ting-table into which she had seen the doctor
toss the foreign letter he had been reading when she entered.

She drew it out, and scanned eagerly a dozen or so of the closely-written
lines in Spanish.

Then she replaced it with trembling fingers, and, closing the drawer, sat
staring straight before her--dumbfounded, rigid.

What was the mystery?

By the knowledge she had obtained she became forearmed--even defiant. In
the light of that astounding discovery, she now read the mysterious Dr.
Weirmarsh as she would an open book. She held her breath, and an
expression of hatred escaped her lips.

When, a moment later, he brought her a pale-yellow draught in a graduated
glass, she took it from his hand, and, drawing herself up in defiance,
flung its contents behind her into the fireplace. She believed that at
last she had conquered that strangely evil influence which, emanating
from this obscure practitioner, had fallen upon her.

But the man only shrugged his shoulders and, turning from her, laughed
unconcernedly. He knew that he held her in bonds stronger than steel,
that his will was hers--for good or for evil.

CHAPTER IV

REVEALS TEMPTATION

"I TELL you it can't be done--the risk is far too great!" declared Sir
Hugh Elcombe, standing with his back to the fireplace in his cosy little
den in Hill Street at noon next day.

"It must be done," answered Dr. Weirmarsh, who sat in the deep green
leather arm-chair, with the tips of his fingers placed together.

The general glanced suspiciously at the door to reassure himself that it
was closed.

"You ask too much," he said. Then, in a decisive voice, while his fingers
toyed nervously with his monocle, he added, "I have resolved to end it
once and for all."

The doctor looked at him with a strange expression in those cold, keen
eyes of his and smiled, "I fear, Sir Hugh, that if you attempt to carry
out such a decision you will find insuperable difficulties," he said
quietly.

"I desire no good advice from you, Weirmarsh," the old general snapped.
"I fully realise my position. You have cornered me--cut off my
retreat--so I have placed my back against the wall."

"Good! And how will such an attitude benefit you, pray?"

"Understand, I am in no mood to be taunted by you!" the old man cried,
with an angry flash in his eyes. "You very cleverly enticed me into the
net, and now you are closing it about me."

"My dear Sir Hugh," replied the doctor, "ours was