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Elsie glanced up at the sky:
"The sun's gone," she said. "It's quite cold. We'd better get back
to the hotel."
They got up and turned in the direction of the hotel. They had
walked for perhaps a minute when they saw a figure going in the
same direction. They recognized her by the flapping cloak she wore.
It was one of the horrible ladies.
Harold felt suddenly hot. He wondered if the woman had seen
him sitting by Elsie on the tree trunk. If so, she probably thought...
Harold felt a little uneasy.
III
That evening Harold went to his room a little after ten. He had
written three letters and was just starting on the fourth when the door
was suddenly flung open and Elsie Clayton rushed into the room. She
looked frightened to death.
She gasped out: "It's my husband! He arrived unexpectedly. I -
I think he'll kill me. He's mad – quite mad. I came to you. Don't-don't
let him find me."
She took a step or two forward, swaying so much that she
almost fell. Harold put out an arm to support her. As he did so, the
door was flung open and a man stood in the doorway. He was of
medium height with thick eyebrows and dark hair. In his hand he
carried a heavy spanner. His voice was high and shook with rage.
"So that Polish woman was right: You are flirting with this
fellow!"
Elsie cried: "No, no, Phillip. It's not true. You're wrong!"
"Wrong, am I? When I find you here in this room. You, devil,
I'll kill you for this."
He seized her arm. Elsie, terrified, rushed out of the room.
Phillip Clayton dashed after her, and Harold, with not a moment's
hesitation, followed him.
Elsie had run back into her own bedroom at the end of the
corridor. She wanted to lock the door but Phillip Clayton pushed it
open. He disappeared into the room and Harold heard Elsie's
frightened cry. In another minute Harold burst in after them.
Elsie was standing against the curtains of the window. As
Harold entered Phillip Clayton rushed at her with the spanner in his