Rouletabille could not restrain himself any further. He saw in one
flash all this heroic woman had suffered in her combat day by day
with the death which hovered. He took her little fat hands, whose
fingers were overloaded with rings, tremulously into his own:

"Madame, do not weep. They wish to kill your husband. Well then,
we will be two at least to defend him, I swear to you."

"Even against the Nihilists!"

"Aye, madame, against all the world. I have eaten all your caviare.
I am your guest. I am your friend."

As he said this he was so excited, so sincere and so droll that
Madame Trebassof could not help smiling through her tears. She made
him sit down beside her.

"The Chief of Police has talked of you a great deal. He came here
abruptly after the last attack and a mysterious happening that I
will tell you about. He cried, 'Ah, we need Rouletabille to unravel
this!' The next day he came here again. He had gone to the Court.
There, everybody, it appears, was talking of you. The Emperor
wished to know you. That is why steps were taken through the
ambassador at Paris."

"Yes, yes. And naturally all the world has learned of it. That
makes it so lively. The Nihilists warned me immediately that I
would not reach Russia alive. That, finally, was what decided me
on coming. I am naturally very contrary."