comes to
receive it."

"Lady Rollinson claims it!" cried the manager.

"Lady Rollinson," I answered, "has no more right to it than I have. This
money is the property of Miss Rossano. It must be handed to her, and I
have taken it in order that it may be put into the hands of the legal
authorities until such time as she appears to claim it."

"I must trouble you to go with me, sir," said the officer, advancing
with the handcuffs in his hand.

"I will go with you," I answered, "and I will go quite quietly on one
condition: you will take charge of this."

"You bet I will!" the officer answered, facetiously; and I saw a glance
pass between him and the manager which said "madman," as plainly as the
spoken word itself.

I had done too much already to permit myself to be foiled at the end. I
took the bag of money in both hands, and held out my wrists towards the
officer.

"You will handcuff me," I said, "if you think that necessary. I shall
submit to anything which you conceive to be within the limits of your
duty. But I shall not part with this until I meet your inspector."

The man answered nothing, but he fettered me clumsily enough, keeping
so wary an eye upon my face meanwhile that he manipulated the handcuffs
without guidance, and pinched me in fixing them. I winced at this, and
he got back from me as if he thought I was about to strike him.

"Ha! would ye?" he said, and laid a hand upon his truncheon. I stood
still, with the handcuffs still dangling from my wrists, and the man,
reassured by my manner, completed his task. The door was open, and any
number of dishevelled heads and staring eyes crowded in at us.

"Let somebody find a cab," I said. "Lady Rollinson is naturally a good
deal disturbed, and will not wish to make a charge to-night. She can
appear against me in the morning, and in the meantime we can see that
the money is made safe."

"Make no mistake about that," said the officer. "We'll see that the
money is kept safe. You hand that bag over to me; I'll take charge of
that."

"No," I answered; "it goes into your inspector's hands. You can send for
him, if you like, or you can take me to him."

On a sudden I looked up, and there, among the faces at the door, I
caught sight of Roncivalli and Brunow.

"Gentlemen," I said, "I take you to witness why I have done this thing.
Here is the money which was to have been handed to you to-morrow. I have
told the Brotherhood. I spared you once," I added, to