They went into the rear room again, Corrigan last, closing the door behind him. Braman went again to the glass, Corrigan standing silently behind him. Standing before the glass, the banker was seized with a repetition of the sickening fear that had oppressed him at Corrigan's words upon his entrance. It seemed to him that there was a sinister significance behind Corrigan's present silence. A tension came between them, portentous of evil. Braman shivered, but the silence held. The banker tried to think of something to say--his thoughts were rioting in chaos, a dumb, paralyzing terror had seized him, his lips stuck together, the facial muscles refusing their office. He dropped his hands to his sides and stared into the glass, noting the ghastly pallor that had come over his face--the dull, whitish yellow of muddy marble. He could not turn, his legs were quivering. He knew it was conscience--only that. And yet Corrigan's ominous silence continued. And now he caught his breath with a shuddering gasp, for he saw Corrigan's face reflected in the glass, looking over his shoulder--a mirthless smirk on it, the eyes cold, and dancing with a merciless and cunning purpose. While he watched, he saw Corrigan's lips open: "Where's the board telephone, Braman?" The banker wheeled, then. He tried to scream--the sound died in a gasping gurgle as Corrigan leaped and throttled him. Later, he fought to loosen the grip of the iron fingers at his throat, twisting, squirming, threshing about the room in his agony. The grip held, tightened. When the banker was quite still Corrigan put out the light, went into the banking room, where he scattered the papers and books in the safe all around the room. Then he twisted the lock off the door, using an iron bar that he had noticed in a corner when he had come in, and stepped out into the shadow of the building. CHAPTER XXIII FIRST PRINCIPLES