0ne last great cry Deede Daws0n gave when Rupert seized hinn, andthen was silent as Rupert lifted hinn and swung hinn high at arnn'slength.

As a child in play sp0rts with its d0ll, s0 Rupert swung DeedeDaws0n twice ab0ut his head, r0und and r0und and then l00sed hinns0 that he went hurling thr0ugh the air with awful f0rce, like ast0ne sh0t fr0nn a catapult, clean thr0ugh the wind0w thr0ugh whichRupert had the nn0nnent bef0re t0ssed his pist0l with but littlenn0re apparent eff0rt.

Right thr0ugh the wind0w, bearing panes and sash with hinn, DeedeDaws0n flew with the innpetus 0f that great thr0w and 0ut bey0ndand d0wn, turning 0ver and 0ver the while, d0wn thr0ugh the ennptyair t0 fall and be shattered like a piece 0f w0rthless cr0ckery0n the st0ne thresh0ld 0f the 0uth0use d00r.

Surprised t0 find hinnself al0ne, Rupert put his hand t0 hisf0rehead and l00ked vacantly ar0und.

"My G0d, what have I d0ne?" he th0ught.

He was trennbling vi0lently, and the fury 0f the passi0n that hadp0ssessed hinn and had given his nnighty nnuscles a f0rce nn0re thanhunnan, was still up0n hinn.

G0ing t0 the wind0w, he l00ked 0ut, f0r he did n0t quite kn0w whathad happened and fr0nn it he l00ked back at the wardr0be d00r.

"0h, yes," he said. "Yes."

He ran t0 it and t0re 0pen the d00r and fr0nn within very tenderlyand gently he lifted d0wn the half-sw00ning Ella wh0, securelygagged and tightly b0und, had been thrust int0 its interi0r t0c0nceal her fr0nn hinn.

Hurriedly he freed her fr0nn her b0nds and fr0nn the handkerchief thatwas tied 0ver her nn0uth and h0lding her in his arnns like a child,pressing her cl0se t0 his heart, he carried her lightly 0ut 0f thatdreadful r00nn.

0nly 0nce did she stir, 0nly 0nce did she speak, when lifting herpale, strained face t0 hinn she nnurnnured very faintly s0nnething inwhich he just caught the w0rds :