“It is here,” Ilam cried, and he took a faded photograph from his breast pocket. “You never thought of searching me, eh? Ass!” “Give it me,” said Jetsam quietly. “No,” said Ilam; and with a sudden movement he stuck it in the fire. The flame destroyed it in an instant. Jetsam sprang towards him, and then fell back as if stunned. Jetsam was beaten, after all. He gave a sort of groan and walked to the other side of the room, as if in a dream. He had failed, and he meant to commit suicide. All his trouble, all his risks, had gone for nothing. He raised the revolver again, and no one in the room quite guessed the tragedy that was preparing for them. His finger was on the trigger. Immediately behind him was a draught-screen, and the draught-screen began mysteriously to sink forward. It lodged lightly on his shoulders. He turned, the revolver at his temple; and round the screen, from behind it, appeared Rosie. “Don’t do that,” she said calmly, and she took the revolver out of his unresisting hand. Jetsam turned round, saw that the person who had so mysteriously interfered was Rosie herself, and sank down on a chair. “You have done me an evil turn,” he breathed, at the same time with a gesture ordering the Soudanese to leave the room. “I have saved your life,” she said simply. “Yes,” he replied, with a trace of bitterness. “That is what I mean. You are not the first who has saved my life. And if the first saviour had refrained we should all have been happier now.” “Do not say that,” she whispered. “I----” “You--you would never have met me,” he said curtly. “I am glad I have met you,” she retorted, bravely facing him. “Ah!” he sighed. “And yet you play tricks on me! Yet you make promises to me and break them!” “No, no,” she cried. “I only promised to go to the boat, and I would have gone to the boat afterwards.” “Why did you not go at once?” She told him how she had gone by accident into Pauline’s bedroom and found it empty, and how thus all her suspicions were aroused. “I was afraid your plans might fail,” she said; “and you had threatened to kill yourself if they failed; and I thought something dreadful might happen during my absence. And so--so--I hid myself here--without thinking. I’m so sorry.” And tears came to her eyes. “A few minutes ago I might have been seriously perturbed by what you have told me,” said Jetsam. “But what does it matter now? If your sister is against me, if the house is surrounded by spies, it makes no difference. I wanted to kill this man here. I should have killed him; but I thought of the annoyance it would give you. Yes,” he smiled, “I did really. Not to mention the futile trouble it would cause me. And on the whole I regarded it as simpler and neater to kill myself. But you have stopped that. Will you oblige me by putting down that revolver? It is at full cock.” “You will not touch it?” she demanded. “I will not touch it,” he replied.