;vants, who exhibited: he Lhe prete ALIVE] YALTA, -------- -------- CHAPTER. VII. When Maxime awoke next morn. ing the scenes in Rue Jouffroy pre- sented themselves under a new as- t. (Now that he had come out rom the hubbub and could reason more calmly, he began to extract a few certainties. from among all these obscurities. The marvel of the Rink was not the friend of Borisoff, On this point fore was no' possibility of mistake, he had directed & plot for the des liverance of = Robert de Carnoel, av the plot' had succeeded. But pr Ly what miracle of address had she come to deceive Borisoft and in- duce himi.to bring hié prisoner to her hig 231 And who was this Mad- ame Bergent who showed herself only to vanish immediately, who iskated at the Rink like an adven- turess, who was enthroned like a great lady in the first boxes at the opera, who supped with a Berths ¥errier, who had at her disposal a house peopled with liv evening in company with a s brcught homme by the most authenti- pr Ty of Russian golonels 1 To ai 15 was Ti th a reply i. Madsge Bergent sould be none other than Shah te dent |X of the "dgpspirators an intimate friend of the thief who had left her od a cases' Alice; lie was 5 el ir 'master who had shown' himgelé the. ally of Madamg' Sergent; and had certainly acted without the know- | ledge of the nokile woman in whose service he was engaged, In the last interview with Ma- dame Yalta, she 'Mad clearly ex- plained herself on the subject of the Nihilists and their adherents. "I have the good fortuns not to be a Russian subject,' were her words; "'I have therefore nothing to do with these people, but I be- long by instinct to the party of the ascribed, and am.-notrof that of thieves and murderers.' But it was not surpriking that a hireling had betrayed His mistress, and ib might éven be thap Madame "Yalta was surrounded, nnknowh to herself, by scoundrels affiliated with a: sect whose dream is univer sul destruction. These wretches wore Fnown to Le everywhere, and to 'establish themselves from choice where no ons Juspéeted they would have the, fF atdac qt the fencing: hd ous hoyard, and a month Aarne a the Avenue e iu was 8 gure asylum where no one would think of looking for a sdcialish con- teed od d only put' on his 'overcoat tint, ony pk valet presented de asked 1s ; of 'whom, then?' asked Max-| Dé nme, his curiosity beginning tof 1S awaken: "Of a Woman who perplexed fe at very much' six weeks or two mont ago. You remember the marvel leus brunette whom 1 pointed ous. to'you at the Rink?" some agitation, i {'Have you seen her since?' . This unexpected question discon: otrted Maxime, but an immediate reply 'was necessary, and he an: svered evasively: = nd have seen. her once at the!' theatre." {And you spoke to her' 'No, she was in a box with a gen tleman,"' "A foreigner; was he not?' "He had that appearance.'"' The doctor reflected for a mo- ment, Maxine more end more con- or a hye Th influence cvar!§ er; first, because he knows her secret, and secondly, because 1o:| 4 ward the end of the liaison ho drew her from avery dangerous pradicn fused by 'this singular questioning! § WR 8 could not long remain silent. i You know her, then' he asked; || looking with a certain uncasiness at Villagos. "Oto: of my friends' Snows her, and he was with her when day be- fore Jesterday 1 passed her irr the street.'" pind he Has 5 told you who she is 'Yes, and it is so curious a hiss tory that 1 came expressly to re- late it bo you. This creature who amuses herself with skating on casters like a simple cocette; and whe looks like an Andalusian; ine, ne oom ; tlie doctor told him nothing nev And, L yout friend-is sure of : ser tly The evenin, gir! with eyes of fire is a Russians a Ru ihili off te aa er eR