Mr.

"Benjamin
''Yesterday I heard that a woman had been murdered in Brussels, a woman who
came to warn me against the prince. Do you know who killed her?" "Good God!
Has she been killed? Ah, I knew it would come; he was obliged to get rid of her. I
did not know of her death, but I leave you to guess who was responsible for it.
God' he is a devil! You owe a great deal, Mademoiselle, to the clever men who
stole you from him." "Alas, I am beginning to know it, now that it is too late. And he
was ill when I stole away to-night. I implore you, take me back to the castle!” she
pleaded, her heart wrung by the anguish in her soul. "So he is in the castle, eh?
Just as I thought. I'd like to take you to him, especially as he is ill, but I must take
care of number one. When I dropped out of one villain's employment I went into
business for myself. You see, there is about 100,000 francs reward for you, and
there is the same for the bodies of the abductors. If I turn you over to your
mother or her agents--not the prince, by the way--I earn the reward. If I can
procure the arrest of your abductors I get double the amount. You see how
unbusiness-like it would be If I were to let my sympathies get the better of me."
"But I will give you 100,000 francs if you will take me back to the castle," she
cried, standing before him. "Have you the money with you?" "Of course I have
not, but it shall be yours as soon as I can--" "Pardon. You are worth nothing to
me in that castle, and you will bring a fortune n Brussels." In vain she pleaded
with the stubborn detective, finally threatening him with dire punishment if he
refused to accede to her demands. Then he arose in sudden wrath, cursing her
roundly and vowing she should not leave the room alive if she persisted in such
threats. He told her that she was in a cave beneath the ruins of an old church,
long the haunt of robbers, now the home of snakes and bats. Indeed as he spoke
a flittermouse scurried through the air within a foot of her ear. "We rest here
until to-morrow night, and then we start out to walk. You cannot be seen in that
dress, either. I have clothing here in this box for you to wear. My dear young lady,
you must make believe that you are my younger brother for a day or two, at
least." A look of horror came into her face, succeeded by the deep red of
insulted modesty, and then the white of indignation. "I will Die first, you wretch!"
she exclaimed. In that moment she believed she could have killed the smiling