the young man's nervous protest.

"Well, I'm listening."

"You appear to have got the idea that you are sacrificing yourself for
me. That is not quite true. By doing as I tell you and remaining here
you are saving yourself."

"How do you make that out?"

"It is perfectly simple. You realise of course that that woman in
there is the only person who has the knowledge necessary to bring a
charge; no one else has even a slight suspicion. Therefore it is
hardly worth while to emphasise the reasons for keeping watch over her
closely until such time as I am able to dispose of her satisfactorily.
These things take time and thought. One can't rush into them without
running risks."

A shiver shook Esther from head to foot. She knew now, if she had had
any doubts before, what was going to happen to her. The cold-blooded
statement had an effect on Holliday also, for his voice sounded
high-pitched and oddly rough as he replied:

"I suppose one has to admit all that, but why in hell's name have I got
to be her jailor? If she's unconscious, why can't she be left alone?"

"Simply because I refuse to take the risk. There is no knowing what
might happen; one can't be sure of anything."

There followed the scratch of a match and the smell of cigarette smoke;
then, as if reading his friend's thoughts, Sartorius continued:

"And in case you have any secret intention of giving me the slip, just
bear this in mind: If the detention of this girl ever comes out, the
fat will be in the fire, for you just as much as for me. Dead or
alive, it will make little difference; you are bound to be implicated.
How good a chance do you think you'd have of proving your innocence?
You'd be held as an accessory both before and after the act, if you
were lucky enough to escape a more serious charge. You are in it now;
it's to your own interest to help me by staying in it."

"Good God!" groaned the young man, as though caught in a trap.

"I thought you'd see my point. You know me. You I never exaggerate."

"But is it essential to get rid of the girl entirely?" Holliday asked
in a jerky fashion. "Isn't there any other means of keeping her quiet?"

"Oh, yes, but nothing that can really be depended on. I could, of
course, by means of a simple operation, destroy certain areas in the
brain which would deprive her of memory and speech, but these faculties
sometimes have a tiresome tendency to restore themselves or to delegate
their funct