ced."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Black," Garth said apologetically. "Your man drew the
long bow. I couldn't be put off."

But the smiling, graceful figure was a defence, almost incontestable.
Nothing short of Nora's danger could have armed him to overcome it. He
would, however, spare Black's wife as far as possible.

"I wanted to speak to you, Mr. Black, privately."

He turned back to the woman.

"You see I come from your brother, the head of the Society for Social
Justice."

"What can he want at this time of night?" she said.

She advanced to the head of the staircase.

"It makes no difference, John. You weren't coming anyway. I'll tell Aunt
Sarah why--business!"

She laughed lightly and passed on down the stairs.

Garth breathed more freely. He waited until the front door had slammed,
until he had heard the motor whir, until he was sure she was started for
her reception or dance, unsuspecting the desolation he had brought into
her home. Then he swung on Black.

"Come in here."

He indicated the living-room.

Black followed with uncertain steps. The light shone on his sallow face
out of which heavy eyes looked distrustfully.

"What do you want?" he asked. "What does Manford want?"

"Don't trouble to sit down, Mr. Black," Garth directed. "I've little
time--just enough to tell you that I'm on to you."

Black with an odd, halting motion reached the centre table. His fingers
shaking, he lifted a cigarette from a silver box and essayed to strike a
match. The wood splintered. He fumbled aimlessly about the table. He
took the unlighted cigarette from his mouth. He stammered.

"Wh--what the devil do you mean?"

"No use bluffing," Garth said. "You give yourself away. But don't get
too scared. I'm the only one who knows."

The other's voice was scarcely audible.

"Who are you?"

Garth threw back his coat lapel, displaying momentarily his badge.

Black's voice rose on a shrill note.

"It's a lie! It's a lie!"

Garth shook his head.

"I watched you last night," he said, "planting money here and there--a
pretty, generous fancy, just to give people the joy of finding it. Men
don't do such things in their right senses. I've heard of it, but the
fact that you were the brother-in-law of the head of an organization
that was after these cases offered a more likely explanation. Put me
off the track. Thought you were working for him. Now that I've had a
good look at you, there's no question."

Black made a last pi