The time had come. Leona Lalage knew it as well as if she had seen the writing on the wall. This man had come for her; she would have no time to make her peace with the world. When he had his say he would drive his knife into her heart, and there would be an end of it.

"I--I thought you were in prison," she gasped.

"Oh, then you knew that I was in England?" René replied. "I have been in prison for some time, otherwise you would have done less mischief. Woman, what has become of my brother--your husband?"

She did not reply for a moment. Her courage was coming back to her, as it always did when the stress of danger was great. Hard-pushed and beaten down as she was, she did not wish to die. She had been crushed flat to earth before, and yet she had recovered.

If she could only gain time! If she could only manage to throw dust in the eyes of this man! She would ask no questions, because that would be only by way of making admissions. She must feel her way in the dark.

And there was no avenue of escape whatever. She was alone with this man in a dark, deserted house. She had come there for a few needed trifles that she had left behind. Nobody had seen either of them enter. Why, it was a very premium upon murder and the lust for revenge!

"Where is my brother?" René repeated doggedly.

"You know very well where your brother is," Leona replied. "He is dead. He died in a house that is very close to here."

"He did not die, woman. He was foully murdered."

"Why should I deny it?" Leona said boldly. "My husband was murdered. He was slain by Dr. Gordon Bruce for the sake of his money."

René sneered. He crossed over to the door. Leona laughed aloud.

"Oh, I have not the slightest idea of trying to escape," she said. "Why should I? I am entirely innocent of the death of your brother."

"You lured him to the Corner House and drugged him. You kept him prisoner."

"I admit it. Leon discovered my whereabouts, and that I was apparently rich and prosperous. He demanded large sums of money. As a matter of fact I was driven to my wits\' ends for cash then, and I refused. I had to drug him and detain him to still that fool\'s tongue of his. He might have done me a grave mischief. Then I had a bit of luck, and I gave Leon four hundred sovereigns. He knew where you could be found; he told me he wanted to send half to you. I allowed him to go so that he could change his gold into notes for the purpose."

"Yes, yes," René said impatiently, "I know all that. Why did you kill him?"

"Why should I have killed him?" was the cool response. "At the rate he was going he would have drunk himself to death in another week."

The rage and lust for vengeance was only smouldering in René\'s eyes now. It was just possible that he had made a mistake after all.

"But you were in the house,&quo............