“The same. And--he grilled me pretty thoroughly as to our going to see ‘Hamlet’ and whether we talked the poison scene over--and so forth and so on. In a word, Eunice Embury, I hold your life in my hands!” Fifi held out her pretty little hands, dramatically. She still stood, her white fur scarf hanging from one shoulder, her small turban of red breast feathers cocked at a jaunty angle above her straight brows, and one tiny slippered foot tapping decidedly on the floor. “Yes, ma’am, in my two hands,--me--Fifi! If I tell all we said about that poisoning of the old ‘Hamlet’ gentleman, through his ear--you know what we said, Eunice Embury--you know how we discussed the impossibility of such a murder ever being discovered--you know if I should give Shane a full account of that talk of ours--the life of Madame Embury wouldn’t be worth that!” A snap of a dainty thumb and finger gave a sharp click that went straight through Eunice’s brain, and made her gasp out a frightened “Oh!” “Yes, ma’am, oh! all you like to--you can’t deny it! Shane came to see me three times. I almost told him all the last time, for you steadily refused to see me--until to-day. And now, to-day, I put it to you, Eunice Embury, do you want me for friend--or foe?” Fifi’s blue eyes glittered, her red lips closed in a tight line, and her little pointed face was as the face of a wicked sprite. Eunice stood, surveying her. Tall, stately, beautiful, she towered above her guest, and looked down on her with a fine disdain. Eunice’s eyes were stormy, not glittering--desperate rather than defiant--she seemed almost like a fierce, powerful tiger appraising a small but very wily ferret. “Is this a bargain?” she cried scathingly. “Are you offering to buy my friendship? I know you, Fifi Desternay! You are--a snake in the grass!” Fifi clenched her little fists, drew her lips between her teeth, and fairly hissed, “Serpent, yourself! Murderess! I know all--and I shall tell all! You’ll regret the day you scorned the friendship--the help of Fifi Desternay!” “I don’t want your help, at the price of friendship with you! I know you for what you are! My husband told me--others have told me! I did go to your house for the sake of winning money--yes, and I am ashamed of it! And I am ready to face any accusation, brave any suspicion, rather than be shielded from it, or helped out of it by you!”