wanted very little more to make him fall upon
the whole party, and go off with a fight.

"Young woman," said Lala Roy, "you had better not go outside the house
with the man. It will be well for you to wait until he has gone."

"Why? He is my husband, whatever we have done, and I'm not ashamed of
him."

"Is he your husband? Ask him what I meant when I said his home was at
Shadwell."

"Come, Lotty," said Joe, with a curious change of manner. "Let us go
at once."

"Wait," Lala repeated. "Wait, young woman, let him go first.
Pray--pray let him go first."

"Why should I wait? I go with my husband."

"I thought to save you from shame. But if you will go with him, ask
him again why his home is at Shadwell, and why he left his wife."

Lotty sprung upon her husband, and caught his wrists with both hands.

"Joe, what does he mean? Tell me he is a liar."

"That would be useless," said Lala Roy. "Because a very few minutes
will prove the contrary. Better, however, that he should go to prison
for marrying two wives than for robbing his grandfather's safe."

"It's a lie!" Joe repeated, looking as dangerous as a wild boar
brought to bay.

"There was a Joseph Gallop, formerly assistant purser in the service
of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company," continued
the man of fate, "who married, nine months ago, a certain widow at
Shadwell. He was turned out of the service, and he married her because
she had a prosperous lodging-house."

"Oh--h!" cried Lotty. "You villain! You thought to live upon my
earnings, did you? You put me up to pretend to be somebody else. Miss
Holland"--she fell upon her knees, literally and simply, and without
any theatrical pretense at all--"forgive me! I am properly punished.
Oh, he is made of lies! He told me that the real Iris was dead and
buried, and he was the rightful heir; and as for you"--she sprung to
her feet and turned upon her husband--"I know it is true. I know it is
true--I can see it within your guilty eyes."

"If you have any doubt," said Lala, "here is a copy of the
marriage-certificate."

She took it, read it, and put it in her pocket. Then she went out of
the room without another word, but with rage and revenge in her eyes.

Joseph followed her, saying no more. He had lost more than he thought
to lose. But there was still time to escape, and he had most of the
money in his pocket.

But another surprise awaited him.

The lady from Shadwell, in fact, was wait