Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-01-05
CHAPTER VIII.
IRccc1vc a Warning.

Receive n Warming.
When reached home found wait
ing for me a note from M. de Noilleff,
the head of the secret police, appoint
ing an hour when could see him in
two days time. This was the Oficiel
whom had not yet been able to see,
and was glad to think that 1 should
! be able to exchange a few words with
him before giving my final answer to
the proposal of the Nihilist leaders. 1
believed that Won AIitschka mad only
told me the TRUTH yet I thought there
would be no harm in finding out, if
could, whether the information pos
sessed by the police tailed with the
| statements he had made to me.
l found M. de Noilleh a solemn.
severe-looking man, with face that
might have been formed of india-rub-
Der, so void was it of all trace of senti-
ment or emotion of any kind. His stiff
grey hair stood straight up from his
forehead, like a circular brush: his
whiskers met under his chin; and his
| upper lip was clean shaven, and very
| long.
| had leisure to observe these details,
| for the chief was busy writing when
entered his room, and did not trouble
himself to look up till he had finished
his sentence. When he did look up
and saw me standing by the door, he
gave a start, an expressio nof astonish-
ment came into his face, and he half
rose from his chair, saying lat the
same time, something that did not
catch. However, as I advanced to-
wards him Lis expression changed. He
became all at once the cold but court
eous official. If he had been a little
more genial, I would have taken the
liberty of asking him whether he had
noticed anything unusual in my APP
pearance; but De Noilletf was not the
sort Of man one could take Il liberty
With. and, indeed, the startled express
sion in his face had been so quickly
suppressed, that it scarcely seemed
worth while to refer to it.
you came to st. Petersburg said
NJ. &c Noilleff, in hard, formal tone,
Gin order to make some inquiries on
lchalf of the Princess I<ropenslli. as to
the circumstances under which her
husband, Prince Kropenski, left his
bome:'
bowed.
"Haye YOU made any discoveries?'
NO.
"Why. then, are you wasting time
in st. Petersburg?"
Because l wished to be able to
carry to the Princess a report of the
views of your department concerning
the calamity which has befallen her."
The official starttd and forward.
9Th police have no views on the sub
ject,' he said, in Il harsh. overbear-
ing voice. ''It is not police matter
at ALL There was no crime. If the
Prince chooses to leave his house Sc
cretly, in the dead of night. and does
not choose to return it is, strictly
speaking, no affair of ours
But it is very doubtful if the Prince
did leave his house voluntarily. If
his had been the only case of mysteri-
Gus disappearance"
.Ha! Who told you there had been
other cases?"
II forget"
"You will be good enough to try to
remember"
mo, sir will not
"Take care, sir! Your associates are
| known. Take care lest you involve
yourself in their fate! We know that,
contrary to your masters specific
orders, you sheltered and relieved one
whom YOU knew to be under the ban
of the law. Since then you have con-
sorted on at least one occasion with
Take care, say, lest you suffer their
fate. Let it be proved that you are an
accomplice Of the enemies Of the state,
and 1 promise you that your nation-
ality shall not protect you.'
| During this speech had time to re-
| fleet what a foolish thing it was to
make an enemy Of the chief of the
police, a man who might be a power
| full friend, Or no less a powerful foe.
| OF course, it would never do to allow
him to suppose that l was as deep in
| the counsels Of the Nihilists as l act
ually was; but I determined to change
my attitude entirely-to reverse, if pos
sible, the bad opinion which the head
of the police evidently had of me, and
allow him to believe that he had sue
eeded in frightening me. The best
way of deceiving him was. thought,
to make show of frankness.
II hope you will take into account"
said l, in humble tone, with my eyes
on the ground, chat if have erred it
has been from an excess Of zeal. l
knew Raou1 in London, and meeting
him here accidentally, thought it pos
sible that he might be able to enlight-
en- me about the Princes disappear
ance."
And did he? Did he tell you any,
thing?" cried the head detective-for,
after ALL he was nothing more-bend-
ing forward eagerly in his chair, and
fixing his burning eyes on mine. as if
lie would read the very secrets of my
soul.
sighed, and shook my head.
"You cannot suppose, sir. that If I
had been able to gain the slightest hint
as to what has become Of the Prince
would have kept it to myself all this
time"
] ''Then he told you nothing? Proba-
bly, he knew nothing. And yeti is
possible. Mr.. Heath, are you really
anxious to learn what has become of
the Princew
1 "Can yOur excellency doubt it?o