Because you dared to plot
against a man I esteem. Whatever has happened to Stanislas McKay, he
owes it, I feel confident, to you. I may never see him again--"
"You never will, and for a double reason. Do not hope, Rupert
Gascoigne, to leave this place again."
And she looked capable of taking his life then and there.
"Come, come! Cyprienne; you are going too far. Mr. Gascoigne has not
behaved very well, perhaps, but it is not for us to call him to
account. We will leave him to the myrmidons of the law. He is wanted,
we know, by the police."
"Am I?" said Hyde, mockingly; "so are others, as you will find. At
this moment the house is surrounded. The authorities have long had
their eye on Hippolyte Ledantec, _alias_ Hobson, the Russian spy."
The confederates looked at each other uneasily, and Ledantec said--
"It can hardly be so. But it will be well to ascertain and take
precautions. Come! there is a way out of this house known only to me."
And, so saying, he went towards the door, followed by Mrs. Wilders.
Suddenly he paused, surprised by a loud knocking outside.
They heard the old woman's voice angrily asking who was there; they
heard the reply, spoken loudly and authoritatively.
"The police! Open, in the name of the law. Open! or we shall break the
door down.
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