th
claw-like fingers, but though he drew her down till his lips nearly
touched her ear, his hoarse whispering was distinctly heard throughout
the room.

"Two of us--father and son. Will you avenge us, eh? Listen, then. I
will tell you her name. She played with my life and wrecked it, she
took my time, my love, nay life, she gave me nothing. It was she who
poisoned my blood with the lust for gold; it was she who sent me over
the hills to Feldwick. Ay, it was she who nerved me to steal and to
kill. Joan, will you not avenge me and him, for I must die, and it is
she who has killed me--Emily de Reuss. Oh, may the gods, whoever they
be--the gods of the heathen, and the God of the Christian, your God,
Joan, and the God of Justice curse her! If I had lived I should have
killed her. If my fingers--were upon her throat--I could die happy."

He fell back upon the pillows. Douglas led Joan from the room. She
turned and faced him.

"Who is this woman?" she asked.

CHAPTER XXXVI

A SCENE AT THE CLUB

He made her sit down, for she was white and faint. For the moment he
left her question unanswered.

"You have learnt the truth, Joan, from his own lips," he said. "I have
a confession signed last week by him before the fever set in. You can
read it if you like."

"There is no need," she answered. "I have heard enough. Who is this
Emily de Reuss?"

"She is a very clever woman," he said, "with whom your brother became
most unreasonably infatuated. She took an interest in him, as she has
done in many young literary men. He fell in love with her without any
encouragement, and gave way to his foolishness in a most unwarrantable
manner. He neglected his work to follow her about, lost his position
and his friends--eventually, as you see, his reason. I cannot tell you
any more than that. She was perhaps unwise in her kindness, perhaps a
little vain, inasmuch as she liked to pose as the literary inspirer of
young talent, and to surround herself with worshippers. That is the
extent of her fault. I do not believe that for a moment she
deliberately encouraged him, or was in any way personally responsible
for the wreck of his life."

"You perhaps know her."

"I do."

"Well?"

"I think that I may say so."

She rose.

"Then you can tell her this," she said. "Tell her that before long she
will have a visit from David Strong's sister." Douglas shook his head.
"It is not she who is to blame," he said. She pointed to the room wh