ossing the street in
their direction. He had seen him come furtively out of the house they
had been watching, and had recognized him at once. It was Stephen Hurd.
Keeping his grasp upon his captive's shoulder, Macheson intercepted him.

"Hurd," he said, "I want to speak to you."

Hurd started, and his face darkened with anger when he saw who it was
that had accosted him. Macheson continued hurriedly.

"Look here," he said. "I owe you this at any rate. I have just caught
our friend here watching this house. Have you ever seen him before?"

Hurd looked down into the face of the man who, with an evil shrug of the
shoulders, had resigned himself--for the present--to the inevitable.

"Never," he answered. "Can't say I'm particularly anxious to see him
again. Convert of yours?" he asked, with a sneer.

"He is the man who visited your father on the night of his death,"
Macheson said.

Stephen Hurd was like a man electrified. He seized hold of the other's
arm in excitement.

"Is this true?" he demanded.

The man blinked his eyes.

"You have to prove it," he said. "I admit nothing."

"You can leave him to me," Stephen Hurd said, turning to Macheson.

Macheson nodded and prepared to walk on.

"There is a police-station behind to the left," he remarked.

Hurd took no notice. He had thrust his arm tightly through the other
man's.

"I have been looking for you," he said eagerly. "We must have a talk
together. We will take this hansom," he added, hailing one.

The man drew back.

"Are you going to take me to the police-station?" he demanded.

"Police-station, no!" Hurd answered roughly. "What good would that do
me? Get in! Cafe Monico!"

CHAPTER XI

THE WAY OF SALVATION

Holderness leaned back in his worn leather chair and shouted with
laughter. He treated with absolute indifference the white anger in
Macheson's face.

"Victor," he cried, "don't look at me as though you wanted to punch my
head. Down on your knees, man, and pray for a sense of humour. It's the
very salt of life."

"That's all very well," Macheson answered, "but I can't exactly see----"

"That's because you're deficient," Holderness shouted, wiping the tears
from his eyes. "I haven't laughed so much for ages. Here you come from
the East to the West, with all the world's tragedy tearing at your
heart, flowing from your lips, a flagellator, a hater of the people to
whom you speak, seeking only to strike and to wound, and they accept