"Of course she did!" screamed Anita, greatly excited; "she did, and she was in there talking to Miss Carrington, just as I said! And she put that thing round her neck to frighten her! And then she gave her the poison, and then she came away and left her to die! All alone by herself! The fiend!" "There, there, Anita, hush," and Haviland tried to soothe the frantic exclamation of the girl. Pauline stood waiting, in silence. At last she said, "When you remove that ranting woman, I will answer your question, Mr. Stone." "You'll answer it now!" cried Anita. "In my presence, and at once." "I think you must answer, Miss Stuart," said Stone, gently. "Did you buy a paper snake?" "I did," said Pauline, and added in a low tone, "A long time ago,--this can't be the same one." "The date of the sale is about a week before the death of Miss Carrington," went on Hardy, merciless in his statements. "For what purpose did you purchase it?" asked Stone, a little sternly. Pauline now drew herself up, proudly. "I bought it," she said, in clear, distinct tones, "because my aunt instructed me to get it for her." There was a silence; and then, "Oh, come now, Pauline, you can't expect us to swallow that!" Gray Haviland said, with a tolerant smile at her. "Try again." "That's the truth," said Pauline, but her voice trembled, and with a half-stifled exclamation of despair, she ran out of the room. "Stop, Pauline, where are you going?" cried Haviland as he ran after her. "Don't touch me!" she cried. "I'm going to cable Carr to come home! He's the only one who can help me! You're so wrapped up in Anita that you can't tell truth from falsehood. Carr will know what to do,--and I shall send for him." "Wait, Miss Stuart," said Fleming Stone, gravely; "you may cable Mr. Loria, if you choose, but for a few moments I must claim your attention. It is, to my mind, of the greatest importance to learn the details of the purchase of that paper snake, and I must ask you to tell us the circumstances of your aunt's request for it." "There is little to tell," said Pauline, in a hesitant way. "It was one day when I was going over to New York that Aunt Lucy just said, casually, to get her one of those Japanese paper snakes from Vantine's, and I did." "That's enough!" cried Anita. "Miss Carrington _never_ sent for a snake! _never_ in the world! You'll be saying next she told you to get her some aconite to poison herself with!" XVI THE TWO GIRLS "Miss Stuart," and Fleming Stone's voice, though gentle, had a ring of decision, "if I am to go on with this case, I must insist on your entire confidence, and absolute,----" he hesitated over the word, "truthfulness." The two were alone. After the altercation between Pauline and Anita, Stone had requested the others to leave them, and he determined to get at the truth of this marvelous statement about the purchase of the snake.