To his surprise Baroness von Doering flatly refused to be put under contribution.

“Your demand is outrageous,” she said.  “I am not going to be the victim of any such plot!”

“Very well, I will compel you to unmask?”

“To unmask?  What do you mean, count?  You forget yourself!”

“Well, then, I shall try to make you remember me!” And Kallash turned his back on her and strode from the room.  A moment later, and she heard the door close loudly behind him.

The baroness had already told Bodlevski of her meeting with Princess Anna, and she now hurried to him for counsel.  They agreed that their present position, with Kallash’s threats hanging over their heads, was intolerable.  But what was to be done?

Bodlevski paced up and down the room, biting his lips, and seeking some decisive plan.

“We must act in such a way,” he said, coming to a stand before the baroness, “as to get rid of this fellow once for all.  I think he is dangerous, and it never does any harm to take proper precautions.  Get the money ready, Natasha; we must give it to him.”

“What! give him the money!” and the baroness threw up her hands.  “Will that get us out of his power?  Can we feel secure?  It will only last till something new happens.  At the first occasion——­”

“Which will also be the last!” interrupted Bodlevski.  “Suppose we do give him the money to-day; does that mean that we give it for good?  Not at all!  It will be back in my pocket to-morrow!  Let us think it out properly!” and he gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder, and sat down in an easy chair in front of her.

The result of their deliberations was a little note addressed to Count Kallash: 

“DEAR COUNT,” it ran, “I was guilty of an act of folly toward you to-day.  I am ashamed of it, and wish to make amends as soon as possible.  We have always been good friends, so let us forget our little difference, the more so that an alliance is much more advantageous to us both than a quarrel.  Come this evening to receive the money you spoke of, and to clasp in amity the hand of your devoted friend, VON D.”

Kallash came about ten o’clock in the evening, and received from Bodlevski the sum of fifty thousand rubles in notes.  The baroness was very amiable, and persuaded him to have some tea.  There was not a suggestion of future difficulties, and everything seemed to promise perfect harmony for the future.  Bodlevski talked over plans of future undertakings, and told him, with evident satisfaction, that they had just heard of the arrest of the younger Prince Shadursky, in Paris, for attempting to defraud a bank by a pretended sale of gold dust.  Count Kallash was also gay, and a certain satisfaction filled his mind at the thought of his sister’s security, as he felt the heavy packet of notes in his pocket.  He smoked his cigar with evident satisfaction, sipping the fragrant tea from time to time.  The conversation was gay and animated, and for some reason or other turned to the subject of clubs.