“His work at first was to swat up French from books. We used to meet often, because I was always coming and going in the house. He was always polite and respectful, to judge by the signs he made, of course, and I was obliged to be amiable, too. “Those little bits of politeness, I am afraid, made him and Klotz hate each other; I soon saw that, but they both managed to hide their dislike wonderfully. “Nell could not hide hers, and never missed a chance of growling at the German, and that was, to my thinking, only the smallest sign that a row was likely, but your uncle--he saw nothing, and I did not want to bother him with my complaints. I did not dare to do so, and on the other hand, I thought it rather good fun to make them jealous. “All my promises to Lerne to be good could not stop me from being amused at the jealousy of those two, and I do not know what would have been the end of it, when everything changed all of a sudden. “We had been here a year--that is four years ago now.” “Ah, ha!” I cried. “What is it?” “Nothing, nothing!” “Well, it is four years ago that Donovan Macbeth went off to Scotland for a few weeks’ holiday with his people. The day after he had gone, Lerne left me in the morning. ‘I am going,’ said he, ‘to Nanthel with Klotz. We shall stay there a whole day.’ “At night Klotz came back alone. I inquired about Lerne, and he told me that the Professor had heard important news and had to go abroad, and that he would be away for about three weeks. “‘Where is he?’ I asked again. “Klotz hesitated, and at last said, ‘He is in Germany. We shall be by ourselves for that time, Emma.’ “He had put his arm round my waist, and was looking into my eyes. “I could not understand how Lerne could do such a thing--to leave me without warning at the mercy of a stranger. “‘How do you like me?’ asked Klotz, pressing me against him. “I have already told you, Nicolas, that he was big and strong. I felt his muscles tighten like a vise. “‘Well, Emma,’ he went on, ‘you are going to love me to-day, for you will never see me again.’ “I am not a coward. Between you and me, I have been caressed by hands which had just committed murder. I have been made love to in ways that were like murder. My first lover would have stuck a knife into you as soon as look at you. But Klotz was too awful. I shall never forget how frightened I was. “I woke up late in the morning. He was gone. I have never seen him again. “Three weeks passed. Your uncle never wrote; he stayed away longer still. “He came back without notice. I did not even see him come in. He told me that he had made straight for the laboratory as soon as he got back. I saw him come out about mid-day. I was quite sorry for him, he looked so pale. He was bent double as if he were worried to death. He was walking slowly, as if he were following a hearse. “What had he been told! What had he done! What trouble was he in?