h. "Now don't make any noise or try to
scream, or we'll have to stop you. My men are all around the house.
Nobody can get out. Do you know anybody by the name of Cowperwood?"

Mrs. Davis, fortunately from one point of view, was not of a
particularly nervous nor yet contentious type. She was more or less
philosophic. She was not in touch with the police here in Philadelphia,
hence subject to exposure. What good would it do to cry out? she
thought. The place was surrounded. There was no one in the house at the
time to save Cowperwood and Aileen. She did not know Cowperwood by his
name, nor Aileen by hers. They were a Mr. and Mrs. Montague to her.

"I don't know anybody by that name," she replied nervously.

"Isn't there a girl here with red hair?" asked one of Alderson's
assistants. "And a man with a gray suit and a light-brown mustache? They
came in here half an hour ago. You remember them, don't you?"

"There's just one couple in the house, but I'm not sure whether they're
the ones you want. I'll ask them to come down if you wish. Oh, I wish
you wouldn't make any disturbance. This is terrible."

"We'll not make any disturbance," replied Alderson, "if you don't. Just
you be quiet. We merely want to see the girl and take her away. Now, you
stay where you are. What room are they in?"

"In the second one in the rear up-stairs. Won't you let me go, though?
It will be so much better. I'll just tap and ask them to come out."

"No. We'll tend to that. You stay where you are. You're not going to get
into any trouble. You just stay where you are," insisted Alderson.

He motioned to Butler, who, however, now that he had embarked on his
grim task, was thinking that he had made a mistake. What good would it
do him to force his way in and make her come out, unless he intended
to kill Cowperwood? If she were made to come down here, that would be
enough. She would then know that he knew all. He did not care to quarrel
with Cowperwood, in any public way, he now decided. He was afraid to. He
was afraid of himself.

"Let her go," he said grimly, doggedly referring to Mrs. Davis, "But
watch her. Tell the girl to come down-stairs to me."

Mrs. Davis, realizing on the moment that this was some family tragedy,
and hoping in an agonized way that she could slip out of it peacefully,
started upstairs at once with Alderson and his assistants who were close
at his heels. Reaching the door of the room occupied by Cowperwood
and Aileen, sh