pier part of his that she was struggling
to save in those desperate hours when she sought around her for some
weapon wherewith to fight that mortal foe. She turned to priests,
Anglican, Roman Catholic; but they failed her. Both believed her to be
suffering under an insane delusion, but the Roman Catholic priest would
have attempted to exorcise the evil spirit if she would have joined his
Communion. She was too honest to pretend to a belief that was not hers.

When she returned from her last vain pilgrimage to the Church of the
Sacred Heart and stood before the glass, removing a thick black veil
from the pale despair of her face, she was suddenly aware of a strange,
unfamiliar smile lifting the drooped lines of her lips--an elfish smile
which transformed her face to something different from her own. And
immediately those smiling lips uttered words that fell as unexpectedly
on her ears as though they had proceeded from the mouth of another
person.

"Never mind," they said, briskly. "It wouldn't have been of the least
use."

For a minute a wild terror made her brain swim and she fled to the door,
instinctively seeking protection; but she stayed herself, remembering
that Ian, who was sleeping badly at night, was now asleep in his study.
Weak and timid though she was, she would lay no fresh burden on him, but
fight her battle, if battle there was to be, alone.

She walked back deliberately to the glass and looked steadily at her
own reflection. Her brows were frowning, her eyes stern as she had never
before seen them, but they were assuredly hers, answering to the mood of
her own mind. Her lips were cold, and trembled so that although she had
meant solemnly to defy the Power of Evil within her she was unable to
articulate. As she looked in the glass and saw herself--her real
self--so evidently there, the strange smile, the speech divorced from
all volition of hers which had crossed her lips, began to lose reality.
Still her lips trembled, and at length a convulsion shook them as
irresistible as that of a sob. Words broke stammeringly out which were
not hers:

"Struggle for life--the stronger wins. I'm stronger. It's no use
struggling--no use--no use--no use!"

Milly pressed her lips hard against her teeth with her hands, stopping
this utterance by main force. Her heart hammered so loud it seemed as
though some one must hear it and come to ask what was the matter. But no
one came. She was left alone with the Thing with