d then rung up
from a call-office telling you to find him."

"Bosh! My dear fellow! Bosh!" was his reply. "First, you were never
there; and secondly, I've never complained of my wife's behaviour to
anyone; certainly not to a stranger."

"You did to me. I certainly am not dreaming."

"But you have already admitted that you've been in hospital in St.
Malo suffering from loss of memory."

"My memory has now fortunately been restored," I replied.

"Distorted--without a doubt. You would never travel all the way from
London to relate these absolutely silly stories to me if you were in
your right senses, my dear Mr. Garfield," he said.

"They're not silly stories, but hard, indisputable facts!" I declared
resentfully.

The millionaire had assumed an air of nonchalance, for leaning against
a big old buhl table he took out a cigarette from his gold case and
slowly lit it, after which he said:

"You must, I think, really excuse me. We have to go down into Florence
to meet my sister-in-law, who is coming from London. I'm afraid, Mr.
Garfield, that I cannot help you any further."

"You mean you won't!"

"Not at all. If I knew anything of this young lady who, you said, died
in my wife's bedroom in Stretton Street, and at whose bedside you and
I stood together, I would tell you. But I really don't."

He tossed his cigarette hastily out of the open window.

"No," he added. "I won't hear any more. I haven't the time or the
inclination to listen to the wanderings of any insane person. I've had
enough!"

"And so have I!" I retorted. "You are trying to mislead me by
affecting ignorance of my very existence, but I don't intend that you
shall escape!" I added, again raising my voice.

"Hush, please," he said in a calmer tone. "My wife may overhear."

"I don't care!" I cried in desperation. "You never dreamed that I
should arise against you, as I have. You are not fair towards me! If
you revealed to me in confidence the reason you gave me that bribe of
five thousand pounds, then I, on my part, would have played the
straight game."

"My dear sir, play whatever game you like. It is immaterial to me
whether straight or crooked. I don't know anything about what you have
been talking, and you have only wasted your breath and got out of
temper for nothing."

Again I looked him straight in the face. There was no doubt that the
strain of his clever denials was telling upon him. His dark complexion
had paled; in his eyes there