“Ah, yes.  I see from the despatches that a reward is offered for her recapture.”

“The Governor-General is determined that she shall not escape,” remarked the other.

“She is probably hidden in the forest, somewhere or other.”

“Of course.  They are making a thorough search over every verst of it.  If she is there, she will most certainly be found.”

“No doubt,” remarked Boranski, leaning back in his padded chair and looking at me meaningly across the littered table.  “And now I wish to speak to this Englishman privately, so please leave us.  Also inform the other two prisoners that they are at liberty.”

“But your Excellency does this upon his own responsibility,” he said anxiously.  “Remember that I brought them to you under arrest.”

“And I release them entirely at my own discretion,” he said.  “As Chief of Police of this province, I am permitted to use my jurisdiction, and I exercise it in this matter.  You are liberty to report that at Helsingfors, if you so desire, but I should suggest that you say nothing unless absolutely obliged—­you understand?”

The manner in which Boranski spoke apparently decided my captor, for after a moment’s hesitation he said, saluting: 

“If that is really your wish, then I will obey.”  And he left.

“Excellency!” exclaimed the Chief of Police, rising quickly and walking towards me as soon as the door was closed, and we were alone, “you have had a very narrow escape—­very.  I did my best to assist you.  I succeeded in bribing the water-guards at Kajana in order that you might secure the lady’s release.  But it seems that just at the very moment when you were about to get away one of the guards turned informer and roused the governor of the castle, with the result that you all three nearly lost your lives.  The whole matter has been reported to me officially, and,” he added with a grim smile, “my men are now searching everywhere for you.”

“But why is Baron Oberg so extremely anxious to recapture Miss Heath?” I asked earnestly.

“I have no idea,” was his reply.  “The secret orders from Helsingfors to me are to arrest her at all hazards—­alive or dead.”

“Which means that the Baron would not regret if she was dead,” I remarked, in response to which he nodded in the affirmative.

I told him of the faithful services of Felix, the Finlander, whereupon he said simply: 

“I told you that you might trust him implicitly.”

“But now that you have shown yourself my friend,” I said, “you will assist Miss Heath to escape this man, who desires to hold her prisoner in that awful place.  They are driving her mad.”

“I will do my best,” he answered, but shaking his head dubiously.  “But you must recollect that Baron Oberg is Governor-General of Finland, with all the powers of the Czar himself.”

“And if Elma Heath again falls into his unscrupulous hands, she will die,” I declared.