the
scapegoat bear his sins, but stab him to the heart while he did it.

"Stop?" he laughed, shrilly. "Like hell, I'll stop. Did you stop when
you went sneaking after Rosie Fay till you got her in a state where she
wanted to kill herself?" The red glare in Thor's eyes was an incentive
to going on. "Did you stop when you tried to father your beastly actions
off on me, and juggle me into marrying the girl you'd had enough of? Did
you stop when you fooled Lois Willoughby into thinking you a saint, and
breaking her heart when she found you out? Look at her now--"

With a smothered oath Thor charged as a wounded rhinoceros might
charge--in a lunge that would have borne his brother down by sheer force
of weight had not Claude eluded him lightly. Once more Thor shook
himself, stupefied by his passion, blinded by the blood in his eyes. He
needed an instant to place his victim, who, with white face and wild,
terrified glances, had found temporary shelter behind the barricade of
the heavy library table.

But before renewing his rush Thor marched to the door that led to the
hall, the only door to the room, locking it and pocketing the key. The
muttered, "By God, I'll have you now!" reached Claude's ears, bringing
to his lips a protest which had not burst into words before the huge
figure charged again. Behind his fortification Claude was alert, dancing
now this way and now that, as Thor brought his strength to bear on the
table to wrench it aside. But by the time that was done Claude was
already elsewhere, overturning tables and chairs in his flight.

Behind a sofa Claude intrenched himself again, a small chair raised
above his head as a weapon of defense. Thor sprang on the sofa, only to
receive the weight of the chair in his chest, staggering him backward
while Claude bounded off to another refuge. Both were cursing
inarticulately; both were panting in broken grunts and sobs; from both
the perspiration in that airless room and in the heat of the July night
was streaming as rain. The pursuit was like that of a leopard by a
lion--the one lithe, agile, and desperate; the other heavy, tremendous,
and sure.

In darting from point to point Claude found himself near a window, where
he fumbled with the fastening in the hope of throwing up the sash,
though wooden shutters defended the outside. Driven from this attempt,
he made for the locked door, pulling at it vainly on the chance that it
would yield. Seeing Thor bearing down on h