hin a man's excited voice--a resonant
voice which I knew well. I tried the door; it yielded, and we stepped
into the hall. The voice came from the room at the right. It was no
time for hesitation--we sprang to the door and entered.

Martigny was standing in the middle of the floor, fairly foaming at
the mouth, shrieking out commands and imprecations at two women who
cowered in the farther corner. The elder one I knew at a glance--the
younger--my heart leaped as I looked at her--was it Miss Holladay? No,
yet strangely like.

He saw their startled eyes turn past him to us, and swung sharply
round. For an instant he stood poised like a serpent about to strike,
then I saw his eyes fix in a frightful stare, his face turned livid,
and with a strangled cry, he fell back and down. Together we lifted
him to the low window-seat, pursuers and pursued alike, loosened his
collar, chafed his hands, bathed his temples, did everything we could
think of doing; but he lay there staring at the ceiling with clenched
teeth. At last Royce bent and laid his ear against his breast. Then he
arose and turned gently to the women.

"It is no use," he said. "He is dead."

I looked to see them wince under the blow; but they did not. The
younger woman went slowly to the window and stood there sobbing
quietly; the other's face lit up with a positive blaze of joy.

"So," she exclaimed, in that low, vibrant voice I so well remembered,
"so he is dead! That treacherous, cruel heart has burst at last!"

Royce gazed at her a moment in astonishment. She looked not at him,
but at the dead man on the window-seat, her hands clasping and
unclasping.

"Madame Alix," he said, at last, "you know our errand--we must carry
it out."

She bowed her head.

"I know it, monsieur," she answered. "But for him, there would have
been no such errand. As it is, I will help you all I can. Cecile," she
called to the woman at the window, "go and bring your sister to these
gentlemen."

The younger woman dried her eyes and left the room. We waited in tense
silence, our eyes on the door. We heard the sound of footsteps on the
stair; a moment, and she was on the threshold.

She came in slowly, listlessly--it gave me a shock to see the pallor
of her face. Then she glanced up and saw Royce standing there; she
drew in her breath with a quick gasp, a great wave of color swept
over her cheeks and brow, a great light sprang into her eyes.

"Oh, John!" she cried, and swayed t