did as instructed, moving away from the railing. The man above leaned farther over the railing so he could still watch me.
Bonjour took a breath and then shrieked, "He's going to jump!" She pointed with hysterical gestures to the Frenchman, who was now nearly hanging from the railing 180 feet above the ground. The Frenchman's face went pale as screams erupted from the gallery. The gallery-goers, in an effort to aid him, swarmed the man on the rail so forcefully as to almost push him off. Meanwhile, those sightseers rushing up from below to witness the human tragedy now herded the second Frenchman, who had just managed to enter the stairwell for his descent, back onto the gallery platform.
"Mademoiselle, ingenious! Now, if you can open this door!"
Bonjour entered the stairwell, and soon enough I could hear the door to the base unlatch. I gleefully swung the door open to thank my savior, perhaps the one woman left who cared about me.
She stepped through the doorway, the end of a small revolver pointed at me. "Time to come with me, monsieur."
***
Bonjour did not say another word on the way to the hotel. She untied my hands and legs-which she had bound-upon our arrival at Barnum's Hotel and rushed me through the anteroom without attracting notice. Upon reaching their rooms, where the Baron awaited, she spoke. "He was with them, very hand and glove together," she said to the Baron. "I separated them, but they may have been signaling each other."
"Who?" I asked confusedly. "Those two blackguards? I would never have anything to do with men like that."
"Very cozy, going into that monument together."
"They were accosting me, mademoiselle! You rescued me!"
"I had no such intention, monsieur!" she assured me. "Perhaps Duponte leads them by a leash, too."
The Baron had an agitated manner. "Make yourself scarce, my dear."
Bonjour gave me a pitying glare before leaving us alone.
The Baron held up a glass of sherry cobbler. "The proportion of sherry is decidedly smaller at this hotel than the proportion of water. Still, at least the beds have curtains, a rare enough luxury in America. Do not mind mademoiselle. She believes she depends on me because I saved her, when in fact it is just the opposite. If she were ever to give me the bag, or to be harmed, I would go to pieces. Do not underestimate her arts."
I had noticed on the writing-desk stacks of paper with widely scribbled notes on them.
"There," said the Baron with a proud, mischievous grin, seeing my interest. "There lie all the answers you have been looking for, Brother Quentin, put down in black and white. Of course, I have not perfected my presentation yet, but I will, be sure. But I am afraid"-here he leaned close-"that in the meantime I have the burden of ensuring that nobody troubles me before it is brought into the light of day. Now, who are they, the men Bonjour saw you with? Why are they working with you and Duponte?"
"Baron Dupin," I said with exasperation, "I do not know them, do not wish to, and certainly am not leagued with them in any way."
"You have seen them though, as I have," he said loftily. "They have been watching me. There is death upon their eyes. It is dangerous. You have noticed them, surely, while you yourself have acted the spy on me?"
I opened my mouth to speak but was caught off guard.
"I know," he said, taking my silence as an admission. "Since I heard Bonjour happened upon you at the wharves, watching her quite closely. I hardly think that would be your usual place of leisure, among the drunkards and the slave-traders. Or perhaps"-he broke into laughter-"you will surprise me yet, Quentin Clark."
"Then why not stop me, if you knew?"
He swirled his drink. "Isn't it quite obvious to you? Haven't you learned from your master? It was a desperate measure-Duponte knew he was losing, so he sent you out. The very fact made it clear that I need not defend myself against him. Besides, seeing what you were trying to spy on permitted me to know what Duponte was most interested in-to be a spy is always to be spied upon, monsieur."
"If you are all-knowing, Baron, I would guess you have already discovered who those two Frenchman are and who sent them."
He paused, his agitation stirred. "They are French, then?"
"From their accents, their words, yes. You could coax them to your purposes perhaps, as you did with Dr. Snodgrass." I wanted