she said, "oh, please don't blame me! I took him
into the passage with the doors. I borrowed his light, and after we had
passed and locked the second door I slipped through the third and
slammed it in his face."

"Then----"

"He is there! Caught! Oh, Julius, did I do well? Please don't be angry
with me! I was so afraid for you!"

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Not ten minutes, perhaps five minutes, I don't know. I have no
knowledge of time. I came straight back to see you."

He stood by the table, gnawing his finger, his head bowed in
concentrated thought.

"There, of all places!" he muttered; "there, of all places!"

"Oh, Julius, I did my best," she said tearfully.

He looked down at her with a little sneer.

"Of course you did your best. You're a woman and you haven't brains."

"I thought----"

"You thought!" he sneered. "Who told you you could think? You fool!
Don't you know it was a bluff, that he could no more arrest me than I
could arrest him? Don't you realize--did he know you were in the habit
of coming here?"

She nodded.

"I thought so," said van Heerden with a bitter laugh. "He knows you are
in love with me and he played upon your fears. You poor little fool!
Don't cry or I shall do something unpleasant. There, there. Help
yourself to some wine, you'll find it in the tantalus."

He strode up and down the room.

"There's nothing to be done but to settle accounts with Mr. Beale," he
said grimly. "Do you think he was watched?"

"Oh no, no, Julius"--she checked her sobs--"I was so careful."

She gave him a description of the journey and the precautions she had
taken.

"Well, perhaps you're not such a fool after all."

He unlocked a drawer in his desk and took out a long-barrelled Browning
pistol, withdrew the magazine from the butt, examined and replaced it,
and slipped back the cover.

"Yes, I think I must settle accounts with this gentleman, but I don't
want to use this," he added thoughtfully, as he pushed up the
safety-catch and dropped the weapon in his pocket; "we might be able to
gas him. Anyway, you can do no more good or harm," he said cynically.

She was speechless, her hands, clasped tightly at her breast, covered a
damp ball of handkerchief, and her tear-stained face was upturned to
his.

"Now, dry your face." He stooped and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Perhaps what you have done is the best after all. Who knows? Anyway,"
he said, speaking his thoughts al