d that I am willing to subscribe, and in proof of my willingness will
send you by the night's post a cheque for that amount. Good night,
doctor."

He shook hands, pulled his hat down upon his head, opened the door and
ran into the arms of a man whose hand was at that moment raised to press
the electric bell-push by the side of the door.

Both started back.

"Excuse me," mumbled Mr. White, and hurried down the stairs.

Dr. van Heerden glared at the visitor, white with rage.

"Come in, you fool!" he hissed, and half-dragged the man into his room,
"what made you leave Scotland?"

"Scotland I hate!" said the visitor huskily. "Sticking a fellow away in
the wilds of the beastly mountains, eh? That's not playing the game, my
cheery sportsman."

"When did you arrive?" asked van Heerden quickly.

"Seven p.m. Travelled third class! Me! Is it not the most absurd
position for a man of my parts--third class, with foul and common
people--I'd like to rip them all up--I would, by heavens!"

The doctor surveyed the coarse, drink-bloated face, the loose, weak
mouth, half-smiled at the vanity of the dangling monocle and pointed to
the decanter.

"You did wrong to come," he said, "I have arranged your passage to
Canada next week."

"I'll not go!" said the man, tossing down a drink and wiping his lips
with a not over-clean handkerchief. "Curse me, van Heerden, why should I
hide and fly like a--a----"

"Like a man who escaped from Cayenne," suggested the doctor, "or like a
man who is wanted by the police of three countries for crimes ranging
from arson to wilful murder."

The man shuddered.

"All fair fights, my dear fellow," he said more mildly, "if I hadn't
been a boastful, drunken sot, you wouldn't have heard of 'em--you
wouldn't, curse you. I was mad! I had you in my hand like that!" He
closed a not over-clean fist under van Heerden's nose. "I saw it all,
all, I saw you bullying the poor devil, shaking some secret out of him,
I saw you knife him----"

"Hush!" hissed van Heerden. "You fool--people can hear through these
walls."

"But there are no windows to see through," leered the man, "and I _saw_!
He came out of his death-trance to denounce you, by Jove! I heard him
shout and I saw you run in and lay him down--lay him down! Lay him out
is better! You killed him to shut his mouth, my bonnie doctor!"

Van Heerden's face was as white as a sheet, but the hand he raised to
his lips was without a tremor.

"You were l