"But suppose we have?"
"No need to worry further about him. He won't trouble us any more."
"The next person to be silenced is that girl," Lilla said in a hard voice.
"Yes," was Boyne's slow reply. "I think I've formed a plan which will be just as successful as that we carried out concerning her too inquisitive lover."
And as he spoke, he blew a cloud of smoke from his lips and watched it curl towards the ceiling.
Suddenly—it was then about ten o'clock—almost as the words fell from his lips, the telephone bell rang sharply.
All three started.
"Ah!" gasped Ena, springing up. "There you are! At last!"
"Yes," she replied, taking up the receiver. Then, listening, she exclaimed: "Oh! you, Miss Propert—well? Oh! How dreadful!—how very sad! She passed away ten minutes ago! Thank you so much for telling me. I'm so sorry—so very sorry!"
And she replaced the receiver.