Haines, I tell you Kirby knew all this." "Kirby knew?
Why do you say that ?" "He boasted of it.

I thought little about what he said at the time, but I believe now one of his main objects was to gain possession of this girl.

That would account for his insistence upon that peculiar clause in the bill of sale--he either suspected, or had discovered through some source, that Rene Beaucaire had never been set free.

For some reason he desired possession of both Beaucaire girls; they meant more to him than either the money or the property.

This card game gave him one; the other--" "Eloise, you mean?
Did the fellow threaten her ?" "Here is what he said sneeringly, you can judge yourself what he meant, 'She's worth fifty thousand dollars by her mother's will, and I intend to win her if I can, fair means or foul.'" Haines did not speak for some moments, his eyes on my face.