“Bah! do your worst,” she exclaimed defiantly.
“Not another word,” he hissed, adding a foul oath. “You’ll explain the whole of this conspiracy you have discovered, or—or I’ll wring your white neck, and fling you into the river here. Now, you have your choice.”
There were sounds of a scuffle, and I heard Vera cry hoarsely, “Let me go! You hurt my throat—you coward! Help, for God’s sake!”
Creeping from my hiding-place, I peered round the clump of hawthorns, and in the faint light beheld Madame struggling with her husband. He was about fifty years of age, foppishly dressed, and wore his moustache waxed. I could discern that his eyes were unusually close together, his features were small, except his mouth, which was wide, his lips thin, the effect being vulpine. By repute I knew Colonel Krivenko as one of the most cunning bloodhounds connected with the “Third Section.” He was a master of his craft, and, characteristic of the mercenary spy all over the world, he was true to nobody, not even to his employers, not even to his hatreds, for he had accepted service both for and against the Nihilists, both for and against his Imperial Master, the Tzar.
I saw he was bending over his young wife. He had clutched her by the throat, and was forcing her upon her knees, at the same time uttering terrible imprecations, and demanding to be informed of the result of her secret investigations.
Just as I had turned, intending to retreat to my place of concealment, having gained knowledge that would put the Executive on its guard, I heard Krivenko give vent to a fierce guttural oath.
Then a woman’s shrill cry rang out in the still air, followed by a great splash.
Returning quickly, I looked cautiously behind the bush, but neither the man nor woman were there. Upon the surface of the water were great eddying rings, momentarily growing larger, plainly showing that the dark stream had closed over some heavy body. I gazed for a few moments at the circling rings, not knowing how to act. Nothing appeared on the surface, and the waters gradually resumed their tranquillity.
Then I searched the bank, behind trees and bushes, and in every nook, but could discover no one.