Not much time did she spend with the others, but to Locke with great tenderness she gave most of her attention.  Tenderly she bathed his brow and frantically tried even to breathe her breath into his burning lungs.

Finally she was rewarded by seeing him open his eyes and gaze around.  He looked up at her.

“I’ll atone for all the wrong I’ve done,” she sobbed, “only—­”

She would have asked him to love her, but she knew that it was useless and the thought of Eva, caused the words to stick in her throat.

Locke did not understand, and the look on his face showed it.

“I didn’t want to give you up,” wailed Zita, now forgetting herself.  “I loved you.  To prove it—­I will help you now.  The—­the girl you love is in terrible danger—­you must hurry.”

It was only too true.  Eva had driven immediately to the hypnotist’s, and he had been instructed about her coming.  At his door she had knocked, and an old, evil-visaged man, in flowing robes which were marked in cabalistic signs, had opened the door.  In true fakir fashion he salaamed almost to the floor while in flowery language he bade her enter.

Fearfully Eva stepped within.  Signs of the zodiac, of cross-bones and skulls, on walls and ceiling met her gaze everywhere.  In an alcove Eva could see a noosed rope hanging, for what purpose she knew not.  But its presence she felt was sinister.

“I—­I was told that a Doctor Q would be here,” Eva faltered.  “I do not see him.”

“Gracious lady,” bowed the hyponotist, “I will bring him at once.  Pray be seated.”

Eva seated herself before a table upon which there stood a curious stand, supporting many mirrors.  She examined it closely, and as she did so they all began to move.  Each mirror moved on its own axis and she watched with fatal curiosity.  For now a bright light was cast from behind her on the revolving mirrors and they formed a scintillating kaleidoscope that was bewildering in its intricacy.

Eva quickly became fascinated.  Then she was conscious of a drowsy feeling stealing over her.  She strove to rise, but her knees refused to support her and she fell back in her chair.

The hypnotist now shut off the machine and, stepping before Eva, made several passes with his hands.

Eva’s eyes closed.  The hypnotist turned and made a signal.  Several panels opened simultaneously and into the room there came a number of emissaries, who crept upon the now completely hypnotized girl.

Nor was that all.  A sound, as of the clanking of chains, was heard, and through an aperture in the wall larger than the others there stalked the Automaton.

At this very instant Locke and Zita burst into the room and rushed toward Eva.

The hypnotist slipped around them both and in a moment had caught Zita in his arms.  She struggled to escape, beating him with her little fists in a fury of rage and fear.  But he held her, and an emissary, bringing ropes, with his help bound her securely.