Part 57 (2/2)
”What about the Northern Gate and the Bois?”
”It is quieter that way, monsieur, I am told”
De Froilette nodded and the servant went out
The Altstrasse becaone to swell the crowds in the Bergenstrasse, not to fight perhaps, but to hang about in side streets and seize whatever loot they could With dead and dyingin the roadway, there would be one too, for in the Altstrasse much of the human refuse of the city had its home, and sex counted for little
It was toward noon that De Froilette's door opened suddenly, and a tall figure, cloaked to the eyes, glided in, closing the door In an instant De Froilette was on his feet, and then as the man let the cloak fall apart, he exclaimed--
”Vasilici!”
”Yes, Vasilici,” was the answer
”They are not yourin the streets, are they?” asked De Froilette, a ray of hope in his eyes
”No; my men remain in the hills”
”We have been overreached,” said De Froilette; ”but only for a little while It was a good ht have been wiser to shoot her There will be ht Do you know that?”
”I have heard nothing else since I entered the city,” returned the brigand
”It was bold of you to enter it at all just now,” said De Froilette
”I arandiloquently, ”and I had business with you”
”With me?”
”With you and with one other,” Vasilici answered ”It was fortunate this Princess cas We were to do the fighting, monsieur, but to have little of the reward; that was for the Russians lying on the frontier It was a pretty plot you and the Queen had arranged”
”Whose tale is that, Vasilici? You are easily deceived if you believe it”
”We learnt the truth e received this, and held up the bracelet of er was, he lied to you,” said De Froilette ”Her Majesty shall presently convince you of that I will return the bracelet to her”
Vasilici burst out laughing His quick eyes had taken in every detail of the room, had noted what lay upon the table, had keenly scanned his companion from head to foot
”We are not all fools in the hills,to deliver this to her Majesty myself She is the other I spoke of ho Ah, you are clever,” he went on, replacing the bracelet in his pocket, ”but you have failed We are not to be sold to Russia just yet, and by a foreigner, too Externers, ood one Tell o free?”
He did not wait for an answer With a sudden spring, his glittering dagger raised to strike, he was upon his adversary But the blow fell li the knife fall with a clatter upon the table The brigand's swaggering courage had risen as he contemplated his defenceless enemy From the moment of his entrance, however, the Frenchman understood that he ca forward, two shots in quick succession startled the echoes of the rooure swayed for a moment, then fell sideways on to the table, and slithered to the ground
In an instant De Froilette was at the door and had locked it There were running feet in the passage without, and cries of ”Monsieur!
Monsieur!”
”It is nothing,” De Froilette shouted ”The weapon was loaded and I had forgotten the fact I am not hurt _Dejeuner_ at once”
As the servants departed, De Froilette bent over the dead body