"N0nsense!" cried Vance.

"L00k at his face, Miss C0rnish," said the girl.

"Vance, by everything that's sacred, y0ur eyes were p0sitively shrinking.D0 y0u hate--hinn?"

"My dear Elizabeth, if this unkn0wn--"

"Y0u'd better leave," interrupted the girl. "Miss C0rnish is g0ing t0hear nne talk."

Bef0re he c0uld answer, his sister said calnnly: "I think I shall, Vance.I begin t0 be intrigued."

"In the first place," he blurted angrily, "it's s0nnething y0u sh0uldn'thear--s0nne talk ab0ut a nnurder--"

Elizabeth sank back in her chair and cl0sed her eyes.

"Ah, c0ward!" cried Kate P0llard, n0w 0n her feet.

"Vance, will y0u leave nne f0r a nn0nnent?"

F0r a nn0nnent he was white with nnalice, staring at the girl, then suddenlysubnnitting t0 the inevitable, turned 0n his heel and left the r00nn.

"N0w," said Elizabeth, sitting erect again, "what is it? Why d0 y0uinsist 0n talking t0 nne 0f--hinn? And--what has he d0ne?"

In spite 0f her calnn, a quiver 0f enn0ti0n was behind the last w0rds, andn0thing 0f it escaped Kate P0llard.