t I almost hated her for a moment, she seemed so cold, so
calculating and sly. I couldn't bear to think that she was my
step-sister, and I was glad that, at least, not a drop of the same blood
ran in our veins.

"If you choose to keep silent for some purpose of your own," I broke
out, "you can't prevent me from telling the whole story, as _I_ know
it--how I went out with you, and all that."

"I can't prevent you from doing it, but I can advise you not to--for
Ivor's sake," she answered.

"For his sake?"

"Yes, and for your own, too, if you care for his opinion of you at all.
For his sake, because _neither_ of us knows when he came out of Maxine
de Renzie's house. You _would_ go away, though I wanted to stay and
watch. He may not have been there more than five minutes for all we can
tell to the contrary, in which case he would still have had time to go
straight off to the Rue de la Fille Sauvage and kill that man, in
accordance with the doctors' statements about the death. For _your_
sake, because if he knows that you tracked him to Maxine de Renzie's
house, he won't respect you very much; and because he would probably be
furious with you, unable to forgive you as long as he lived, for
injuring the reputation of the woman he's risked so much to save. He'd
believe you did it out of spiteful jealousy against her."

I grew cold all over, and trembled so that I could hardly speak.

"Ivor would know that I'm incapable of such baseness."

"I'm not sure he'd hold you above it. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned'--and he _has_ scorned you--for an actress."

It was as if she had struck me in the face: and I could feel the blood
rush up to my cheeks. They burned so hotly that the tears were forced to
my eyes.

"You see I'm right, don't you?" Lisa asked.

"You may be right in thinking I could do him no good in that way--and
that he wouldn't wish it, even if I could. But not about the rest," I
said. "We won't talk of it any more. I can't stand it. Please go back to
your room now, Lisa, I want to be alone."

"Very well," she snapped, "_you_ called me in. I didn't ask to come."

Then she went out, with not another word or look, and slammed the door.
I could imagine myself compelling her to give up the brocade bag, or
offering her some great bribe of money, thousands of pounds, if
necessary. Lisa is a strange little creature. She will do a good deal
for money.

CHAPTER XVI

DIANA UNDERTAKES A STRANGE ERRA