She turned to flee, and the man reached out to grasp her. In a moment there was a great commotion in the theater. Two or three men leaped between the woman and Mr. Noname, offering her protection. But she waited for nothing. With all haste, she made her escape.
“It is too bad for her to get away like that,” said the Man of Mystery, sitting down quietly at the table.
The men turned to look at him. Some of them were threatening, some talked of having him arrested. He paid not the slightest attention to them, apparently, but he leaned across the table and spoke to Jack and Frank in a low tone of voice.
This is what he said:
“These men are members of the highest degree in the Anti-Dreyfus League! They are sworn to commit murder, if needs be, to keep the prisoner of Devil’s Island safe in his cage of iron!”
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE DEADLY FAN.
Both Frank and Jack were startled to know that some of the men of the league of which they had been speaking before the appearance of the strange woman were so near. Instantly Merriwell understood how it was that the woman had known so well what they had been talking about. Although those men had seemed to pay little or no attention to the two young Americans, it was almost certain that some of them had been listening attentively to the words which fell from the lips of Frank and Jack.
Now these men scowled blackly at the Man of Mystery, speaking rapidly to each other in French. Every word was understood by Frank, and he knew they were talking of having Mr. Noname arrested and shut up till his insanity could be determined.
“You are in danger, sir,” said Merry, speaking to the strange man.