ke's voice
as it floated over the quiet place. Then the same upheaval of hatred
which he had felt before he felt again. The man was the girl's ruin; he
had tempted her by love of dress, of fame, of the world's vanities and
follies of every sort. This made him think for the first time of how he
might find her. He might find her with _him_. They would come back from
the Derby together. He would bring her home, and they would sup in
company. The house would be lit up; the windows thrown open; they would
be playing and singing and laughing, and the sounds of their merriment
would come down to him into the darkness below.

All the better, all the better! He would do it before the man's face. And
when it was done, when all was over, when she lay there--lay
there--there--he would turn on the man and say: "Look at her, the
sweetest girl that ever breathed the breath of life, the dearest, truest
woman in all the world! You have done that--you--you--you--and God damn
you!"

His tortured heart was afire, and his brain was reeling. Before he knew
where he was he had passed from the outer court into the inner one. "Here
it is--this is the house," he thought. But it was all dark. Just a few
lights burning, but they had been carefully turned down. The windows were
closed, the blinds were drawn, and there was not a sound anywhere! He
stood some minutes trying to think, and during that time the mood of
frenzy left him and the low cunning came back. Then he rang the bell.

There was no answer, so he rang again. After a while he heard a footstep
that seemed to come up from below. Still the door was not opened, and he
rang a third time.

"Who's there?" said a voice within.

"It is I--open the door," he answered.

"Who are you?" said the voice, and he replied impatiently:

"Come, come, Liza, open, and see."

Then the catch lock was shot back. At the next moment he was in the hall,
shutting the door behind him, and Liza was looking up into his face with
eyes of mingled fear and relief.

"Lor', sir, whyever didn't you say it was you?"

"Where's your mistress?"

"Gone to the office, and won't be back till morning. And Miss Gloria
isn't home from the races yet."

"I must see her to-night--I'll wait upstairs."

"You must excuse me, sir--Farver, I mean--but I wouldn't a-known your
voice, it seemed so different. And me that sleepy too, being on the go
since six in the mornin'----"

"Go to bed, Liza. You sleep in the kitchen, don'