“What have I got to be careful about?”

He said,

“Poison.”

The word came whispering into the air. Mrs. Latter felt it vibrate somewhere deep in her mind. She waited for the vibration to die away. Then she said,

“What do you mean?”

“That you must be careful.”

“Of poison?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mean that someone is going to try and poison me? Is that what you mean?”

His voice was rather louder as he said, “It might be-” There was a considering note in it.

She thought, “He doesn’t know anything really-he’s guessing. It’s nothing.” Aloud she asked,

“Is that all? What is the good of telling me to be careful if you don’t tell me any more than that?”

He took a long time to answer.

“Each of us has to guard his own house of life. I cannot tell you how to guard yours. I can only tell you it is threatened.”

“By poison?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of poison?”

“That is more than I can say. There are many kinds. Some threaten the mind, and some the body. You must guard yourself. I can only warn you.”

Lois sat up straight. Her voice was tinged with contempt, but under the contempt something jerked. She kept her tone steady, but she could feel fear twitching at it under the control.

“You must tell me a little more, I think. Who is threatening me?”

“Someone very near.”

“Man, or woman?”

“Man-woman-I think-I am not sure. It might be you yourself. It is very near-you are mixed up in it.”

Lois laughed. Her laugh had always been admired. It rippled sweetly through the room now.

“I assure you I have no intention of poisoning myself.”

He said, so low that she could only just catch the words,

“There is more than one kind of poison.”

CHAPTER 2