Her face turned white as death, while she held
up to my eyes the discoloured disc which proved the presence of the
deadliest Martial poison.
"Be calm," she said, as a cry of horror burst from my lips. "The
keys!"
"_You_ have them," Eive said with a gasp, her face still averted.
"I took them from Eveena myself," I answered sternly. "Stand back into
that corner, Eive," as I opened the door and called sharply the other
members of the household. When they entered, unable to stand, I had
fallen back upon a chair, and called Eive to my side. As I laid my
hand on her arm she threw herself on the floor, screaming and writhing
like a terrified child rather than a woman detected in a crime, the
conception and execution of which must have required an evil courage
and determination happily seldom possessed by women.
"Stand up!" I said. "Lift her, then, Enva and Eirale. Unfasten the
shoulder-clasps and zone."
As her outer robe dropped, Eive snatched at an object in its folds,
but too late; and the electric keys, which gave access to all my
cases, papers, and to the medicine-chest above all, lay glittering on
the ground.
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