him to my sanctum, while Wilson followed
close behind and lit the gas. He then passed into the outer office,
leaving me alone with my prisoner. On closer inspection he proved to be
a burly ruffian, and would doubtless have proved an ugly customer to
tackle alone. He, in his turn, looked at me in some interest and then at
the door, as if he were half inclined to try the effect of a struggle.

"First and foremost, do you know where you are and who I am?" I asked
him.

"No," he said, "I can't say as ever I set my eyes on yer afore last
night, and I don't know yer bloomin' name or what yer are and I
don't want to."

"Politeness is evidently not your strong point," I commented. "Just look
at that!"

Taking a sheet of note-paper from the rack upon my table I handed it to
him.

He did so, and I saw a look of surprise steal over his face. He looked
from it to me and then back again at the paper.

"Fairfax," he said. "The d---- Tec, the same as got poor old Billy
Whitelaw scragged last year."

"I certainly believe I had that honour," I returned, "and it's just
possible, if you continue in your present career, that I may have the
pleasure of doing the same for you. Now, look here, my man, there's some
one else at the back of this business, and what I want to know is, who
put you up to try your hand upon me? Tell me that, and I will let you go
and say no more about it. Refuse, and I must try and find some evidence
against you that will rid society of you for some time to come.
Doubtless it will not be very difficult."

He considered a moment before he replied.

"Well," he said, "I don't know as how I won't tell you, a seein' you're
who yer are, and I am not likely to get anything out of the job. It was
a rare toff who put us on to it. Silk hat, frock-coat, and all as natty
as a new pin. He comes across us down in the Dials, stood us a couple of
drinks, turfed out a suvring apiece, and then told us he wanted the
gentleman at Rickford's Hotel laid by for a time. He told us 'ow yer
were in the habit of going about the streets at night for walks, and
said as 'ow he would be down near the hotel that evenin' and when yer
came out, he would strike a match and light a smoke just ter give us the
tip like. We wos to foller yer, and to do the job wherever we could.
Then we was to bring your timepiece to him at the back of St. Martin's
Church in the Strand at midnight, and he would pay us our money and let
us keep the clock for ou