"Magnifique!" ejaculated the Countess de Coude, beneathher breath.

"Eh?" questioned the count, turning toward his young wife."What is it that is magnificent?" and the count bent his eyesin various directions in quest of the object of her admiration.

"Oh, nothing at all, my dear," replied the countess, a slightflush momentarily coloring her already pink cheek. "I was butrecalling with admiration those stupendous skyscrapers, asthey call them, of New York," and the fair countess settledherself more comfortably in her steamer chair, and resumedthe magazine which "nothing at all" had caused her to letfall upon her lap.

Her husband again buried himself in his book, but notwithout a mild wonderment that three days out from NewYork his countess should suddenly have realized anadmiration for the very buildings she had but recentlycharacterized as horrid.

Presently the count put down his book. "It is very tiresome,Olga," he said. "I think that I shall hunt up someothers who may be equally bored, and see if we cannot findenough for a game of cards."

"You are not very gallant, my husband," replied the youngwoman, smiling, "but as I am equally bored I can forgive you.Go and play at your tiresome old cards, then, if you will."

When he had gone she let her eyes wander slyly to the figureof a tall young man stretched lazily in a chair not far distant.

"MAGNIFIQUE!" she breathed once more.

The Countess Olga de Coude was twenty. Her husband forty.She was a very faithful and loyal wife, but as she had hadnothing whatever to do with the selection of a husband,it is not at all unlikely that she was not wildly andpassionately in love with the one that fate and her titledRussian father had selected for her. However, simply becauseshe was surprised into a tiny exclamation of approval at sightof a splendid young stranger it must not be inferred therefromthat her thoughts were in any way disloyal to her spouse.She merely admired, as she might have admired a particularlyfine specimen of any species. Furthermore, the young manwas unquestionably good to look at.

As her furtive glance rested upon his profile he rose to leavethe deck. The Countess de Coude beckoned to a passing steward."Who is that gentleman?" she asked.

"He is booked, madam, as Monsieur Tarzan, of Africa,"replied the steward.

"Rather a large estate," thought the girl, but now herinterest was still further aroused.

As Tarzan walked slowly toward the smoking-room hecame unexpectedly upon two men whispering excitedly justwithout. He would have vouchsafed them not even a passingthought but for the strangely guilty glance that one of themshot in his direction. They reminded Tarzan of melodramaticvillains he had seen at the theaters in Paris. Both were verydark, and this, in connection with the shrugs and stealthyglances that accompanied their palpable intriguing, lent stillgreater force to the similarity.

Tarzan entered the smoking-room, and sought a chair alittle apart from the others who were there. He felt in nomood for conversation, and as he sipped his absinth he lethis mind run rather sorrowfully over the past few weeks ofhis life. Time and again he had wondered if he had actedwisely in renouncing his birthright to a man to whom heowed nothing. It is true that he liked Clayton, but--ah, butthat was not the question. It was not for William Cecil Clayton,Lord Greystoke, that he had denied his birth. It was forthe woman whom both he and Clayton had loved, and whom astrange freak of fate had given to Clayton instead of to him.

That she loved him made the thing doubly difficult to bear,yet he knew that he could have done nothing less than hedid do that night within the little railway station in the farWisconsin woods. To him her happiness was the first considerationof all, and his brief experience with civilization and civilizedmen had taught him that without money and position life tomost of them was unendurable.

Jane Porter had been born to both, and had Tarzan takenthem away from her future husband it would doubtless haveplunged her into a life of misery and torture. That she wouldhave spurned Clayton once he had been stripped of both histitle and his estates never for once occurred to Tarzan, forhe credited to others the same honest loyalty that was soinherent a quality in himself. Nor, in this instance, had he erred.Could any one thing have further bound Jane Porter to herpromise to Clayton it would have been in the natureof some such misfortune as this overtaking him.

Tarzan's thoughts drifted from the past to the future.He tried to look forward with pleasurable sensations to hisreturn to the jungle of his birth and boyhood; the cruel, fiercejungle in which he had spent twenty of his twenty-two years.But who or what of all the myriad jungle life would therebe to welcome his return? Not one. Only Tantor, the elephant,could he call friend. The others would hunt him orflee from him as had been their way in the past.

Not even the apes of his own tribe would extend the handof fellowship to him.

If civilization had done nothing else for Tarzan of theApes, it had to some extent taught him to crave the societyof his own kind, and to feel with genuine pleasure thecongenial warmth of companionship. And in the same ratiohad it made any other life distasteful to him. It was difficultto imagine a world without a friend--without a living thingwho spoke the new tongues which Tarzan had learned tolove so well. And so it was that Tarzan looked with littlerelish upon the future he had mapped out for himself.

As he sat musing over his cigarette his eyes fell upon amirror before him, and in it he saw reflected a table at whichfour men sat at cards. Presently one of them rose to leave,and then another approached, and Tarzan could see that hecourteously offered to fill the vacant chair, that the gamemight not be interrupted. He was the smaller of the two whomTarzan had seen whispering just outside the smoking-room.

It was this fact that aroused a faint spark of interest inTarzan, and so as he speculated upon the future he watchedin the mirror the reflection of the players at the tablebehind him. Aside from the man who had but just entered thegame Tarzan knew the name of but one of the other players.It was he who sat opposite the new player, Count Raoulde Coude, whom at over-attentive steward had pointed out asone of the celebrities of the passage, describing him as aman high in the official family of the French minister of war.

Suddenly Tarzan's attention was riveted upon the picturein the glass. The other swarthy plotter had entered, and wasstanding behind the count's chair. Tarzan saw him turn andglance furtively about the room, but his eyes did not rest fora sufficient time upon the mirror to note the reflection ofTarzan's watchful eyes. Stealthily the man withdrew somethingfrom his pocket. Tarzan could not discern what the object was,for the man's hand covered it.

Slowly the hand approached the count, and then, very deftly,the thing that was in it was transferred to the count's pocket.The man remained standing where he could watch theFrenchman's cards. Tarzan was puzzled, but he was allattention now, nor did he permit another detail of theincident to escape him.

The play went on for some ten minutes after this, untilthe count won a considerable wager from him who hadlast joined the game, and then Tarzan saw the fellow backof the count's chair nod his head to his confederate.Instantly the player arose and pointed a finger at the count.

"Had I known that monsieur was a professional card sharpI had not been so ready to be drawn into the game," he said.

Instantly the count and the two other players were upontheir feet.

De Coude's face went white.

"What do you mean, sir?" he cried. "Do you know to whomyou speak?"

"I know that I speak, for the last time, to one who cheatsat cards," replied the fellow.

The count leaned across the table, and struck the man fullin the mouth with his open palm, and then the others closedin between them.

"There is some mistake, sir," cried one of the other players."Why, this is Count de Coude, of France.""If I am mistaken," said the accuser, "I shall gladly apologize;but before I do so first let monsieur le count explainthe extra cards which I saw him drop into his side pocket."

And then the man whom Tarzan had seen drop them thereturned to sneak from the room, but to his annoyance hefound the exit barred by a tall, gray-eyed stranger.

"Pardon," said the man brusquely, attempting to pass to one side.

"Wait," said Tarzan.

"But why, monsieur?" exclaimed the other petulantly."Permit me to pass, monsieur."

"Wait," said Tarzan. "I think that there is a matter in herethat you may doubtless be able to explain."

The fellow had lost his temper by this time, and with a lowoath seized Tarzan to push him to one side. The ape-manbut smiled as he twisted the big fellow about and, graspinghim by the collar of his coat, escorted him back to the table,struggling, cursing, and striking in futile remonstrance.It was Nikolas Rokoff's first experience with the muscles thathad brought their savage owner victorious through encounterswith Numa, the lion, and Terkoz, the great bull ape.

The man who had accused De Coude, and the two others whohad been playing, stood looking expectantly at the count.Several other passengers had drawn toward the scene of thealtercation, and all awaited the denouement.

"The fellow is crazy," said the count. "Gentlemen, I implorethat one of you search me."

"The accusation is ridiculous." This from one of the players.

"You have but to slip your hand in the count's coat pocketand you will see that the accusation is quite serious," insistedthe accuser. And then, as the others still hesitated to do so:"Come, I shall do it myself if no other will," and he steppedforward toward the count.

"No, monsieur," said De Coude. "I will submit to a searchonly at the hands of a gentleman."

"It is unnecessary to search the count. The cards are inhis pocket. I myself saw them placed there."

All turned in surprise toward this new speaker, to beholda very well-built young man urging a resisting captive towardthem by the scruff of his neck.

"It is a conspiracy," cried De Coude angrily. "There are nocards in my coat," and with that he ran his hand into hispocket. As he did so tense silence reigned in the little group.The count went dead white, and then very slowly he withdrewhis hand, and in it were three cards.

He looked at them in mute and horrified surprise, and slowlythe red of mortification suffused his face. Expressions ofpity and contempt tinged the features of those who lookedon at the death of a man's honor.

"It is a conspiracy, monsieur." It was the gray-eyed strangerwho spoke. "Gentlemen," he continued, "monsieur le countdid not know that those cards were in his pocket. They wereplaced there without his knowledge as he sat at play.From where I sat in that chair yonder I saw the reflection of itall in the mirror before me. This person whom I just interceptedin an effort to escape placed the cards in the count's pocket."

De Coude had glanced from Tarzan to the man in his grasp.

"MON DIEU, Nikolas!" he cried. "You?"

Then he turned to his accuser, and eyed him intently for a moment.

"And you, monsieur, I did not recognize you without yourbeard. It quite disguises you, Paulvitch. I see it all now.It is quite clear, gentlemen."

"What shall we do with them, monsieur?" asked Tarzan."Turn them over to the captain?"

"No, my friend," said the count hastily. "It is a personalmatter, and I beg that you will let it drop. It is sufficientthat I have been exonerated from the charge. The less we haveto do with such fellows, the better. But, monsieur, how canI thank you for the great kindness you have done me?Permit me to offer you my card, and should the time comewhen I may serve you, remember that I am yours to command."

Tarzan had released Rokoff, who, with his confederate,Paulvitch, had hastened from the smoking-room. Just as hewas leaving, Rokoff turned to Tarzan. "Monsieur will haveample opportunity to regret his interference in the affairsof others."

Tarzan smiled, and then, bowing to the count, handed himhis own card.

The count read:

M. JEAN C. TARZAN

"Monsieur Tarzan," he said, "may indeed wish that he hadnever befriended me, for I can assure him that he has wonthe enmity of two of the most unmitigated scoundrels in allEurope. Avoid them, monsieur, by all means."

"I have had more awe-inspiring enemies, my dear count," repliedTarzan with a quiet smile, "yet I am still alive and unworried.I think that neither of these two will ever find the means to harm me."

"Let us hope not, monsieur," said De Coude; "but yet it willdo no harm to be on the alert, and to know that you have madeat least one enemy today who never forgets and never forgives,and in whose malignant brain there are always hatching newatrocities to perpetrate upon those who have thwarted oroffended him. To say that Nikolas Rokoff is a devil wouldbe to place a wanton affront upon his satanic majesty."

That night as Tarzan entered his cabin he found a foldednote upon the floor that had evidently been pushed beneaththe door. He opened it and read:

M. TARZAN:

Doubtless you did not realize the gravity of your offense,or you would not have done the thing you did today.I am willing to believe that you acted in ignorance andwithout any intention to offend a stranger. For this reasonI shall gladly permit you to offer an apology, and on receivingyour assurances that you will not again interfere in affairsthat do not concern you, I shall drop the matter.

Otherwise--but I am sure that you will see the wisdom ofadopting the course I suggest.Very respectfully,NIKOLAS ROKOFF.

Tarzan permitted a grim smile to play about his lips for amoment, then he promptly dropped the matter from his mind,and went to bed.

In a nearby cabin the Countess de Coude was speaking to her husband.

"Why so grave, my dear Raoul?" she asked. "You have beenas glum as could be all evening. What worries you?"

"Olga, Nikolas is on board. Did you know it?"

"Nikolas!" she exclaimed. "But it is impossible, Raoul.It cannot be. Nikolas is under arrest in Germany."

"So I thought myself until I saw him today--him and thatother arch scoundrel, Paulvitch. Olga, I cannot endure hispersecution much longer. No, not even for you. Sooner or laterI shall turn him over to the authorities. In fact, I am halfminded to explain all to the captain before we land. On aFrench liner it were an easy matter, Olga, permanently tosettle this Nemesis of ours."

"Oh, no, Raoul!" cried the countess, sinking to her kneesbefore him as he sat with bowed head upon a divan. "Do notdo that. Remember your promise to me. Tell me, Raoul, thatyou will not do that. Do not even threaten him, Raoul."

De Coude took his wife's hands in his, and gazed uponher pale and troubled countenance for some time before hespoke, as though he would wrest from those beautiful eyesthe real reason which prompted her to shield this man.

"Let it be as you wish, Olga," he said at length. "I cannotunderstand. He has forfeited all claim upon your love, loyalty,or respect. He is a menace to your life and honor, and thelife and honor of your husband. I trust you may never regretchampioning him."

"I do not champion him, Raoul," she interrupted vehemently."I believe that I hate him as much as you do, but--Oh, Raoul,blood is thicker than water."

"I should today have liked to sample the consistency ofhis," growled De Coude grimly. "The two deliberatelyattempted to besmirch my honor, Olga," and then he told herof all that had happened in the smoking-room. "Had itnot been for this utter stranger, they had succeeded, for whowould have accepted my unsupported word against the damningevidence of those cards hidden on my person? I had almostbegun to doubt myself when this Monsieur Tarzan draggedyour precious Nikolas before us, and explained thewhole cowardly transaction."

"Monsieur Tarzan?" asked the countess, in evident surprise.

"Yes. Do you know him, Olga?"

"I have seen him. A steward pointed him out to me."

"I did not know that he was a celebrity," said the count.

Olga de Coude changed the subject. She discovered suddenlythat she might find it difficult to explain just whythe steward had pointed out the handsome Monsieur Tarzanto her. Perhaps she flushed the least little bit, for wasnot the count, her husband, gazing at her with a strangelyquizzical expression. "Ah," she thought, "a guiltyconscience is a most suspicious thing."