he did this," placing his hand over the wound, "and I
fear he--he may come again."

He staggered back a pace and stared in terror about him.

"I am not afraid of most things," he apologized, "but that devil he is
everywhere. He might be----"

There was a sound in the hall below. Sorez placed his hand to his
heart again and staggered back with a piteous appeal to Wilson.

"The image! The image!" he gasped. "For the love of God, do not let
him get it."

Then he sank in a faint to the floor.

Wilson looked at the girl. He saw her stoop for the revolver. She
thrust it in his hand.

CHAPTER V

_In the Dark_

Wilson made his way into the hall and peered down the dark stairs. He
listened; all was silent. A dozen perfectly simple accidents might
have caused the sound the three had heard; and yet, although he had
not made up his mind that the stranger's whole story was not the
fabric of delirium, he had an uncomfortable feeling that someone
really was below. Neither seeing nor hearing, he knew by some sixth
sense that another human being stood within a few yards of him
waiting. Who that human being was, what he wished, what he was willing
to venture was a mystery. Sorez had spoken of the priest--the man who
had stabbed him--but it seemed scarcely probable that after such an
act as that a man would break into his victim's house, where the
chances were that he was guarded, and make a second attempt. Then he
recalled that Sorez was apparently living alone here and that
doubtless this was known to the mysterious priest. If the golden image
were the object of his attack, truly it must have some extraordinary
value outside its own intrinsic worth. If of solid gold it could be
worth but a few hundred dollars. It must, then, be of value because
of such power as it had exercised over the girl.

There was not so much as a creak on the floor below, and still his
conviction remained that someone stood there gazing up as he was
staring down. If only the house were lighted! To go back and get the
candle would be to make a target of himself for anyone determined in
his mission, but he must solve this mystery. The girl expected it of
him and he was ready to sacrifice his life rather than to stand poorly
in her eyes. He paused at this thought. Until it came to him at that
moment, in that form, he had not realized anything of the sort. He had
not realized that she was any more to him now than she had ever
been--yet she had i