"Lyle hesitated, and then, as though he had made up his mind to be
quite frank with me, spoke freely.

"'I do not know that he was either drunk or asleep,' he answered.
'Lieutenant Sears describes him as a stupid boor. I am not satisfied
that he is not a clever actor. What was his position in this house!
What was his real duty here? Suppose it was not to guard this woman,
but to watch her. Let us imagine that it was not the woman he served,
but a master, and see where that leads us. For this house has a
master, a mysterious, absentee landlord, who lives in St. Petersburg,
the unknown Russian who came between Chetney and Zichy, and because of
whom Chetney left her. He is the man who bought this house for Madame
Zichy, who sent these rugs and curtains from St. Petersburg to furnish
it for her after his own tastes, and, I believe, it was he also who
placed the Russian servant here, ostensibly to serve the Princess, but
in reality to spy upon her. At Scotland Yard we do not know who this
gentleman is; the Russian police confess to equal ignorance concerning
him. When Lord Chetney went to Africa, Madame Zichy lived in St.
Petersburg; but there her receptions and dinners were so crowded with
members of the nobility and of the army and diplomats, that among so
many visitors the police could not learn which was the one for whom
she most greatly cared.'

"Lyle pointed at the modern French paintings and the heavy silk rugs
which hung upon the walls.

"'The unknown is a man of taste and of some fortune,' he said, 'not
the sort of man to send a stupid peasant to guard the woman he loves.
So I am not content to believe, with Mr. Sears, that the servant is a
boor. I believe him instead to be a very clever ruffian. I believe him