g comical to him, and then watch. You are shrewd; you will soon
find out he can speak English, even better than yourself."

Jack had set his fuse alight, and he started to work in another
direction. He left the baron after a few more words of warning, and
enjoyed seeing the young man writhe in terror.

Once on the street the detective smiled grimly and said:

"The miserable little conniver, I reckon I am drawing the strings very
tight on him now, and soon I will make him drop to his knees and confess
all."

A little while following the scene we have described a gentleman
appeared at the house of Mrs. Richards and sent in a card, intimating
that his business was very urgent.

The lady sent back word she could not see any one until evening. The
visitor would not accept this refusal to meet him, and sent such word as
to cause the lady to have him invited inside, and after about half an
hour's wait Mrs. Richards appeared.

"Good-afternoon, madam, I am sorry to have insisted upon seeing you, but
my business is very urgent."

Jack spoke in broken English, and was gotten up as the Spaniard.

"Your name is Jones, I believe?"

"No, madam, my name is Tavares. I did not send you my own card for
reasons which you will understand."

At the mention of the name Tavares Mrs. Richards winced, and there came
a pallor to her face. She was a fine-looking woman, commanding in face
and figure, but she was a woman of wonderful shrewdness and
self-control, and she asked:

"What may be your business with me?"

"You are acquainted, madam, with a young man named August Wagner? I
believe he claims to be a baron."

The woman spoke very slowly, as though measuring every word.

"I know the baron; I have befriended him."

"Yes, madam, no doubt, and I fear he has taken advantage of your
kindness."

The woman trembled.

"Taken advantage of my kindness?"

"Yes, madam."

"You must be mistaken."

"I am not mistaken, and I thought I would come to you first--yes, come
to you before I saw him, because I know you are deeply interested in
him."

"Only in a general way."

"Don't say that, madam."

"Why not?"

"Simply because the statement does not agree with information I have
received."

"What information have you received?"

"I have been informed that you are very deeply interested in the young
man."

"It is not true; I have sought to aid him, that is all."

"Again, madam, I am sorry to hear you say that."

"And again