"A thousand dollars!" yelled the victim, his face streaming with a cold
perspiration, his hair bristling, and his teeth chattering with fright.

The Chevalier paused, and said, after a few moments' reflection--

"After all, to make such men as you disgorge a portion of their wealth,
is a punishment as severe as any that I can inflict upon you. You are a
coward and dare not fight; I wish not to murder you in cold blood. I
will content myself with exposing your infamous conduct to the
world--publishing your rascality in every newspaper, and you will be
kicked like a dog from all decent society; this will I do, unless you
immediately fill me out a cheque for the sum of five thousand dollars."

"Five thousand devils!" growled Tickels, gaining courage as he believed
his life to be in no imminent danger--"what! five thousand dollars for
only having kissed and toyed a little with a pretty woman, without
having reaped any substantial benefit? No, no, my friend--you can't come
it; you are, to use a vulgar phrase, cutting it rather fat; I'm not so
precious green as you think. I don't mind giving you a couple of
hundred, or so, for what fun I've had, but five thousand--whew! rather a
high price for the amusement, considering what a remarkably
free-and-easy lady your sister is!"

"No more of this!" thundered the Chevalier, in a tone that made Mr.
Tickels leap two feet into the air--"instantly give me a cheque for the
sum that I demand, or by my royal grandfather's beard, (an oath I dare
not break,) I'll blow your head into fragments!--Look at that clock; it
now lacks one minute of the hour; that minute I give you to decide; if,
at the expiration of that period, you do not consent to do as I request,
you die!"

The muzzle of the pistol was placed in very close proximity to the
victim's head; there was no alternative--life was exceedingly sweet to
Mr. Tickels, although the wickedness of half a century rested heavily on
his soul; in a few seconds more, unless he consented to give up a
portion of his basely acquired wealth, he had every reason to fear that
soul would be ushered into a dark and unfathomable eternity. No wonder,
then, that he tremulously said--

"Put up your weapon; I will do as you require."

Writing materials were soon brought, and in a few minutes the Chevalier
was the possessor of a cheque on a State street bank, bearing the
substantial autograph of Timothy Tickels.

"Now, sir," said Duvall, depositing the v