ia, stopping her ears.

Maud bent over her and pulled her hands away. "You _shall_ hear you
little beast," she snarled. "All the time Krill was sensible. He
recovered his senses after he was bound. I prolonged his agony as much
as possible. When Tray went down to see after the wire, I knelt beside
Krill and told him that I knew I was not his daughter, that I intended
to strangle him as I had strangled Lady Rachel. He shrieked with horror.
That was the cry you heard, you cat, and which brought you downstairs. I
never expected that," cried Maud, clapping her hands; "that was a treat
for Krill I never intended. I stopped his crying any more for assistance
by pinning his mouth together, as he had done mine over twenty years
before. Then I sat beside him and taunted him. I heard the policeman
pass, and the church clock strike the quarter. Then I heard footsteps,
and guessed you were coming. It occurred to me to give you a treat by
strangling the man before your eyes, and punish him more severely, since
the brooch stopped him calling out--as it stopped me--me," she cried,
striking her breast.

"Oh, how could you--how could--"

"You feeble thing," said Maud, contemptuously, and patting the girl's
cheek, "you would not have done it I know. But I loved it--I loved it!
That was living indeed. I went down to the cellar and fastened the door
behind me. Tray was already pressing on the cross stick at the end of
the wire, and laughed as he pressed. But I stopped him. I heard you and
that woman enter the shop, and heard what you said. I prolonged Krill's
agony, and then I pressed the wire down myself for such a time as I
thought it would take to squeeze the life out of the beast. Then with
Tray I locked the cellar door and left by the side passage. We dodged
all the police and got into the Strand. I did not return to the hotel,
but walked about with Tray all the night talking with--joy," cried Maud,
clapping her hands, "with joy, do you hear. When it was eight I went to
Judson's. The porter thought I had been out for an early walk. My
mother--"

Here Maud broke off, for Sylvia, who was staring over her shoulder out
of the window saw a form she knew well at the gate. "Paul--Paul," she
shrieked, "come--come!"

Maud whipped the black silk handkerchief round the girl's neck. "You
shall never get that money," she whispered cruelly, "you shall never
tell anyone what I have told you. Now I'll show you how Hokar taught
me," she jerked t