enius of Nahemah, however, which finally dictated a new
line of action. She learned that Sir Marcus was paying attention to
Isobel Merlin, the fiancee of Eric Coverly (who in the event of Sir
Marcus's death would inherit the title).

Nahemah propounded to me a theory so strange and so novel that I was
lost in admiration of that brilliant intellect which, partly inherited
from her forebears, was stimulated and brightened by a cat-like
cunning which belonged to the other side of her hybrid personality.

In that district where my suburban villa was situated there were
several other isolated establishments which their owners experienced
some difficulty in leasing; and one of these--namely the Red
House--particularly suited the purpose which Nahemah had in view. The
extensive resources now at my disposal enabled me to dispense with the
usual formalities which beset the lessee and to obtain possession of
the Red House without even appearing in person.

The deeper to complicate the issue, Nahemah carried out the whole of
the negotiations over the telephone, and hers was the "voice"
afterwards rendered notorious by the press, which issued the
directions culminating in the death of Marcus Coverly.

I recognize that the inquiries of the police have placed in your
possession many particulars respecting this matter, so that I will not
repeat them here but will content myself with explaining the nature of
the device employed. In this case, for the removal of the subject, I
had obtained possession of an old telephone and had adjusted it to
meet my requirements.

In a recess of the room which I caused Sir Marcus Coverly to visit at
the Red House, I placed this duplicate telephone; the false cable
communicating with the instrument was attached to a plug in the wall
above, but communicated with a gas cylinder in the adjoining room. In
short, what appeared to be cable was in reality tubing and the act of
taking the receiver from the hook released through the mouthpiece a
sufficient quantity of L.K. Vapor to have asphyxiated a dozen men.

In order to insure the subject's receiving the benefit of the whole
discharge, I had caused a very heavy curtain to be draped in this
recess, which thus became a rough gas-chamber. Following the first
discharge, the subject would fall to the floor and the gas being a
heavy one he would there receive his _quietus_.

The only detail which occasioned much thought was that of the bell by
which Sir Ma