ly.

"Your man Chivey," resumed the Spanish notary, "has confided to me a
secret."

"Concerning me?"

"Yes."

"The villain!"

"Now listen to me, Senor Murray. You have behaved very imprudently
indeed. Your whole secret is with me."

Herbert started.

"With you?"

"Yes."

Herbert Murray glanced anxiously at the door.

The notary followed his eyes with some inward anxiety, yet he did not
betray his uneasiness at all.

"He was speaking the truth for once, then," said Murray. "He had
confided his secrets to someone else."

"Yes."

Herbert Murray walked round the room, and took up his position with his
back to the door.

"Senor Velasquez," he said, in a low but determined voice, "you have
made an unfortunate admission. If there is a witness, it is only one;
you are that witness, and your life is in danger."

The notary certainly felt uncomfortable, but he was too old a stager to
display it.

Herbert Murray produced a pistol, which he proceeded to examine and to
cock deliberately.

"That would not advance your purpose much, Senor Murray," he said,
coolly; "the noise would bring all the house trooping into the room."

Murray was quite calm and collected now, and therefore he was open to
reason.

"There is something in that," he said, "so I have a quieter helpmate
here."

He uncocked the pistol and put it in his breast pocket.

Then he whipped out a long Spanish stiletto.

"There are other reasons against using that."

"And they are?"

"Here is one," returned the notary, drawing a long, slender blade from
his sleeve.

Murray was palpably disconcerted at this.

The Spanish notary and the young Englishman stood facing each other in
silence for a considerable time.

The former was the first to break the silence.

"Now, look you here, Senor Murray," said he, "I am not a child, nor did
I, knowing all I know, come here unprepared for every emergency--aye,
even for violence."

"Go on," said Murray, between his set teeth.

"You have imprudently placed yourself in the hands of an unscrupulous
young man."

"I have."

"And he has proved himself utterly unworthy?"

"Utterly."

"All of that is known to me," said the notary, craftily. "Now you must
pay no heed to this Chivey."

"I will not," returned Herbert Murray, significantly, "though there is
little fear of further molestation from him, senor."

Young Murray little dreamt of the cause of the notary's peculiar smile.

"Your sole dan