own at her there could not be a doubt but that her throat had
been cut!

I drew back from her horrified, and then I saw her lips moving; she was
trying to speak.

I put my ear down close to her mouth and then I heard faintly but very
distinctly two words--

"Safe--open."

I answered her at once.

"I will go for a doctor first, then I will return and open the safe."

At once she moved her head, causing a fresh flow of blood from a great
gaping wound at the right side of her neck. She was eager to speak
again, and I bent my ear over her mouth.

Two words came again very faintly--"Open--first."

I nodded to show her that I understood what she meant, then giving one
glance at her I prepared to do what she asked. There was a look of
satisfaction in her eyes as I turned away. I went quickly back into
the sitting-room and turned the carved rose on the left side of the
frame of the looking-glass in the over-mantel. Then when the glass had
slid up I felt for the spring in the wall, touched it, and the door
flew open. Without any hesitation I fixed the key in the lock of the
steel safe, and, with a slight effort, turned it and pulled the door
open.

The first thing I saw was a slip of white paper with some writing on it
lying on two packets. This I took up and read at once; the words
scribbled on it were in a lady's hand.

"If anything has happened to me take these two packets, hide them in
your pockets, and close the safe, cupboard, and looking-glass, and
leave it all as it was at first."

I did not delay a moment. I took the two packets, which were wrapped
in white paper like chemists' parcels, and sealed with red wax. I saw
this before I crammed them into my trousers pockets.

I hastily closed the safe, locked it, fastened the panel, and, by
turning the rose on the right-hand side of the over-mantel, caused the
glass to resume its place.

Then I turned to leave the room, and--found myself standing face to
face with Saumarez, the man with the glass eye, who held a revolver
levelled at me.

He did not stay to speak, but fired immediately; I dodged my head to
one side just in time and heard the bullet go crashing into the
looking-glass behind me.

Before he could fire again I hit him with all my might under the ear,
and he fell in the corner of the room like a log. Stopping only to
possess myself of his revolver, which had dropped by his side, I rushed
up the stairs and out into the street; there I i