that enlightening voice, with a nervous catch in it
which told of a hard-hammering heart. "Thank heaven you have come. Ailsa
thinks I am in my room dressing for dinner. Now tell me what it is all
about, there's a dear, for my head has been in a whirl ever since I read
what you wrote. Why did you want me to come here and meet you without
anybody knowing? Whatever can it be that you 'have to say to me that no
one on this earth must hear'? Do tell me. I'm frightened half to death!"

"Are you?" His footsteps clicked sharply as he moved rapidly across the
floor toward her. "You have not gone so far as I, then, for I believe I
have been frightened _past_ death, and that after this nothing on earth
or in heaven or hell can appall me! Come here, into my arms, and let me
hold you while I speak. How I love you! My God, how I love you!"

"Geoff!"

"Put your arms round me. Kiss me! I want you to know that I love you so
well I'll fight all the dogs of justice and all the devils of hell but
what I'll stand by you and save you from them. They can't kill my love
for you. Nothing on God's earth can do that. I'll come between them and
you no matter what happens, no matter what it costs me--life with all
the rest. That's what I've come to tell you! But, oh, my God, Kathie,
why didn't you let _me_ kill him?"

"Kill him, Geoff? Good heavens, what are you talking about? Kill whom?"

"De Louvisan!"

"De Louvisan? Let you kill De Louvisan-- I? Oh, my God!
Geoff--you--think--_I_--killed--killed--him?"

Geoff groaned and buried his face in his hands. "There was no one in the
house but you," he said hoarsely. "It was you who took me into the
place; it was you who showed me his dead body spiked up there against
the wall--you and you alone. My God! Kathie, what is the use of denying
what we both know?"

Cleek sucked in his breath, drew every muscle of his body taut as wire,
and then crouching back in the darkness listened intently.

Lady Katharine remained perfectly silent for a moment, as though she had
been stricken dumb by the directness of the charge: as though the
half-despairing, half-impatient protest of that final "What is the use
of denying what we both know?" had impressed her with a realization of
the utter futility of longer endeavouring to act a part.

It was either that that held her silent, Cleek told himself, or she was
utterly amazed, utterly overcome by an accusation which had no
foundation in fact and had fallen upon