convinced it will be for your good, as well as for the
world's benefit, that I should win. Nevertheless, I do think
that very thing and so I can still declare myself,

"Yours sincerely,
"HUGH GORDON."

Felix Brand read this letter with an interest that made him, in spite
of his abhorrence, go through it a second time before he lifted his
eyes from its pages. For him its mysterious threats needed no
explanation and as he sensed the full meaning of the fate it
predicted, angry horror swept over him.

He shuddered as he glanced apprehensively about him, as though fearing
to see take shape out of the air the intangible force with which, on
that other night three weeks before, he had fought to the utmost of
his strength, only to be overcome at last. The memory of that fierce
struggle was upon him now, chilling his veins and clutching his heart
with terror. And he would have to fight that invisible, relentless
power over and over again to save himself from the black-magic destiny
that threatened. Then, suddenly, fear and horror were swept away by a
frenzy of rage that ramped through him all the more fiercely because
there was nothing upon which it could wreak itself.

"You thief!" he cried, glaring about him with bloodshot eyes. "You
hypocrite, to set yourself up as better than I am! Do you hear me?
You hypocrite, thief, murderer!"

The exaltation of his anger gave him fresh strength and new confidence
in himself and he tore the letter into bits and ground them beneath
his heel as he shouted:

"This is what will happen to you! It's what you deserve and what
you'll get, you damned thief!"

CHAPTER XV

FELIX BRAND HAS A BAD QUARTER OF AN HOUR

It was evident to Dr. Annister that Felix Brand was having a bad
quarter of an hour. But the little physician, sitting upright in his
capacious chair, his elbows on its arms and his finger-tips resting
against one another, could not find it in his heart to abate in the
least the penetrating gaze of his gray eyes or the gentle insistence
of his questions. For the longer their talk continued the more he
became convinced that the man before him was not speaking the truth
and the more he felt it necessary, for his daughter's sake, to find
out what was the truth.

"I am sorry to have to tell you, Felix," said Dr. Annister, in the
beginning of their conversation, "that I am unable to feel entire
confidence in yo