ink that, I am late already! And don't spill a
single drop or I'll shoot you on the spot!"

There was nothing for it but to obey, though the brute took the only
revenge he could in pouring out a torrent of language beyond
description, until Jill suddenly rose and levelled her revolver at his
head, which seemed to send the sickly contents post-haste down his
throat, after which Jill ordered him to stretch himself comfortably
upon the flower-screened divan.

He did so smiling stupidly, the drug having begun to take effect; and
the big eyes closed and opened and closed again, and the mouth relaxed
as a gentle snore told Jill that as far as the present danger was
concerned she was safe.

She stood for a second looking idly down upon one of the world's
greatest criminals, and then at the thought of the dangers which might
still be awaiting her on the other side of the door, unloaded her
revolver and slipped a fully loaded clip into her little friend.

Then picking up the emerald ring from the table, and her dressing-case
from behind the cushions, she crept gently across the room, and
gently--oh! so very gently, opened the door which yielded noiselessly
to her touch, and stepped into a deserted hall only to recoil violently
from something at her feet.

Across the threshold lay a girl.

The agonised eyes in the beautiful dark face gazed up in terror at
Jill, whilst a little hand searched weakly for a jewelled plaything of
a dagger at her waist.

"Oh! Poverina!" said Jill, as she knelt to raise the little head, and
then stared in horror at the girl's shoulders and the hem of her satin
trousers.

Some expert hand had flicked the delicate flesh off the back in a
criss-cross pattern; what was left of the feet lay in a pool of blood,
the deep red of which stretched across the hall far into the distance,
showing the path along which the child, left by her torturers for dead,
had dragged herself.

"Poor little, little thing!" whispered Jill, as she made to raise the
body in her arms. But the dusky head shook feebly, and a dainty
henna-tipped finger pointed to a window across the hall, and Jill,
feeling herself pushed away ever so slightly, rose as three words were
whispered over and over again:

"Vite--allez--mort--vite--allez--mort!"

And understanding that there was nothing more to be done she bent and
kissed the child upon the cheek and turned away, looking back as she
opened the window which gave on to a balcony