One  knows  nothing.  One  cannot  even  guess  what  such
things  may  mean,"  he  continued,  dropping  his  voice  a
little,  "but  Anatoile,  the  Frenchman,  who  came  over
most  surely  to  rob  her,  was  found  dead  in  her  rooms,  and
I  alone  know  —  a  knowledge  I  have  never  shared  with  a


284  PASSERS-BY

single  person  —  that  that  night  Ambrose  played  his  piano
outside.  I  am  very  sure  that  he  has  been  in  communica-
tion with  the  other  Frenchmen,  Marcel  and  Pierre.  All
the  time  there  has  been  something  in  his  mind.  He  had
given  his  life  for  Christine.  In  a  way  it  was  an  epic.  He
had  asked  for  nothing  from  her  save  her  presence.  She
was  not  even  kind  to  him.  His  life  was  one  unending
sacrifice  for  her.  When  she  left  him,  do  you  think  that  a
creature  like  that  would  accept  his  fate?"

Hannaway  paused.  His  listeners  leaned  a  little  for-
ward. Both  seemed  deeply  interested.
"What  can  he  do?"  the  marquis  asked.  "If  he  re-
fuses money  from  Christine,  and  she  has  money  to  give
him  if  he  will  accept  it,  what  else  can  he  ask?"

"I  have  come  to  tell  you  what  he  does  ask,"  Hannaway.
said.  "Only  yesterday  he  came  to  Christine.  He  was
dressed  in  new  clothes.  His  piano  he  declared  was  smashed.
