ak?" I suppose the quietness
with which I uttered it was ominous to the wretch. "Or will I be
obliged to drag you to that cell of which I spoke?"

With a quick gesture, he outspread his arms.

"Enough, Swift, enough!" he cried, in a hoarse, distressed voice. "I
know when I 'm beaten; I 'll give up. What do you want?"

"Good," without alteration of tone or manner. "Let's go to a
pleasanter place." And we went into the Captain's private room, where
a stenographer sat concealed by a screen.

Burke dropped into a chair. I thrust my hands into my coat pockets,
and as I slowly paced to and fro, addressed him.

"I 'll tell my story. When I 'm wrong you may correct me. See that
you do it, too, because you won't know when I 'm testing you or when I
am really ignorant of the facts. You see how much I trust you, Mr.
Burke.

"To begin at the beginning, your first treacherous act toward your
employer was when you determined to steal the Paternoster ruby, and
started in to hunt for it. You had your work all cut out for you, too,
Burke; Felix Page was no fool; he would n't trust the safekeeping of so
valuable an object even to his confidential clerk, nor could that clerk
search for it with impunity.

"You 've been gifted with the same brand of patience, though, Burke,
that keeps a cat glued to a rat-hole for hours upon end; you bided your
time. And you never let an opportunity slip by you, either.

"Felix Page was in the habit of talking to himself--a trait not
uncommon to people who live much to themselves--so you oiled the
door-hinges in order that you might steal upon him undetected, from any
part of the house, and listen to his self-communings. No wonder, when
you talked with me, that you were fearful of the curtained alcove!

"But I 'll be brief. By and by you learned of the hidden safe;
then--still with infinite patience--you set about trying to discover
its combination. You succeeded."

I halted abruptly in front of him.

"Burke, the opening of that safe door was a revelation; it offered new
possibilities which must have overwhelmed you. What did you think when
your eyes first fell upon those old love mementos from Clara Cooper to
Felix Page? Don't look astonished so soon; wait till I 'm done. I 'll
have no difficulty convincing you that my case against you is pretty
complete.

"But your find was extremely aggravating, for you were afraid to make
use of it. Without doubt, Alfred Fluette would g