men I had sent after you, and instead I found you myself."

"Upon my word, Mr. Hayle, if I cannot appreciate your actions I must say
I admire your candour. I can also add that in a fairly long experience
of--of----"

"Why not say _of criminals_ at once, Mr. Fairfax?" he asked with a
smile. "I assure you I shall not be offended. We have both our own views
on this question, and you of course are entitled to air yours if it
pleases you. You were about to observe that----"

"That in all my experience I had never met any one who could so calmly
own to an attempt to murder a fellow-being. But supposing we now come to
business."

"With all my heart," he answered. "I am as anxious as yourself to get
everything settled. You will admit that it is rather hard lines on a man
who can lay his hands upon a quarter of a million of money, to have a
gentleman like yourself upon his trail, and, instead of being able to
enjoy himself, to be compelled to remain continually in hiding. I am an
individual who likes to make the most of his life. I also enjoy the
society of my fellow-men."

"May we not substitute 'woman'?" I asked. "I am afraid your quarter of a
million would not last very long if you had much to do with Mademoiselle
Beaumarais."

"So you have heard of her, have you?" he answered. "But you need have no
fear. Dog does not eat dog, and that charming lady will not despoil me
of very much! Now to another matter! What amount do you think your
clients would feel inclined to take in full settlement of their
claim upon me?"

"I cannot say," I answered. "How many of the gems have you realized
upon?"

"There were ninety-three originally," he said when he had consulted his
pocket-book, "and I have sold sixty, which leaves a balance of
thirty-three, all of which are better than any I have yet disposed of.
Will your clients be prepared to accept fifty thousand pounds, of
course, given without prejudice."

"Your generosity amazes me," I answered. "My clients, your partners, are
to take twenty-five thousand pounds apiece, while you get off,
scot-free, after your treatment of them, with two hundred thousand."

"They may consider themselves lucky to get anything at all," he
retorted. "Run your eye over the case, and see how it stands. You must
know as well as I do that they haven't a leg to stand upon. If I wanted
to be nasty, I should say let them prove that they have a right to the
stones. They can't call in the assistance of the