guard
behind him had been subtly aggravated by the desolation of his destined
jail.

Halting in the doorway of an inner room, Carl held the light high and
nodded with approval.

Its dim rays fell upon dust and cobwebs, trunks and the nondescript
relics of years of hoarding. There were no windows; only a skylight
above clouded by the whirl of the storm.

Carl seated himself upon a trunk, placed the lamp beside him and
directed his guest to a point opposite. Kronberg, with dark,
fascinated eyes glued upon the glittering steel in his jailer's hand,
obeyed.

"Kronberg," said Carl coldly, "there's a lot I want to know. Moreover,
I'm going to know it. Nor shall I trust to drunken jailers as I did a
while back with a certain compatriot of yours. Late last spring when
you sought employment at my cousin's town-house, you were already, I
presume, a link in the chain. If my memory serves me correctly, you
were dismissed after ten days of service, through no fault of your own.
The house was closed for the summer. You came to me again this fall
with a letter of recommendation from Mrs. Westfall. Knowing my aunt,"
reflected Carl dryly, "that is really very humorous. What were you
doing in the meantime?"

Carl shifted the lamp that its pale fan of light might fall full upon
the other's face.

"Let me tell you--do!" said he. "For I'm sure I know. During the
summer, my dear Kronberg, I was the victim of a series of peculiar and
persistent attacks. To a growing habit of unremitting vigilance and
suspicion, I may thank my life. As for the peaceful monotony of the
last nine weeks, doubtless I may attribute that to the constant
companionship of Wherry, the fact that you were much too unpopular with
the Carmodys as a foreigner to find an opportunity of poisoning my
food, and that I've fallen into the discreet and careful habit of
always drinking from a fresh bottle, properly sealed. There was a
chance even there, but you were not clever enough to take it. You're
overcautious and a coward. But how busy you must have been before
that," he purred solicitously, "bolting about in various disguises
after me. How very patient! Dear, dear, if Nature had only given you
brains enough to match your lack of scruples--"

The insolent purr of his musical voice whipped color into Kronberg's
cheeks. Abruptly he shifted his position and glared stonily.

"Venice," murmured Carl impudently, "Venice called them _bravi_;
here i