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Walter Brock akened at four o'clock thathi at his friend's pale, haggard face exclaimed: "Good Heavens!--hat's the matter?"

"Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo has been shot!" the other replied in a hard voice

"Shot!" gasped Brock, startled "What do you h who had only just entered the hotel, explained the curious circumstances--how, just at the moment she had been about to reveal the secret of his father's death she was shot

"Most extraordinary!" declared his friend "Surely, we have not been followed here by so the truth!"

"It seeerht before reed Somebody who is concerned in your father's death has adopted this desperateyou the truth"

"That's exactly ain, or through e, Mademoiselle would certainly have been attacked on her way home The road is quite deserted towards the crest of the hill"

"What do the police say?"

"They do not appear to trouble to track Madeht before searching for footprints on the gravel outside"

"Ah! They are not very fond ofarrests within the Principality It's such a bad advertisement for the Rooards serious crime Our friends here leave it to the French or Italian police to deal with the criminals so that the Principality shall prove itself the most honest State in Europe," Brock said

"The police, I believe, suspect h bluntly

"That's very aard Why?"

"Well--they don't know the true reason I went to see her, or they would never believe ainstup in bed in his pale blue silk pyjah," he said at last, "after all it is only natural that they should believe that you had a hand in the h she told you the truth, it is quite within reason that you should have suddenly becoainst her for the part she must have played in your father's er you shot her"

Hugh drew a long breath, and his eyebrows narrowed