“Well, it isn't going to be yours!” said Oliver through shut teeth--Ted's last remark had, somehow been a little too irritating. He thought savagely that there was only one way of dealing with completely honorable fools--Ted shouldn't, by the Lord!---Oliver had gone to just a little too much trouble in the last dozen hours to build Ted a happy home to let any of Ted's personal wishes in the matter interrupt him now. He stepped back with a gesture of defeat but his feet gripped at the floor like a boxer's and his eyes fixed burningly on the point of Ted's jaw. Wait a split-second--he wasn't near enough--now--_there_! His fist landed exactly where he had meant it to and for an instant he felt as if he had broken all the bones in his hand. Ted was back against the wall, his mouth dropping open, his whole face frozen like a face caught in a snapshot unawares to a sudden glare of immense and ludicrous astonishment. Then he began to give at the knees like a man who has been smitten with pie in a custard-comedy and Oliver recovered from his surprise at both of them sufficiently to step in and catch him as he slumped, face forward. He laid him carefully down on the floor, trying feverishly to remember how long a knockout lasted. Not nearly long enough, anyway. Ropes. A gag. His eyes roved frantically about the kitchen. _Towels_! He was filling Ted's mouth with clean dish-rag and thinking dully that it was just like handling a man in the last stages of alcohol--the body had the same limp refractory heaviness all over--when he heard something that sounded like the bursting of a large blown-up paper bag from the other room. He accepted the fact with neither surprise nor curiosity. Mr. Piper had shot Mrs. Severance. Or Mrs. Severance had shot Mr. Piper. That was all. As soon as he had safely disposed of Ted--for an eery moment he had actually considered stowing him away in a drawer of the kitchen-cabinet--it might be well to go in and investigate the murder. And then either Mrs. Severance or Mr. Piper--whichever it was of the two that remained alive--might very well shoot him unless he or she had shot himself or herself first. It seemed to Oliver that the latter event would save everyone a great deal of trouble.