary
violence." --_Page 278._]

Careless how or where Mademoiselle ended her flight, the earl dropped on
his knees beside Edith and quickly pressed out