e story of her own failure; the miscarriage of her own jealous
and murderous design.

She suppressed the shriek of mingled disappointment and fury that rose
to her twitching lips, then passionately cast the paper upon the table.

"Well, what do you make of it?" she demanded, glaring at Venner's
colorless face.

"No need to ask," he replied, hoarsely. "You know what I make of it."

"You think I did it?"

"I know you did it!"

"And killed the wrong girl?"

"And killed the wrong girl!"

"Can you guess how?"

"I don't care how. I know that you did it."

"You will not betray me?" hissed Cervera, crouching before him, with
eyes never leaving his.

"I have no wish to betray you."

"You dare not! you dare not!"

"I shall not!"

"If you do--"

The woman checked her words for an instant, and ran her hand into the
bosom of her dress. When she drew it forth it gripped a naked poniard,
upon the polished blade of which the rays of light flashed with many a
wicked gleam and glint.

"If you do," she repeated, "I will send you after her, Rufus Venner! I
will do even more! I will expose our whole game, and our whole gang!"

"I have said that I shall not betray you, nor will I," cried Venner,
signing for her to put up the weapon. "Yet you were mad, Sanetta. You
had no grounds for such jealousy, no occasion for such a crime."

"I had--and you know it! I told you I would do it."

"Well, you have tried it, at least," growled Venner, forcing a smile to
his gray lips.

"And you dare not betray me," repeated Cervera, thrusting the glittering
weapon within her dress. "I have not failed entirely, Rufe, since it
makes the criminal tie between you and me all the stronger. It binds us
together with links of steel, Rufe, and they are stronger far than any
marriage contract."

"Then you love me like that, eh?"

"You know that I do."

"Yet your infernal jealousy, and your determination to quit this house
and go to the plant with the gang, may yet ruin us all. If Nick Carter
were to get a clew--"

"Bah!" Cervera fiercely interrupted. "I despise him, not fear him! I
tell you again, I will fool and foil Nick Carter, as I have fooled and
foiled his betters!"

"His better as a detective never lived, Sanetta."

"I care not! I defy him, and will yet show you that--"

"Hush! Hark! A cab has stopped outside!"

Cervera changed like a flash.

With the bound of a leopard, one of those lightning moves with which she
could el