k itself!
I did not kill him!"

Cleek held up a detaining hand.

"And who, may I ask, said you did, my fiery young friend?" he returned
suavely. "If you will give me a little time to tell my story in my own
way, I shall be extremely obliged. You stand self-confessed as the owner
of an air-pistol. That we have proof of. The rest will follow in due
course. But here is the instrument of death--this simple little spinning
wheel, which, wired by electricity as it is, and with the pistol hidden
inside that wheel with diabolical ingenuity, caused the death of your
father. And who among you, may I ask, has such a perfect knowledge of
electricity as to equip the thing like that?"

Again there was silence; meanwhile each looked at the other and the same
name framed itself unconsciously upon every lip ... Ross Duggan. It was
not spoken aloud, but Cleek could read it as he looked about him. Then
Lady Paula spoke.

"Then--it was Ross? It was that unfilial and cruel son of an unknowing
and innocent old man, just as I knew it to be?" she shrilled excitedly,
jumping to her feet and turning to Ross and seizing him by the shoulder
as though she would tear him limb from limb. "Oh, _sacremento_!
I knew it! I knew it! Wicked, cruel creature that you are!
Ungrateful--beast----"

Cleek caught her sharply by the arm and spun her around as though she
had been made of paper. His face was grim.

"One moment," he cried in a sharp staccato. "This lady is going to give
trouble. Well, then, the moment can be delayed no longer.
Constable--bring in your prisoner."

He gave a shrill whistle, strode across the room, fitted the key into
the lock, and in an instant there was pandemonium.

For of a sudden there was a stifled scream from somewhere in the room--a
hurried breath and a woman's voice shrilled out, "Oh, I cannot bear it
any longer-- I cannot! I cannot!" Then the door flashed open to admit of
two policemen, who had slung between them the stooping figure of a man,
closely handcuffed, and with a dark scrub of beard showing upon his
unshaven chin. Came another scream; a boy's shrill voice lifted
excitedly, "Uncle Antoni!" followed by a scuffling of a man's footsteps.
Cleek took a quick step forward in the midst of all the confusion,
caught at someone's sleeve and held it in a grip like a vise, rapped out
in a sharp voice, "Catch him, Dollops! Catch the beggar before he slips
out through the open door and gives us the 'go-by'--the beastly
b