"There! I guess now you will know better than to interfere with me."

"Robard," said the voice of the ambassador, very weak now, "you shall pay
for this."

"I don't know whether I have done for you or not," came Robard's voice
after a pause, "and I don't care. In fact, I hope I have. Now, just to
blacken your reputation a bit, if I have killed you, I shall go through
with my plan."

The boys could hear him stalk heavily across the room. A moment later a
door slammed.

Hal rose to his feet and passed a hand across a moist brow.

"And to think that we were unable to lend a hand," he muttered.

"He's a black villain," declared Uncle John.

"And now," said Chester, "he is on his errand of mischief. Can we do
nothing to thwart him?"

"I can't see how," declared Uncle John.

"Nor I," said Hal.

"Wait a moment, though," said Chester.

"Well?" queried Hal anxiously.