e him a
lot of money. He agreed, for he was a boy such as I was when a girl,
fond of seeing things suffer. You can't wonder at it in me," went on
Miss Krill, coolly; "my grandmother was hanged for poisoning my
grandfather, and I expect I inherit the love of murder from her--"

"I won't listen," cried Sylvia, shuddering.

"Oh, yes, you will. I'll soon be done," went on her persecutor, cruelly.
"Well, then, when I found Tray was like myself I determined to get the
brooch and hurt Krill--hurt him as he hurt me," she cried vehemently.
"Tray told me of the cellar and of the side passage. When my mother and
Pash came out of the inner office and went to the door, I ran in and
took the brooch. It was hidden under some papers and had escaped my
mother's eye. But I searched till I got it. Then I made an appointment
with Tray for eleven o'clock at the corner of Gwynne Street. I went back
to Judson's hotel, and my mother and I went to the theatre. We had
supper and retired to bed. That is, my mother did. We had left the
theatre early, as my mother had a headache, and I had plenty of time.
Mother fell asleep almost immediately. I went downstairs veiled, and in
dark clothes. I slipped past the night porter and met Tray. We went by
the side passage to the cellar. Thinking we were customers Krill let us
in. Tray locked the door, and I threw myself on Krill. He had not been
drinking much or I might not have mastered him. As it was, he was too
terrified when he recognized me to struggle. In fact he fainted. With
Tray's assistance I bound his hands behind his back, and then we enjoyed
ourselves," she rubbed her hands together, looking more like a fiend
than a woman.

Sylvia rose and staggered to the door. "No more--no more."

Maud pushed her back into her chair. "Stop where you are, you whimpering
fool!" she snarled exultingly, "I have you safe." Then she continued
quickly and with another glance at the clock, the long hand of which now
pointed to a quarter to four, "with Tray's assistance I carried Krill up
to the shop. Tray found an auger and bored a hole in the floor. Then I
picked up a coil of copper wire, which was being used in packing things
for Krill to make his escape. I took it up. We laid Krill's neck over
the hole, and passed the wire round his neck and through the hole. Tray
went down and tied a cross stick on the end of the wire, so that he
could put his weight on it when we strangled--"

"Oh--great heaven," moaned Sylv