The woman put her hands to her ears.

"I will not listen. You are wicked to say such things as that.
No matter what you may threaten me with, you know that I am a good
woman. After tonight you will not dare to annoy me, for I shall
tell Raoul all. He will understand, and then, Monsieur Nikolas,
beware!"

"You shall tell him nothing," said Rokoff. "I have this affair
now, and with the help of one of your servants whom I may trust
it will lack nothing in the telling when the time comes that the
details of the sworn evidence shall be poured into your husband's
ears. The other affair served its purpose well--we now have something
tangible to work on, Olga. A real AFFAIR--and you a trusted wife.
Shame, Olga," and the brute laughed.

So the countess told her count nothing, and matters were worse
than they had been. From a vague fear her mind was transferred
to a very tangible one. It may be, too, that conscience helped to
enlarge it out of all proportion.





Chapter 5

The Plot That Failed