next words:

"This afternoon he wanted to kill you when you only spoke of making love
to me, and now--he saw you whisper in my ear, hold my hand, touch my
shoulders. Why, he must have fallen in love with----"

"Don't you think it silly to shoot a friend on account of a woman?"
Millar interrupted, before she could pronounce Elsa's name.

"Oh, he's fond of me--perhaps you said something about me," Olga
stumbled on hurriedly. "Karl holds me in high regard, but, there is no
doubt of it, these young people are in love."

"I fear you regret the success of your matrimonial scheme for Karl and
Elsa," Millar said.

"Do you think it will be successful?" she asked eagerly.

"I don't know, but we may find out easily enough."

"How?"

Millar took a turn up and down the room, his up-slanting eyebrows drawn
together in deep thought.

"This afternoon he tried to shoot me when I told him I would make you
fall in love with me," he said, stopping in front of Olga. "That means
love. Don't speak to me of respect or regard, my dear lady. They fire
off cannons in salute out of respect, but when they draw pistols, that
means love. Now, you think Karl loves this little girl. Suppose we find
out who is right. We will make Karl tell us himself."

Olga turned away with a gesture of dissent, but Millar went on
insinuatingly:

"Of course, I understand it interests you only because you planned this
marriage, and after all it is only right that you should feel a certain
amount of pride in the success of your plans. Is it not so?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Very well, then; Karl shall tell us which was real--his attempt to
murder me or this little affair with Elsa."

"But how--you don't mean to ask Karl?" Olga asked in bewilderment. "You
are not going to listen at key-holes?"

"Oh, madam, no."

"Then how can we make him tell us?"

"It is simple; I have a plan. But you must follow my instructions to the
letter. Don't ask for any reasons; simply do as I say."

Olga looked at him reflectively. She knew instinctively that he had
some new bit of devilish ingenuity, some sinister twist of that
marvelous brain, and she was afraid. But she wanted more than anything
else to be assured that Karl did not love Elsa; that her scheme for
their marriage had failed, and she replied:

"Very well, it is agreed."

"I saw you once at the opera with a very beautiful cloak that covered
you completely from your neck to your shoe tips. Have you such a