"Then you are making this fight for personal reasons?"

"Do not forget that some very good friends of mine suffered because of
Prale. But, about the valet----"

"Let him go, I say. What harm can he do?"

"We slugged him to get him here. He can report it to the police, and
have you arrested, and these two men."

"And what evidence would he have?" she asked. "Who would testify that he
was telling the truth? These two men can keep out of sight for the
present. He has not seen your face because of your mask. And to charge
me with slugging him would be ridiculous."

"This house----"

"Is vacant, so far as the neighbors know; it is owned by a man whose
wife died, and who has been gone for more than a year. The agent who
rented it to us furnished, is one of us. We can simply close it up and
not come here again. If he complained, and the police investigated, they
would find the house closed, and the nearest neighbors would declare
that it had been closed since the owner went away. The furniture is not
even dusted."

"That part is all right."

"And that attack on Prale in the Park during the afternoon!" she went
on. "That was a mistake. Suppose Detective Farland managed to connect
that with us. I tell you we must not break a law, or Sidney Prale may
get the advantage!"

"We can't handle an affair like this with kid gloves!" the masked man
declared.

"We do as I say, or I shall go to Sidney Prale and tell him everything
and rob you of your vengeance!"

"You would do that!" the masked man cried, springing from his chair.

"I'll do it if there is any more violence!" she declared. "It was
understood that no rough tactics were to be used, and I demand that we
carry out the original plan!"

"We'll see about this!" the masked man cried. "I'll talk to some of the
others----"

"And I'll leave the game if there is any more violence--do not forget
that!" Kate Gilbert cried.

She continued to talk and plan, for she was fighting for time. She had
known that, at the last moment, this man would refuse to release Murk.

Marie, the big maid, had hurried from the house, which sat far back from
the street and was surrounded by trees. But she had returned after
watching for a few minutes.

Murk, sitting on the sofa, heard somebody at one of the windows. He
watched the sash being raised slowly and cautiously, and after a time
saw the head of Marie. She motioned him for silence, listened a moment,
and then crawled inside.

M