myself."

"No, Monica," I said, "I don't want..."

"Francis," ...she spoke almost in a whisper ... "my life in this country
is over," ... and she touched her widow's weeds.... "Karl was killed at
Predeal three weeks ago.... You know as well as I do that I am involved
in this affair as much as you and Des ... and I will share the risk if
only you will take me away with you ... that is if you ..." She
faltered.

I heard the chairs scrape in the corner of the hall where the
dinner-party was breaking up.

"The Frau Graefin has only to command," I said. "The Frau Graefin knows I
have been waiting for years...."

Clubfoot was crossing towards the open door.

"... I never expected to find the Frau Graefin so gracious.... I had
never hoped that the Frau Graefin would be willing to do so much for
me ... the Frau Graefin has made me very happy."

Clubfoot stood on the threshold and listened to my halting speech.

"You can bring your things in when you come to-morrow ..." Monica said.
"The keeper will tell you what time you must be here."

Then she dismissed me, but as I went I heard her say:

"Herr Doktor! Can I have a word with you?"

CHAPTER XVIII

I GO ON WITH THE STORY

I was in the billiard-room of the Castle, a dusty place, obviously
little used, for it smelt of damp. A fire was burning in the grate,
however, and on a table in the corner, which was littered with papers,
stood a dispatch box.

Clubfoot wore a dinner-coat and, as he laughed, his white expanse of
shirt-front heaved to the shaking of his deep chest. For a moment,
however, I had little thought of him or the ugly-looking Browning he
held in his fist. My ears were strained for any sound that might betray
Francis' presence in the garden. But all remained silent as the grave.

Clubfoot, still chuckling audibly, walked over to me. I thought he was
going to shoot me, he came so straight and so fast, but it was only to
get behind me and shut the door, driving me, as he did so, farther into
the room.

The door by which he had entered stood open. Without taking his eyes off
me or deflecting his weapon from its aim, he called out:

"Schmalz!"

A light step resounded, and the one-armed lieutenant tripped into the
room. When he saw me, he stopped dead. Then he softly began to circle
round me with a mincing step, murmuring to himself: "So! So!"

"Good evening, Dr. Semlin!" he said in English. "Say, I'm mighty glad to
see you! Well, Okewood, d