the Russian.

He showed the papers one by one to Platzoff, who was strangely eager in
the matter. When Ducie held up the last of them, Platzoff groaned and
shut his eyes. "They are all there as far as I can judge," he murmured,
"except the most important one of all--a paper covered with figures, of
no use to anyone but myself. Oh, dear Captain Ducie! do please go once
more and try to find the one that is still missing. If I only knew that
it was burnt, or torn into fragments, I should not mind so much. But if
it were to fall into the hands of a scoundrel skilful enough to master
the secret which it contains, then I--"

He stopped with a scared look on his face, as though he had unwittingly
said more than he had intended.

"Pray don't trouble yourself with any explanations just now," said
Ducie. "You want the paper: that is enough. I will go and have a
thorough hunt for it."

Back went Ducie to the broken carriages and began to search more
carefully than before. "What can be the nature of the great secret, I
wonder, that is hidden between the Sibylline leaves I am in search of?
If what Platzoff's words implied be true, he who learns it is master of
the situation. Would that it were known to me!"

Slowly and carefully, inside and out of the carriage in which he and
Platzoff had travelled, Captain Ducie conducted his search. One by one
he again turned over the wraps and different articles of personal
luggage belonging to both of them, which had not yet been removed. The
first object that rewarded his search was a splendid diamond pin which