"But I should not go to the ends of the earth, like Stefan, here."

"Thou! Thou dost not know the meaning of love. I wish I could help him."

"It is impossible," sneered Selim.

"But it is interesting," sighed Zaidee. "She went away with another man--that is cruel!"

"Perhaps Stefan is better off than he knows," said Selim.

"Selim," said Zaidee with great solemnity, "thou art a pig!"

"Pig I am not."

"Pig!" she repeated with more acerbity.

Renwick was in no mind to take a part in their quarrel and was moving toward the door of the adjoining room when a phrase caught his ear.

"And thou art a magpie, Zaidee, always croaking. It will get us into trouble, thy talking. I have but to set my foot outside the house and thy tongue wags like the clothing of a scarecrow."

"I have done no harm," she said angrily.

"It is no affair of thine--they will come again asking questions. I have no humor to talk with any of that accursed breed."

"What harm can come--if we tell the truth----?"

"Bah--what do the police care about the truth?"

Renwick turned and reentered the room.

"The police!" he said quickly.

"Zaidee talks too much. A month ago in my absence they came inquiring."

"And what wouldst _thou_ have said?" cried Zaidee angrily. "To shelter a sick woman is no crime----"

"I should have said nothing."

"And what happened?" asked Renwick eagerly, now aware of the bone that chance had thrown in the way of a starving man.

"In the middle of the night which followed the day upon which the Archduke was assassinated----"

"And whose tongue is wagging now--thou magpie?" put in Zaidee spitefully.

"Be quiet----" said Selim.

Renwick glared at the woman as though he would have liked to choke her, and she subsided.

"An automobile stopped at my door. There were three people, an Austrian officer, a lady who was sick, and a man who drove the car. They asked admittance on account of the Excellency who was sick. I could not refuse, for they said that they would pay me well."

Selim paused, hunting in his pockets for a match to light his pipe, and Renwick, containing his patience with difficulty, stood, his hands clenched behind him, waiting. They had stopped here--at this very house.

"And then----?" he asked calmly.

"We put the Excellency to bed----"

"_I_ did," said Zaidee.

"Bah! What matter? They were bound upon a journey over the mountains to Vlasenica, where the Excellency was taking his wife for the waters."

"His wife," mumbled Renwick.

"They traveled at night to avoid the heat of midday, but the sudden sickness of the Excellency made further travel impossible."

"The officer Excellency lied----!" said Zaidee.

"Be quiet, thou----!" roared Selim.

"Let Zaidee speak. I am no policeman," said Renwick.

"What interest is it of yours?"

Renwick caught the man by the shoulders with both hands and glared at him.

"Merely because this is the woman I seek."

"An Excellency like--and you?"

"What I am does not matter. A hundred _kroner_ if you tell the truth----"

"A hundred _kroner_----!"

His eyes searched Renwick eagerly, and then, "There is little I would not tell for a hundred _kroner_, but----"

"I am not of the police, I tell you. This lady is an Austrian noblewoman in danger."

"And the Austrian officer----"

"Is no Austrian, but an enemy of Austria----"

"A Serb----?"

"No."

"Who are you?"

"What does that matter?"

Selim shrugged. "Nothing perhaps--still----"