A turn of the head, a moment's indecision, a single glance of a languorous eye, had brought this culmination.

And now he stood again before that ruined grille, his house and lands, even his NAME, misused by a mad, scheming enthusiast, and himself a creeping spy of his own dishonor! He turned with a bitter smile again to the garden.

A few dark red Castilian roses still leaned forward and swayed in the wind with dripping leaves.

It was here that the first morning of his arrival he had kissed Susy; the perfume and color of her pink skin came back to him with a sudden shock as he stood there; he caught at a flower, drew it towards him, inhaled its odor in a long breath that left him faint and leaning against the wall.

Then again he smiled, but this time more wickedly--in what he believed his cynicism had sprung up the first instinct of revenge! It was now dark enough for him to venture across the carriage road and make his way to the rear of the house.