And there was cause for his suspicion. Since Dan was unarmed, he could do nothing against a man with a quick-firing weapon, but he made up his mind to snatch at the revolver the moment Curberry was off his guard. Yet, even as he decided upon this course, he said to himself that it was foolish. The man's recovery, supposing a doctor did arrive, meant the man's arrest, and, in Dan's opinion, as in Curberry's, death was better than disgrace. It was a most uncomfortable situation, but Halliday did not see anything to do but to listen to what his host had to say. The poor wretch had poisoned himself, and was keeping all help at bay with his revolver. He would be dead in an hour, or half an hour, as he hinted, so the best thing was to hear his story in the hope that by its means those who had brought him to this pass could be punished. But it was a weird experience to sit beside a tormented man, who declined to be saved from a tragic death. "Did Queen Beelzebub give you the poison?" asked Halliday, shivering at the gray pinched look on Curberry's face. "Long ago; long ago; not now," muttered the man, groaning. "Every member of the Society of Flies has this poison to escape arrest, should there be danger. It is a painless poison, more or less, and acts slowly, and--but I have told you all this before. There is not much time," he pressed his hands on his heart, "while I retain my strength and my senses, listen!" "But where is this woman you call Queen Beelzebub," demanded Dan, looking round anxiously. "I saw her arrive in an aeroplane." "She did; she came to tell me that you knew all about our society." "You belong to it?" "Yes, curse it, and those who dragged me into the matter. I was getting on all right in the law, when I was tempted and fell." "Your uncle and your cousin----" "Yes, yes!" broke in Curberry, with another groan, "she said that if I joined the society, they could be got rid of. They were got rid of because I wished for the title and the money." "But for what reason?" "So that I could marry Lillian. Moon refused to listen to me so long as I was merely a struggling barrister. But, when I became wealthy and--and--oh, this pain. The poison is a lie like all the rest of the business." "She declared it was painless, and now--and now----" he broke off, to wipe the perspiration from his face. Dan half rose. "Let me call assistance. It may not be too late----" Curberry pointed his revolver at him as he moved. "It _is_ too late," he said, setting his teeth, "if I do not die, I must face the worst. You--you have brought me to this." "I!" echoed Halliday, sitting down again, "in what way?" "You meddled and meddled, and--and you sent that telegram." "I did not."