I drank the antidote.
“Thanks for all these surprises,” I said coldly. “But does it not occur to you that some explanation is due to me?”
He pondered a minute.
“I will explain,” he replied. “It is your right. I will explain in two words. You have heard of Count Vandernoff, attached to the Russian Embassy in London? You may have seen in the papers that the Count has been appointed by the Tsar to be the new governor of Helsingfors, the Finnish capital?”
I nodded.
“You are aware,” he continued suavely, “of the widespread persecutions in Finland, the taking away of the Constitution, the Russianising of all offices, the censorship of the Press? This persecution has given rise to a secret society, which I will call the Friends of Finnish Freedom. Its methods are drastic. Count Vandernoff was known to be violently antagonistic to Finnish freedom. He dines often at the Louvre. He had engaged a table for to-night. The waiter in charge of that table was, like myself, a member of the society, but, unfortunately, rather a raw hand. The Count, quite unexpectedly, did not arrive at the Louvre to-night. The waiter, however, took you for the Count. The sorbet which I snatched out of your hand was—— Need I say more?”
“Poisoned?”
“Poisoned. The affair was carefully arranged, and only a pure accident could have upset it. That accident occurred.”
“What was it?”
“The Count’s coupé was knocked over by an omnibus in Piccadilly two hours ago, and the Count was killed.”