XXVI

  Some ten minutes afterward, as the members of the house-party satchatting on the terrace before Selwoode, there came among them a madwoman 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 niceboy, you know. I--I think it's very sad. I think it's the saddestthing I ever knew of in my life."

  Kathleen Saumarez was the first to reach her. But she drew backquickly.

  "No, ah, no!" she said, with a little shudder. "You didn't love Billy.He loved you, and you didn't love him. Oh, Kathleen, Kathleen, how_could_ you help loving Billy? He was such a nice boy. I--I'm rathersorry he's dead."

  Then she stood silent, picking at her dress thoughtfully and stillsmiling. Afterward, for the first and only time in history, MissHugonin fainted--fainted with an anxious smile.

  Petheridge Jukesbury caught her as she fell, and began to blubber likea whipped schoolboy as he stood there holding her in his arms.

 

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