kissed them passionately where the cords had been.

"You mustn't do that, please don't do that," she said quickly,
trying to release herself.

Her strength was nothing to his and he stood up and put his arm
around her and strained her to him in an embrace so passionate and
powerful she could not have resisted it though she had wished to.

But no thought of resistance came to her, since for the moment she
had lost all consciousness of everything save the strange thrill of
his bright, clear eyes looking so closely into hers, of his strong
arms holding her so firmly.

He released her, or rather she at last freed herself by an effort
he did not oppose, and she fled away down the path.

She had an impression that her hair would come down and that that
would make her look a fright, and she put up her hands hurriedly
to secure it. She never looked back to where he stood, breathing
heavily and looking after her and thinking not of her, but of two
dead men whom he had seen of late.

"Shall I make the third?" he wondered. "I do not care if I do,
not I."

The path Ella had fled by led into another along which when she
reached it she saw Deede Dawson coming.

She stopped at once and began to busy herself with a flower-bed