self face to face
with the man he sought.

"Yes, what is it?" cried James Clareborough, sharply. "What! you again?
Here, what the devil--Who are you? What do you want?"

"You," said Chester, firmly, "you and your brother. I will have an
explanation with you both. I will see--I will not be put off like
this."

"Confound him!" muttered James Clareborough between his teeth.

"Here, I say, old chap," growled his brother, who now appeared, "have
you been dining somewhere and over-doing it a bit? Hadn't you better go
home quietly? We don't want to whistle for a policeman and have you
locked up."

"You hold your tongue!" cried James Clareborough. "I'll soon settle
with this gentleman. Now then, my tipsy individual, you want a few
words with me--an explanation?"

"Yes and at once," cried Chester, beside himself with rage at the very
sight of the man whose conduct toward Marion absolutely maddened him.

As he spoke he pressed forward to enter, but the brothers barred the
way.

"No, no," said the elder, "none of that. We're not going to have the
house disturbed by your ravings. It's only a few minutes to the Park--
come on there and we'll have it out, and done with it."

"No; we won't," growled the younger brother, fiercely, and, placing his
hands suddenly upon Chester's breast, he gave him a heavy thrust, drove
him staggering back, and almost in the one effort snatched his brother
aside and banged to the door.

"What the devil do you mean by that?" cried James Clareborough,
savagely, as he tried to reopen the door, but his brother placed his
back to it and held him off.

"To keep you cool, old man," growled the younger. "Get him in the Park
at this time, with no one near! What did you mean to do?"

"Do what I'll do now."

"Got something in your pocket, old chap?"

"Yes, I have. Let me go out."

"And have a paragraph in the papers to-morrow morning about a discovery
in the Park?"

"Yes. Curse him! he's getting dangerous. If he is not silenced, what's
to happen next? Let me go, boy. There, he's ringing again. Let me
go."

"Not if I can stop it, old man. We've got risks enough as it is."

"Curse you, Paddy, for a fool!" cried the other; and he seized his
brother and tried to drag him away, while the great fellow reached down
and drew a pistol from his brother's pocket.

"Got your sting, Jem," he cried. "You don't use that to-night."

"Wrong!" cried the other, snatching it away; and as