“Oh, that is horrible,” muttered the stupefied reporter; “that is horrible, for then the poisoner must be either Natacha or me.”

“I have every confidence in you,” declared Koupriane with a great laugh of satisfaction, striking him on the shoulder.  “And I arrest Natacha, and you who love logic ought to be satisfied now.”

Rouletabille hadn’t a word more to say.  He sat down again and let his head fall into his hands, like one sleep has seized.

“Ah, our young girls; you don’t know them.  They are terrible, terrible!” said Koupriane, lighting a big cigar.  “Much more terrible than the boys.  In good families the boys still enjoy themselves; but the girls — they read!  It goes to their heads.  They are ready for anything; they know neither father nor mother.  Ah, you are a child, you cannot comprehend.  Two lovely eyes, a melancholy air, a soft, low voice, and you are captured — you believe you have before you simply an inoffensive, good little girl.  Well, Rouletabille, here is what I will tell you for your instruction.  There was the time of the Tchipoff attack; the revolutionaries who were assigned to kill Tchipoff were disguised as coachmen and footmen.  Everthing had been carefully prepared and it would seem that no one could have discovered the bombs in the place they had been stored.  Well, do you know the place where those bombs were found?  In the rooms of the governor, of Wladmir’s daughter!  Exactly, my little friend, just there!  The rooms of the governor’s daughter, Mademoiselle Alexeieiv.  Ah, these young girls!  Besides, it was this same Mademoiselle Alexeieiv who, so prettily, pierced the brain of an honest Swiss merchant who had the misfortune to resemble one of our ministers.  If we had hanged that charming young girl earlier, my dear Monsieur Rouletabille, that last catastrophe might have been avoided.  A good rope around the neck of all these little females — it is the only way, the only way!”

A man entered.  Rouletabille recognized the driver of the telega.  There were some rapid words between the Chief and the agent.  The man closed the shutters of the room, but through the interstices they would be able to see what went on outside.  Then the agent left; Koupriane, as he pushed aside the table that was near the window, said to the reporter: 

“You had better come to the window; my man has just told me the boat is drawing near.  You can watch an interesting sight.  We are sure that Natacha is still aboard.  The yacht, after the explosion at the datcha, took up two men who put off to it in a canoe, and since then it has simply sailed back and forth in the gulf.  We have taken our precautions in Finland the same as here and it is here they are going to try to disembark.  Keep an eye on them.”