‘I say, yes!’ said Vandeloup, crossing to him, and forcing him back in his chair; ’he betrayed his friend and refused to give him the satisfaction of a gentleman.  What did Braulard do?  Rest quiet?  No.  Revenge his honour?  Yes!  One night,’ pursued Gaston, in a low concentrated voice, grasping Meddlechip’s wrist firmly, and looking at him with fiery eyes, ’Braulard prepared a poison, a narcotic which was quick in its action, fatal in its results.  He goes to the house of Adele Blondet at half-past twelve o’clock—­the hour now,’ he said, rapidly swinging round and pointing to the clock on the mantelpiece, which had just struck the half-hour; ’he found them at supper,’ releasing Meddlechip’s wrist and crossing to the sofa; ’he sat opposite Kestrike, as he does now,’ leaning forward and glaring at Meddlechip, who shrank back in his chair.  ’Adele, at the head of the table, laughs and smiles; she looks at her old lover and sees murder in his face; she is ill and retires to her room.  Kestrike follows her to see what is the matter.  Braulard is left alone; he produces a bottle and pours its contents into a cup of coffee, waiting for Adele.  Kestrike returns, saying Adele is ill; she wants a drink.  He takes her the poisoned cup of coffee; she drinks it and falls’—­with a long breath—­’asleep.  Kestrike returns to the room, asks Braulard to leave the house.  Braulard refuses.  Kestrike is afraid, and would leave himself; he rises from the table; so does Braulard;’—­here Gaston rose and crossed to Meddlechip, who was also on his feet—­’he goes to Kestrike, seizes his wrist, thus—­drags him to the bedroom, and there on the bed lies Adele Blonde—­dead—­killed by the poison of one lover given her by the other—­and the murderers look at one another—­thus.’

Meddlechip wrenched his hand from Vandeloup’s iron grip and fell back ghastly white in his chair, with a strangled cry, while the Frenchman stood over him with eyes gleaming with hatred.

‘Kestrike,’ pursued Vandeloup, rapidly, ’is little known in Paris—­ his name is an assumed one—­he leaves France before the police can discover how he has poisoned Adele Blondet, and crosses to England—­ meets Madame, his wife, and returns to Australia, where he is called—­Meddlechip.’

The man in the chair threw up his hands as if to keep the other off, and uttered a stifled cry.

‘He then goes to China,’ went on Gaston, bending nearer to the shrinking figure, ’and returns after twelve months, where he meets Octave Braulard in the theatre—­yes, the two murderers meet in Melbourne!  How came Braulard here?  Was it chance?  No.  Was it design?  No.  Was it Fate?  Yes.’

He hissed the words in Meddlechip’s ear, and the wretched man shrank away from him again.