CHAPTER XXI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 379, 22 June 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XXI.

WEARING THE ALMAZOFi' LIVJSRY. The morning was nob far advanced when Wab awoke from his sleep and hastened oub. His first act, after eating a good breakfast, was to pub himself into a disguise which made of him a footman oub of work. He then went to the store nearest the countess's residence, and with that easy, familiarity so characteristic of the Parisian servant, said : • I see a Russian countess with lots of money has taken the Marquis de Villenac's old house.' 'Yes,' answered the woman in charge, lolling over the countei*, ready for a gossip. * Got all the establishment she wants, do you know V ' Can't say. Old Froulard furnished all the men.' ' He's gob the inside track, has he ? Well, 1 1 guess I'll go see him. Much obliged to you.' ♦ You're welcome. I hope you'll geb the place. They say she's rich and careless.' ' That's the kind of place I'm after. I don't like your careful people.' ' No, no/ assented the woman, ' there's nothing to be made oub of that sjorb.' Wat knew the Froulard mentioned by the woman. Ho was the keeper of an intelligence office, and, a8 < Wab happened to know also, was nob above (when bhe occasion was a safe one) supplying a servant who knew more about housebreaking than housecleaning. With this fact in tnind Wab went to the agency and asked for JTrpulard. ' Lwant a place with this Russian countess who has just taken bhe Marquis de Villenac's hows©,' ho said to the old man. ,

4 Oh, do you V snapped the old fellow,' shutting his little eyes till there were no eyes to see. * 4 1 do, and I'm . able and willing to pay well for the place, Father Frou lard.' ' Oh !' and the little eyes opened and shut greedily. - - 'Can you get.me the place? and for how much?' , ' I like to know customers who come on such errands.' 'It isn't necessary in this case.' 1 Why not?' - . • Because I know you.' • How does that make a difference ?' •Do you remember the time the Vicbmte Croissac was robbed of his plate and jewels V Tlie old man winced, and- his little eyes opened and shut several times. •Yes, I remember.' 'It was never known how the trick was done, was it ?' •No.' • They'd like to know even now, wouldn't they ?'• 'I suppose they would.' ' 'Couldn't you gob me that place at the countess's?' 1 There are no vacancies^' • You can make one without any trouble.' ' Well, I rather like your looks, and if you will come around this afternoon I don't doubt that we shall have the place if you can afford to pay something for it.' • How much V 1 Two hu nd red francs. ' • That's pretty dear, it seems to me.' ' I'll have to pay the man who is there now pretty well. You want a footman's place, don t you ?' ' Yes, and I want it in one hour. Come ! You get me the place in one hour and I pay you three hundred francs. How does that suit V • Perfectly safe ?' 'Safe as a church.' 1 Come here in an hour.' ' Why not leb me stay hove ? I don't cave how much you make out of it, and I know how you'll work it. Send for the butler now.' ' You're very fly.' ' So, so.' ' And yet I never saw you before.' ' And never may again. Send, for your man.' And so it cost Wat three hundred francs to wear the livery of the Countess Almazoff, and be introduced, an hour after hisjnterview with old Froulard, to the pretty maids of the household. The lofty countess had not been at the head of her army of servants long enough to know any; of them, excepting one or two of the women, so she was not at all surprised to be waited on by Wafc afc breakfast. It was afc this meal that Wat received the reward of his foresight. Chernigoff was announced while it was in progress, and, as a valued and favoured fnend, was permitted to partake of it. ' Well,' exclaimed Sofia, in Russian, as soon as he entered the room, 'our plan has worked beautifully !' 'Beautifully? Horribly, rather,' ' How ?' cried she, turning pale. ' That accursed detective from America, of whom you thought so lightly, has turned 1 up. ,And where, of all places, do you suppose ?' ■ 'Where ' ! 'At the meeting last night. This fellow ! here doesn't speak Russian by any chances, does he ?'- 'No ; we can send him away if you like. What do you mean ?' ' 1 mean that that pretty-faced boy was at the meeting last night, and may have heard what will cost us the failure of all our careful planning.' ' Lose me Ivan ?' •I hadn't thought of that ; but that, too, pqssibly, though as yet« Ivan knows 'nothing.' ., .. .--<■., ' • ■*» '. >■ ' Did he, then, leaip much ?' 1 'We have no means of knowing ; but he must have learned something, for he was caught listening to -the deliberations' of the council.' ' But Ivan, you say, does not yet know oft the detective V 4 No ; I have just come from him, and, to be sure, I pumped his concierge as to his movements and visitors last night.' 'At all hazards he must be prevented from seeing the detective. How did the man, escape, since you say you caught him ?' ' His cunning and courage are without a parallel. I never saw anything like either..He is going bo be a terrible .enemy,,,and it will, be well for us to sink every other thought in the grand one of how we shall save our heads.' • You mean for me tp,give up Ivan, after all I have done to, get him once more?' 'I meant that our heads were in danger.' ' How are they in danger here ?' ' Here they are safe, but we can never in safety return to Russia.' ■ ' Then I shall remain here.' • Would you sacrifice even our plans to your infatuation for that man ?' •As readily as you would sacrifice the nihilists to what you think the greater cause. To me, as to you, all things are a means to an end. Give me Ivan, and you may have all the rest.' ' What folly, in the face of the future you might have I' • Let us understand, each other, once for all, Chernigoff. I love Ivan, and will sacrifice any and all things to get him. 1 ' And he does not love you.' •He shall love me again as he laved me once, before that Radolinski came between us.' ' And in the meantime you are through with me, and are willing to leave me to my fate ?' ' Not at all. You have done me great service, and I will requite it. What can I do for you ?' ' Do not abandon our enterprise.' • Certainly not if it can be done without giving up Ivan. I thought you understood that when you agreed to help me get him away from V era.' ( 1 1 could not comprehend Sofia Altnazpff in such a role as you are pliying.' ' Then comprehend it now. Help mo still as you have done, and rely on me to do everything! n my power for the furtherance of yovir schemes.' ' First, then, you musb remain above suspicion. And to do so you must denounce me.' • Denounce you ? And why,?' • The detective knows that I am one of the council of nihilists, and though I am quite certain he has not yet sent any telegram to Gresser, be is sure to do co as Boon as he is able.' • What prevents him now ?' • I'think he was hurt in the chase.' ' Why did you not kill him ? I shall not feel safe for Ivan until 1 am sure that the detective is dead, or out of the way.' ' I shall not feel safe for myself or my scheme until he is out of the way. Have no fear, I shall make an end of him for my own good, if ever the opportunity offers again.' *But how am I to denounce you, and why ?' • You must write to Sfc. Petersburg that you have discovered that I am a nihilist, because the detective is sure to telegraph, and if you write it will prove that the news, of the detective is nob" of such very, gteafc value,, for one thing, and, for another, that you must be loyal whatever I

•Yes, sihce'it must; be' known that you are a nihilist-, I might as well have the credit , of telling' it. ' ' Do not write, or rather do not send off your letter until we" hear from St. Petersburg, for it may yet happen that the detect ive has not been aftle- to get any telegram off, and in that case it will be needless to expose me, for our work' will be done.' 4 And will you remain with Ivan, so that the detective cannot get at him ?' 'I will.' • And you will bring Ivan here to-day ?' 'Yes.' , 4 And it is thoroughly. understood between us that you are to help me regain Ivan, 1 while I am to do everything in my power to further your schemes ?' 'Yes. And now/Jgood-morning.' 'Good-morning... Oh, Chernigoff !' . The countess seemed struck by a new and disquieting thought. •Well? 1 * Why should the detective be spying at a meeting ot nihilists?' ' To gain information of their movements, I suppose.' c No, nob for anything concerning the nihilsts. Why should he care for, what the nihilists do ?' 4 Employed by Gresser, no doubt. What have you in your mind ?' ' When is Vera to be knouted ?' 'To-morrow morning.' ' I was sure of it.' ' Of what ?' 1 That he has taken the risk only that he might thereby have some way of gaining enough credit with the government to have the knouting delayed.' 4 Whatever the reason, the result is the same.' 1 The same t repeated Sofia, with the air of a fury. * No, not the same if it prolongs the life of the woman who stole Ivan's heart from me. 1 Chernigoff shrugged his shoulders, like a man who hears something he does not comprehend and is disinclined to trouble himself about. Sofia saw the movement, and she shut her white teeth hard together as she hissed out : ' Go, then, and do nob forgeb the compact. You are to geb me Ivan, and lam to help you overthrow the Romanoff reign in Russia.' For some time Wab had half suspected that there was some such stupendous plot under way as the overthrow >of the Russian government, and now he heard ib openly .avowed. Chernigoff was using tho devotedness of the nihilists to accomplish the greater design of a more ambibious set of plotters, and Sofia, with all a woman's singleness of purpose, was playing at once with the passioqs of a desperate band of patriots and the destinies of a great empire, to the one end of regaining a recreant lover. How disproportionate bhe means seemed bo the end ! And yeb how like a woman ! Chernigoff bowed *himself out, and no sooner was he' gone than the countess pushed back her chair and began pacing the room like a tigress in her cage. She paid no more attention to Wat than if he had been a piece of wood. And, indeed, he had stood through the interview with an air of wooden indifference that proved he knew how to act the welltrained servant. * Half-hearted icicle !' she muttered. 'He thinks only of his own part, and would give up my wishes as he would an old coat. Bub he shall learn, as all shall who come in my way, thab Sofia Almazoff is nob to be thwarted. And you, Vera Radolinski, you shall die the death of a slave, in spite of ' thab cursed American detective and all his information against the nihilists.' She walked the floor some time longer, mutbering incoherently to herself, until the idea thab had formed itself in her mind seemed to "have been perfected. i,- -<*„ Then' slie halted, and said to Wat, in French' : . • Tejl my^, maid to come to me at once.' - , Wat 1 hastened to do her bidding, and then stole up stairs and peeped through the half open door. , A puzzled frown knit his brows for a momerib, and then he turned and ran down the sbairs," muttering : ' She will have that poor girl's blood yet, 'if Ldo nob'prevenb her.' J