iot," I said, "and I am going to tell him so."

"I shouldn't do that, Mr. Fairfax," said Hayle in a different voice to
that in which he had previously addressed me. "I had my own reasons for
not telling you before, but the matter has already been arranged. The
man is only carrying out his instructions."

"What do you mean by already arranged?" I asked, not without some alarm.

"I mean that you are my prisoner, Mr. Fairfax," he said. "You see, you
are rather a difficult person to deal with, if I must pay you such a
compliment, and one has to adopt heroic measures in order to cope
with you."

"Then you've been humbugging me all this time," I cried; "but you've let
the cat out of the bag a little too soon. I think I'll bid you
good-bye."

I was about to rise from my seat and open the door, but he stopped me.
In his hand he held a revolver, the muzzle of which was in unpleasant
proximity to my head.

[Illustration: "IN HIS HAND HE HELD A REVOLVER."]

"I must ask you to be good enough to sit down," he said. "You had better
do so, for you cannot help yourself. If you attempt to make a fuss I
pledge you my word I shall shoot you, let the consequences to myself be
what they may. You know me, and you can see that I am desperate. My
offer to those men was only a bluff. I wanted to quiet any suspicions
you might have in order that I might get you into my hands. As you can
see for yourself, I could not have succeeded better than I have done. I
give you my word that you shall not be hurt, provided that you do not
attempt to escape or to call for help. If you do, then you know exactly
what you may expect, and you will have only yourself to blame. Be a
sensible man, and give in to the inevitable."

He held too many cards for me. I could see at a glance that I was
out-manoeuvred, and that there was nothing to be gained by a struggle. I
don't think I can be accused of cowardice; my reputation is too well
known for that. But I do decidedly object to being shot by a desperate
man, when there is not the least necessity for it.

"Very well," I said, lying back in my seat, "you have played your game
with your usual cleverness, and I suppose I deserve what I have got for
having been such a consummate idiot as to give you the opportunity you
wanted. Now, what are you going to do, and where are you going to
take me?"

"You will know everything in a few minutes," he answered. "In the
meantime I am glad to see that you take things so