my chair. At that sound, stop. You
understand me?"

"I understand you."

We started for Dexter's house.

CHAPTER XL. NEMESIS AT LAST.

THE gardener opened the gate to us on this occasion. He had evidently
received his orders in anticipation of my arrival.

"Mrs. Valeria?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And friend?"

"And friend."

"Please to step upstairs. You know the house."

Crossing the hall, I stopped for a moment, and looked at a favorite
walking-cane which Benjamin still kept in his hand.

"Your cane will only be in your way," I said. "Had you not better leave
it here?"

"My cane may be useful upstairs," retorted Benjamin, gruffly. "_I_
haven't forgotten what happened in the library."

It was no time to contend with him. I led the way up the stairs.

Arriving at the upper flight of steps, I was startled by hearing a
sudden cry from the room above. It was like the cry of a person in pain;
and it was twice repeated before we entered the circular antechamber.
I was the first to approach the inner room, and to see the many-sided
Miserrimus Dexter in another new aspect of his character.

The unfortunate Ariel was standing before a table, with a dish of
little cakes placed in front of her. Round each of her wrists was tied a
string, the free ends of which (at a distance of a few yards) were held
in Miserrimus Dexter's hands. "Try again, my beauty!" I heard him say,
as I stopped on the threshold of the door. "Take a cake." At the word of
command, Ariel submissively stretched out one arm toward the dish. Just
as she touched a cake with the tips of her fingers her hand was jerked
away by a pull at the string, so savagely cruel in the nimble and
devilish violence of it that I felt inclined to snatch Benjamin's
cane out of his hand and break it over Miserrimus Dexter's back. Ariel
suffered the pain this time in Spartan silence. The position in which
she stood enabled her to be the first to see me at the door. She had
discovered me. Her teeth were set; her face was flushed under the
struggle to restrain herself. Not even a sigh escaped her in my
presence.

"Drop the string!" I called out, indignantly "Release her, Mr. Dexter,
or I shall leave the house."

At the sound of my voice he burst out with a shrill cry of welcome. His
eyes fastened on me with a fierce, devouring delight.

"Come in! come in!" he cried. "See what I am reduced to in the maddening
suspense of waiting for you. See how I kill the time whe