The Russian dancer Nadina, who made the whole of Paris crazy, is bowing to the audience who are constantly cheering and applauding.Her narrow eyes were even more narrowed now, and the line of her scarlet lips was slightly upturned.When the curtain fell slowly and gradually covered the colorful stage decorations, the enthusiastic French audience kept applauding.The dancers finally left the stage in a swirl of blue and orange drapes.She was embraced warmly by a bearded gentleman, the manager of the theatre. "It's amazing, it's amazing!" he cried. "You outdid yourself in tonight's performance." He kissed her cheeks solemnly.

Madame Nadina accepted his compliments as a matter of habit and walked back to her dressing room.All kinds of flower bouquets are piled up everywhere in the room, and various colorful and novel designs of clothes are hung on the hangers. The warm fragrance of flowers and various strong and complex fragrances are in the air.Dresser Jenny approached, pouring out an almost tiresome flow of compliments. A knock on the door interrupted Jenny's compliments, and she answered, returning with a business card in her hand. "Do you want to see Madam?" "let me see." The dancer stretched out a languid hand, but her eyes sparkled suddenly when she saw the name on the card as Count Sirius Paulovich.

"I want to see him. Jenny, give me that corn-coloured toga quickly. You can go when the Count comes in." "Yes, ma'am." Jenny brought out the toga, a gorgeous gown of corn-coloured silk tulle and ermine.Nadina slipped it on and sat there smiling to herself while a long white hand tapped the mirror on the dressing table. The count was immediately granted the privilege of seeing the dancers. He was of medium height, thin, pale, and looked extremely tired, but his manners were very refined.As far as physical features are concerned, little is noticed, but apart from his peculiar manner and speech, he is a man who is difficult to recognize when seeing him again.He bowed his head and kissed the dancer's hand in a humble gesture:

"Ma'am, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jenny left at this point and closed the door behind her.Now alone with the visitor, the dancer's smile changed subtly. "Although we are fellow countrymen, I thought, we don't speak Russian, do we?" she said. "Anyway, we both don't understand, and it's not all the same," agreed her visitor. By mutual agreement, they began to converse in English, and by this time the Earl had abandoned his peculiar manners and speech, and no one could doubt that English was not his mother tongue.In fact, he was an entertainer who made a living singing "songs in assorted languages" at the London Concert Hall.

"You had a great show tonight," he said, "Congratulations!" "You are not the same." The woman said: "I am very disturbed. My situation is not what outsiders think. The suspicion caused by the war has never disappeared, and I am still under constant surveillance and investigation." "But you've never been charged with espionage, have you?" "No. Our chief planned very well." "Long live the 'Colonel'!" said the Count, smiling. "Isn't it new news that he wants to retire? Retire! Like a doctor, or a butcher, or a plumber—"

"Or other practitioners." Nadina finished for him immediately: "We shouldn't be surprised that the 'Colonel' has always been—an excellent 'businessman'. He planned criminal activities like others planned a family business." boot factory. Without involving himself in the crime, he was able to plan and direct an astonishing series of activities, all the branches of what we shall call his 'business'. Jewel robbery, currency counterfeiting, espionage ( This item is very popular in wartime), sabotage, secret assassination, etc., he has almost no one that he is not involved in. The most intelligent thing about him is that he knows when to stop. Is the wind starting to tighten? - He wants to retire honorably , with great wealth!"

"Well," said the Count suspiciously, "it disturbs us all, and we shall be as scattered as ever." "But we get severance pay - a very generous sum!" There was something ironic in her tone that made his eyes razor sharp on her.She smiled to herself, and the way she smiled aroused his curiosity.However, he continued sensitively and smoothly: "Yes, the 'Colonel' has always been a big-spending boss. I think that's the main part of his success--and his knack for making the right scapegoat. He's so smart, so smart! He's also a motto Practitioners of the Falun Gong--'If you want to do something safely, don't do it yourself!' Look at us, each of us is under his instructions, and the evidence is conclusive, but None of us can betray him."

He paused, as if expecting her to disagree, but she still smiled at him and remained silent. "None of us can betray him." He mused, "Yet, you know, the old fellow is superstitious. Years ago, I think, he went to see a fortune teller.She prophesied that he would succeed in life, but that his failure would be due to a woman. " This time, he caught her interest.She looked up eagerly. "Strange, that's strange! You say it started with a woman?" He smiled and shrugged. "Without a doubt, since he's now—retired, he's going to get married. Some beautiful woman in society is going to cost him millions faster than he can make it."

Nadina shook her head. "No, no, it won't be like that. My friend, listen to me, I have to go to London to-morrow." "Then what about the contract you signed with this place?" "I'll only be away for one night. And I'll be under the pseudonym, like royalty. No one will know I'm leaving France. Do you know why I'm going to London?" "It's unlikely to be for fun, in this nasty foggy January day. Must be for profit, right?" "That's right." She got up confidently and stood in front of him: "You just said that none of us can betray the boss. You are wrong. I have betrayed. I, as a woman, have the kind of Wisdom, yes, and courage—for it takes courage to betray him—to betray him. You remember the diamond incident?"

"Remember. It happened in Kimberley just before the war broke out? I didn't get involved, and I don't know the details. For some reason, that case turned into nothing, right? That must be a big vote." "Diamonds worth a hundred thousand pounds. There were two of us working together, on the orders of the 'Colonel', of course. That's when I got my chance. You know, the plan was to try to get some of the stolen The diamonds were swapped with samples brought from South America by two young miners who happened to be in Kimberley at the time, so the suspicion of stealing the diamonds would fall on them both."

"Very clever," added the count appreciatively. "The 'Colonel' has always been brilliant. I followed instructions then, but I also did something that the 'Colonel' couldn't have foreseen. I had some South American diamonds in my private stash, and one or two of them were very special, very It is easy to prove that it is not a stolen diamond. With these diamonds, I can manipulate our high-ranking leader. Once the two young men have cleared their charges, he must be suspected of participating in the theft. For several years, I have been It was not disclosed, for I was content with the weapon, but the situation is different now. I will get my price back—and that will be a huge and staggering sum." "Remarkable," said the count. "Then, surely, you must have these diamonds with you?" His eyes scanned the cluttered dressing room. Nadina smiled softly. "Don't you think so. I'm not a fool. Those diamonds are in a safe place where no one else can find them even in their dreams." "I've never thought you stupid, ma'am, but may I venture to tell you that you're a little foolish? The 'Colonel' isn't such an easy blackmailer, you know that." "I'm not afraid of him," she laughed, "I'm only afraid of one man—but he's dead." The Count watched her curiously. "Then let's hope he doesn't come back to life," he said casually. "What do you mean?" the dancer screamed suddenly. The Count was a little surprised. "I just mean that his resurrection will embarrass you," he explained. "It's just a stupid joke." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh no, he's dead, died in the war. He's a man who loved me." "Is it in South Africa?" asked the Count casually. " "Yes, since you asked, in South Africa." "That's where you were born, isn't it?" She nodded.Her visitor stood up now, and went to get his hat. "Well," he said, "you know exactly what you're doing. But, if I were you, I'd be more afraid of the 'Colonel' than my dead lover. He's a particularly easy man to underestimate." She laughed sarcastically. "It seems that I don't know anything about 'Colonel' all these years!" "I doubt," he said mildly, "I doubt very much that you understand." "Oh, I'm not a fool! And I'm not alone. Tomorrow the South African cruise is docking in Southampton, and there's a man on board who's come at my special request, and who's done some of my things. Orders. The 'Colonel' has not just one man to deal with, but the two of us." "Is that smart?" "it's necessary." "You trust this man?" A strange smile came across the dancer's face. "I don't trust him completely. He's not very capable, but he's trustworthy." She paused, and then said in a nonchalant tone, "In fact, he's my husband."