lay upon it. He held
it in front of his face for a single moment, and then dashed it at
his visitor. He followed behind with one desperate spring. Once,
twice, the revolver barked out. Laverick felt the skin of his temple
burn and a flick on the ear which reminded him of his school-days.
Then his hand was upon the other man's throat and the revolver lay
upon the carpet.

"We'll see about that. By the Lord, I've a good mind to wring the
life out of you. That bullet of yours might have been in my temple."

"It was meant to be there," the man gasped. "Hand over the document,
you pig-headed fool! It'll cost you your life--if not to-day,
to-morrow."

"I'll be hanged if you get it, anyway!" Laverick answered fiercely.
"You assassin! Scoundrel! To come here and make a cold-blooded
effort at murder! You shall see what you think of the inside of an
English prison."

The man laughed contemptuously.

"And what about the pocket-book?" he asked.

Laverick was silent. His assailant smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Come," he said, "I have made my effort and failed. You have twenty
thousand pounds. That's a fair price, but I'll add another twenty
thousand for that document unopened."

"It is possible that we might deal," Laverick remarked, kicking the
revolver a little further away. "Unfortunately, I am too much in the
dark. Tell me the real position of the murdered man? Tell me why he
was murdered? Tell me the contents of this document and why it was in
his possession? Perhaps I may then be inclined to treat with you."

"You are either an astonishingly ingenuous person, Mr. Laverick,"
his visitor declared, "or you're too subtle for me. You do not
expect me to believe that you are in this with your eyes blindfolded?
You do not expect me to believe that you do not know what is in that
sealed envelope? Bah! It is a child's game, that, and we play as
men with men."

Laverick shook his head.

"Your offer," he asked, "what is it exactly?"

"Twenty thousand pounds," the man answered. "The document is worth
no more than that to you. How you came into this thing is a mystery,
but you are in and, what is more, you have possession. Twenty
thousand pounds, Mr. Laverick. It is a large sum of money. You
find it interesting?"

"I find it interesting," Laverick answered dryly, "but I am not a
seller."

The intruder moved his hand away from his eyes. His expression was
full of wonder.

"Consider f