Bellaria covered her face with two thin hands, and the tears fell through her fingers. "I was great! I was famous!" she sobbed. "I was happy until jealousy undid me. But," she let her hands drop and flung back her queenly head, "I only did what any Italian woman would have done. He betrayed me, why should I not betray him?" "Major Rebb?" "No! Enrico Salviati, who swore that he loved me, yet left me for another. But I punished him. He died, and perhaps I shall die as he did, for all my care. They will find me, and then----Oh, what agonies I have suffered for many, many years! This face," she struck it, "was handsome. Enrico loved it. These lips--Enrico kissed them--with the kiss of Judas. And what better am I? What better am I?" She rushed to the mirror over the mantelpiece to address herself. "Bellaria Dondi, you can hide in the depths of the sea, but they will find you. You can----Augh!" her eyes fell on the silver cigarette-case of Mrs. Crosbie, upon which lay, delicately, the clenched coral hand with the dagger. "Augh!" she repeated, and staggered back. "What is the matter?" Gerald rose and came forward. Bellaria repelled him with both hands, shaking with dread. "Keep back, you English spy! You have brought me here! You are one of them. But if you use the knife I shall scream. Keep back! Keep back!" "I don't understand," gasped Haskins, amazed at this outburst. "The hand, the sign, the token of death!" she groaned, then, keeping her terrified eyes on Gerald, stole stealthily to the door. "Tána! ahi Tána. Lasso me: si davvéro. Tána! Tána!" uttering these words rapidly, and almost in a scream, she made the sign of the cross on her breast and vanished. By the time that Haskins, in pursuit, had reached the top of the stairs she was at the foot. A moment later and she ran swiftly in to the street, holding her veil closely over her pallid face. "What the deuce does it mean?" Gerald asked himself, as he returned to his sitting-room, and examined the coral hand. "This thing seems to have terrified her almost to death. 'Tána! Tána!' Humph! I must learn what that means. It is an Italian word, I expect. Now what"----He went on musing on the strange behavior of Signora Dondi, much perplexed, and did not notice that a lady was standing in the doorway. Her cough made him look round, and so unnerved was Haskins by his late experience that he fairly jumped. "Mrs. Berch!" he said, recognizing the lady at once. "I apologize for not seeing you." "I apologize also," said Mrs. Berch; in the stern voice habitual to her--"apologize that is, for entering unannounced. But the door was open, Gerald, so I took the privilege of old friendship and entered." "Delighted to see you, Mrs. Berch," said Haskins, wondering why she had come, "won't you sit down?" "For one minute," and she took a chair.