“Travers,” she continued, picking up the thread of her story, “had raised his voice, and the third man at the table leaned suddenly, aggressively toward him.

“‘Hold your tongue!’ he growled furiously.  ’All you’re asked to do is sign the papers—­not talk!’

“Travers shook his head.

“‘I won’t!’ he cried out.  ’I won’t have any hand in another murder—­in hers!  My God, I won’t—­I won’t, I tell you!  It’s horrible!’

“‘Look here, you fool!’ the man who was posing as my uncle broke in then.  ’You’re in this too deep to get out now.  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do as you’re told!’

“Jimmie, I shall never forget Travers’ face.  It seemed to have changed from white to gray, and there was horror in his eyes:  and then he seemed to lose all control of himself, shaking his fists in their faces, cursing them in utter abandon.

“‘I’m bad!’ he cried.  ’I’ve gone everything, everything but the limit—­everything but murder.  I stop there!  I’ll have no more to do with this.  I’m through!  You—­you pulled me into this, and—­and I didn’t know!’

“‘Well, you know now!’ the third man sneered.  ’What are you going to do about it?’

“‘I’m going to see that no harm comes to Marie LaSalle,’ Travers answered in a dull way.

“The other man now was on his feet—­and, I do not know quite how to express it, Jimmie, he seemed ominously quiet in both his voice and his movements.

“‘You’d better think that over again, Travers!’ he said.  ’Do you mean it?’

“‘I mean it,’ Travers said.  ‘I mean it—­God help me!’

“‘You may well add that!’ returned the other, with an ugly laugh.  He reached out his hand toward the telephone on the table.  ’Do you know what will happen to you if I telephone a certain number and say that you have turned—­traitor?’

“‘I’ll have to take my chances,’ Travers replied doggedly.  ’I’m through!’

“‘Take them, then!’ flung out the other.  ’You’ll have little time given you to do us any harm?’

“Travers did not answer.  I think he almost expected an attack upon him then from the two men.  He hesitated a moment, then backed slowly toward the door.  What happened in the next few moments in that room, I do not know.  I stole out of the library.  I was obsessed with the thought that I must see Travers, see him at all costs, before he got away from the house.  I reached the end of the hall as the room door opened, and he came out.  It was dark, as I said, and I could not see distinctly, but I could make out his form.  He closed the door behind him—­and then I called his name in a whisper.  He took a quick step toward me, then turned and hurried toward the front door, and I thought he was going away—­but the next instant I understood his ruse.  He opened the front door, shut it again quite loudly, and crept back to me.

“‘Take me somewhere where we will be safe—­quick!’ he whispered.