cting?
How much, if anything, an expression of true feeling? Was she actually
persuaded it was waste of time to contend against him? Or was she
shrewdly playing upon his not unfriendly disposition toward her in the
hope that it would spare her in the hour of the grand debacle?

He could be sure of one thing only: since she was a woman, he would
never know...

Monk had been making ominous motions with the eyebrows, but Phinuit
made haste to be beforehand with him.

"You said one thing, mademoiselle, one thing anyway that meant
something: that Monsieur Lanyard would give up those jewels to us.
That's all arranged."

Lanyard turned to him with genuine amusement. "Indeed, monsieur?"

"Indeed and everything! We don't want to pull any rough stuff on you,
Lanyard, and we won't unless you force us to--"

"Rough stuff, monsieur? You mean, physical force?"

"Not exactly. But I think you'll recall my telling you I stand in well
with the Police Department in the old home town. Maybe you thought that
was swank. Likely you did. But it wasn't. I've got a couple of friends
of mine from Headquarters waiting downstairs this very minute, ready
and willing to cop out the honour of putting the Lone Wolf under arrest
for stealing the Montalais jewels."

"But is it possible," Lanyard protested, "you still do not understand
me? Is it possible you still believe I am a thief at heart and
interested in those jewels only to turn them to my own profit?"

He stared unbelievingly at the frosty eyes of Monk beneath their
fatuously stubborn brows, at the hard, unyielding eyes of Phinuit.

"You said it," this last replied with brevity.

"It was a good bluff while it lasted, Monsieur Lanyard," Monk added;
"but it couldn't last forever. You can't get away with it. Why not give
in gracefully, admit you're licked for once, be a good fellow?"

"My God!" Lanyard pronounced in comic despair--"it passes
understanding! It is true, then--and true especially of such as you are
to-day, as I was in my yesterday--that 'Whom Fortune wishes to destroy
she first makes mad'! For, I give you my word of honour, you seem to me
quite mad, messieurs, too mad to be allowed at large. And in proof of
my sincerity, I propose that you shall not longer remain at large."

"What's that?" Monk demanded, startled.

"Why, you have not hesitated to threaten me with the police. So now I,
in my turn, have the honour to inform you that, anticipating this call,
I have had re