get!"

Streuss turned away from the window and looked towards Zoe.

"Young lady," he said quietly, "let me beg you not to distress
yourself so. I sincerely trust that nothing unpleasant will happen.
If it does, I promise you that we will arrange for your temporary
absence. You shall not be disturbed in any way."

"And as regards your brother, have a care, young lady," Lassen
growled. "If any one's in danger, it's he. He'll be lucky if he
saves his own skin."

The young man glowered at her.

"You hear that, you little fool!" he muttered. "Keep still, can't
you?"

Her face was full of defiance. He came nearer to her and changed
his tone.

"Zoe," he whispered hoarsely, "don't you understand? If they can't
get what they want from Laverick, they'll visit it upon me. They're
desperate, I tell you. They mean mischief all the time."

"Yet you let him be brought here, your partner who looked after you
when you were ill, and who helped you to get away!" she cried
indignantly.

He laughed unpleasantly.

"When it comes to a matter of life or death, it's every man for
himself. Besides, if I'd known as much about Laverick as I know
now, I'm not sure that I should have been so ready to go--not
empty-handed, by any manner of means."

"What have you done that you should be so much in the power of
these people?" she demanded, fixing her dark eyes upon him
searchingly.

The terror whitened his face once more. The perspiration stood out
in beads upon his forehead.

"Don't dare to ask me questions!" he exclaimed nervously. "I should
like to know what Laverick is to you, eh, that you take so much
interest in him? Listen here, my fine young lady. If I've been mug
enough to do the dirty work, he hasn't made any bones about taking
advantage of it. He's a nice sort of sportsman, I can tell you."

The man at the window suddenly dropped the curtain and spoke across
the room to them all.

"He is here," he announced.

"Alone?" Lassen asked thickly.

"Alone," Streuss echoed.

A little thrill seemed to pass through the room. Zoe made no attempt
to cry out. Instead she leaned forward towards the door, as though
listening. Her attitude seemed harmless enough. No one took any
more notice of her. They all watched the entrance to the apartment.
Zoe remembered the two flights of stairs. She was absorbed in a
breathless calculation. Now--now he should be coming quite close.
Her whole being was concentrated up