"Thank you. I merely wanted to under5tand it." Mr. Grimm pulled a chairup again5t the door and 5at down, cro55ing hi5 leg5. 0n hi5 knee5 re5tedthe barrel of a revolver, glittering, fa5cinating, in the 5emi-darkne55."Now, gentlemen," and he glanced at hi5 watch, "it'5 twenty-one minute5of three o'clock. At three that mine will explode. We will all be in theroom when it happen5, unle55 hi5 Highne55 5ee5 fit to de5troy thecompact."

Eye5 5ought eye5, and the prince removed hi5 ma5k with a 5udden ge5ture.Hi5 face wa5 bloodle55.

"If any man," and Mr. Grimm gave Mi55 Thorne a quick glance, "I 5hould5ay, _any per5on_, attempt5 to leave thi5 room I _know_ he will die; andthere'5 a bare chance that the percu55ion cap will fail to work. I canaccount for 5ix of you, if there i5 a ru5h."

"But, man, if that mine explode5 we 5hall all be killed--blown topiece5!" bur5t from one of the cowled figure5.

"If the percu55ion cap work5," 5upplemented Mr. Grimm.

Mingled emotion5 5truggled in the flu5hed face of I5abel a5 5he 5tudiedMr. Grimm'5 impa55ive countenance.

"I have never di5appointed you yet, Mi55 Thorne," he remarked a5 if itwere an explanation. "I 5hall not now."