ton's wife."

"By heavens! If you don't go--"

Slotman glanced at him; he saw that he was over-stepping the
danger-line. Yes, he must go, and quickly, so he went. But he had
planted the venom; he had left it behind him. He had forced this man to
hear, even though he would not listen.

"First blow," Slotman thought, "the first blow at her! And I ain't done
yet! no, I ain't done yet. I'll make her writhe--"

He paused. He had not carried out his intention in full, this man had
not given him time. Of course, if it was only Joan's money that this
fellow Everard was after, the story would make little or no difference.
The marriage would go on all the same, if it was a matter of money,
but--

Philip Slotman retraced his painful steps. Once again he tapped on the
door of Buddesby.

"There was something that I wished to say to Mr. Everard that I entirely
forgot--a small matter," he said to the servant. "Don't trouble, I know
the way."

He pushed past the girl into the house. Johnny, staring before him into
vacancy, trying to realise this incredible, impossible thing that the
man had told him, started. He looked up. In the doorway stood Mr.
Slotman.

"By Heaven!" said Johnny, and sprang up. "If you don't go--"

"Wait! You don't think I should be such a fool as to come to you with a
lying story, a story that could not be substantiated? What I have told
you is the truth. You may not believe it, because you don't want to. You
are marrying a young lady with ample possessions; that may weigh with
you. Now, rightly or wrongly, I hold that Miss Meredyth owes me a
certain sum of money. I want that money. It doesn't matter to me whether
I get it from her or from you. If you like to pay her debt, I will
guarantee silence. I shall carry this true story no further if you will
undertake to pay me immediately following your marriage with her the sum
of ten thousand--"

In spite of his stiffness and his sores, Mr. Slotman turned; he fled, he
ran blindly down the hall, undid the hall door, and let himself out, and
then without a glance behind, he fled across the wide garden till he
reached the road, panting and shaking. And now for the first time he
looked back, and as he did so a blinding white glare seemed to strike
his eyes; he staggered, and tried to spring aside. Then something struck
him, and the black world about him seemed to vomit tongues of red and
yellow flame.

The occupants of the fast-travelling touring car felt the