’But it’s awful to think that you are alone with a man who’s practically raving mad.’

‘I’m safe for today,’ she said quietly.  ’It can only be done in the very hot weather.  If there’s no more this year, I shall live till next summer.’

’Oh, Margaret, for God’s sake don’t talk like that.  I love you—­I want to have you with me always.  Won’t you come away with me and let me take care of you?  I promise you that no harm shall come to you.’

‘You don’t love me any more; you’re only sorry for me now.’

‘It’s not true.’

’Oh yes it is.  I saw it when we were in the country.  Oh, I don’t blame you.  I’m a different woman from the one you loved.  I’m not the Margaret you knew.’

‘I can never care for anyone but you.’

She put her hand on his arm.

’If you loved me, I implore you to go.  You don’t know what you expose me to.  And when I’m dead you must marry Susie.  She loves you with all her heart, and she deserves your love.’

‘Margaret, don’t go.  Come with me.’

’And take care.  He will never forgive you for what you did.  If he can, he will kill you.’

She started violently, as though she heard a sound.  Her face was convulsed with sudden fear.

‘For God’s sake go, go!’

She turned from him quickly, and, before he could prevent her, had vanished.  With heavy heart he plunged again into the bracken.

When Arthur had given his friends some account of this meeting, he stopped and looked at Dr Porhoet.  The doctor went thoughtfully to his bookcase.

‘What is it you want me to tell you?’ he asked.

‘I think the man is mad,’ said Arthur.  ’I found out at what asylum his mother was, and by good luck was able to see the superintendent on my way through London.  He told me that he had grave doubts about Haddo’s sanity, but it was impossible at present to take any steps.  I came straight here because I wanted your advice.  Granting that the man is out of his mind, is it possible that he may be trying some experiment that entails a sacrifice of human life?’

‘Nothing is more probable,’ said Dr Porhoet gravely.

Susie shuddered.  She remembered the rumour that had reached her ears in Monte Carlo.

’They said there that he was attempting to make living creatures by a magical operation.’  She glanced at the doctor, but spoke to Arthur.  ’Just before you came in, our friend was talking of that book of Paracelsus in which he speaks of feeding the monsters he has made on human blood.’

Arthur gave a horrified cry.

’The most significant thing to my mind is that fact about Margaret which we are certain of,’ said Dr Porhoet.  ’All works that deal with the Black Arts are unanimous upon the supreme efficacy of the virginal condition.’

‘But what is to be done?’ asked Arthur is desperation.  ’We can’t leave her in the hands of a raving madman.’  He turned on a sudden deathly white.  ‘For all we know she may be dead now.’