"And now, by what means do you purpose that I shall a.s.sume the appearance of death?" I inquired as soon as we had returned to the boudoir.
The Princess opened a small cabinet, and produced a tiny stoppered bottle.
"By swallowing this medicine," she answered. "I have had it specially prepared from a recipe given me ten years ago at a time when I thought of resorting to the same contrivance to escape from my taskmaster."
I took the bottle in my hand, and examined it carefully. It bore no label, and the contents appeared perfectly colorless.
"In five minutes after you have swallowed the contents of the bottle," Sophia explained, "you will begin to turn cold, at first in the feet and hands. As the cold mounts to the brain you will gradually lose consciousness, and become rigid. You will look as pale as if you were actually dead, and your heart will cease to beat."
"And how long will this stupor last?"
"About twenty-four hours, more or less, according to your const.i.tution."
I looked carefully and steadily into her eyes. She flushed and trembled violently, but did not quail.
"What does it taste like?" I asked.
"It is a little bitter."
"I will take it in water, then."
"You can take it in wine, if you like. I have some here."
She moved to a small cupboard in the wall.
"I shall tell them that I gave it to you in wine, in any case," she added.
"I prefer water, thank you. May I fetch some from the next room?"
"I will fetch it," she said hastily, going to the bedroom.
On an ebony stand beside me there was a large china bowl containing a flowering plant in its pot. In a second I had removed the stopper, emptied the bottle into the s.p.a.ce between the flower-pot and the outer bowl, and put the stopper back again.
"Tell me," I said to the Princess as she hurried back with a carafe and tumbler, "have you thought how I am to get away from this house without exciting attention?"
"It will be easy for me to procure you a dozen disguises. I am always going to masked b.a.l.l.s. But are you in such a hurry to leave me?"
"I shall find the air of your oratory rather confined, I am afraid."
She hung her head in evident chagrin.
"But where will you go?" she demanded.
"Oh, that is all arranged. I have taken a small house and furnished it, in another name."
"Where?" she asked breathlessly.
"Perhaps I had better not tell you till this excitement is over. I must not burden you with too many of my secrets."
Sophia"s eyes filled with tears.
"You distrust me still!" she cried. "But, after all, what does it matter? I have only to ask Petrovitch."
"That will be quite unnecessary as well as useless. I pledge myself to tell you before I leave this place, and I have not favored M.
Petrovitch with my new address."
She smiled scornfully.
"And do you believe that you have succeeded in taking a house in Petersburg without his knowledge? You do not know him, I tell you again. He has had you watched every hour of the day while you have been here."
"Please credit me with a little resource, as well as your friend," I answered with some slight irritation. "I have no doubt the spies of M. Petrovitch have watched me pretty closely, but they have not been able to watch every person who has come in and out of the hotel. Two of my most capable a.s.sistants have been in Petersburg for the last month--since the day you hinted that my life was not quite safe, in fact."
The woman before me looked completely overwhelmed.
"One of them," I proceeded with cutting severity, "has taken the house I speak of. The other is watching over my personal safety at this moment."
The Princess fairly gave way. Sinking on the couch behind her, she exclaimed in a faint voice:
"You are a demon, not a man!"
It was the finest compliment she could have paid me.
"And now," I said carelessly, "to carry out your admirable little idea."
The unhappy woman put up her hands, and turned away her head in sheer terror.
I splashed some water into the tumbler, and then trickled in a small quant.i.ty afterward, to imitate the sound of adding the poison. This done I respectfully handed the bottle to my companion.
"To our next meeting!" I called out lightly, as I lifted the tumbler to my lips and drained it.
It was the Princess who swooned.
Although I had not foreseen this weakness on her part I took advantage of it to draw the tiny key of the oratory from her bosom, and hide it in my mouth.
I then touched the bell twice, the signal for the Princess"s maid to appear.
"Fauchette," I said, when she entered--for this was the a.s.sistant I had alluded to as watching over my personal safety--"Madame has just given me the contents of that stoppered bottle. Do you know anything about them?"
Fauchette had made good use of her time since obtaining her situation. These things are so easily managed that I am almost ashamed to explain that a bribe to the former maid had brought about a convenient illness, and the recommendation of Fauchette as a temporary subst.i.tute.
"Yes, Monsieur," she said quietly. "I filled the bottle with water this afternoon, in case of accident. I have preserved the previous contents, in case you should care to have them a.n.a.lyzed."
"You have done well, very well, my girl."
Fauchette blushed with pleasure. I do not often say so much to my staff.
"Madame does not know that I had just emptied the bottle into that china bowl," I added carelessly.