with her finger, and the fly would not move. On a sudden, every nerve

in her body began to shake and jerk like a flag snapping in the wind.

[XXVI]

Some ten minutes afterward, as the members of the house-party sat

chatting on the terrace before Selwoode, there came among them a mad

woman in violet trappings that were splotched with blood.

"Did you know that Billy was dead?" she queried, smilingly. "Oh, yes,

a man killed Billy just now. Wasn't it too bad? Billy was such a nice

boy, you know. I--I think it's very sad. I think it's the saddest

thing I ever knew of in my life."