e to do at that
moment what she did. It seemed to her that fear, sickness, pain, all
passed away, and left her only the determination to make one desperate
effort to defeat her husband's ends.

She knew that the window by which she lay was unshuttered. She rose from
the ground, she reached the window-sill and threw up the sash, almost
before Hugo knew what she was doing. Then she sent forth that terrible,
agonised cry for help, which reached the ears of the four men who were
even at that moment waiting and listening at the garden door.

Hugo dropped the glass. It was shivered to pieces on the floor, and its
contents stained the rug on which it fell. He strode to the window and
stopped his wife's mouth with his hands, then dragged her away from it,
and spoke some bitter furious words.

"Do you want to hang me?" he said. "Keep quiet, or I'll make you repent
your night's work----"

And then he paused. He had heard the sound of opening doors, of heavy
steps and strange voices upon the stairs. He turned hastily to the
dressing-room, and he was confronted on the threshold by the determined
face and flashing eyes of his cousin, Brian Luttrell. He cast a hurried
glance beyond and around him; but he saw no help at hand. Kitty had sunk
fainting to the ground: there were other faces--severe and menacing
enough--behind Brian's: he felt that he was caught like a wild beast in
a trap. His only course was to brazen out the matter as best he could;
and this, in the face of Brian Luttrell, of Percival Heron, of old Mr.
Colquhoun, it was hard to do. In spite of himself his face turned pale,
and his knees shook as he spoke in a hoarse and grating tone.

"What does this disturbance mean?" he said. "Why do you come rushing
into Mrs. Luttrell's room at this hour of the night?"

"Because," said Brian, taking him by the shoulder, "your wife has called
for help, and we believe that she needs it. Because we know that you are
one of the greatest scoundrels that ever trod the face of the earth.
Because we are going to bring you to justice. That is why!"

"These are very fine accusations," said Hugo, with a pale sneer, "but I
think you will find a difficulty in proving them, Mr.--Vasari."

"I shall have at least no difficulty in proving that you stole money and
forged my brother's name three years ago," said Brian, in a voice that
was terrible in its icy scorn. "I shall have no difficulty in proving to
the world's satisfaction that you sham