emanded Mr. Cox. "What are you waiting for?
If you don't fly out of the window I'll throw you out."

"Don't touch me," screamed Mr. Piper, retreating behind a table, "it's
all a mistake. All a joke. I'm not a broker's man. Ha! ha!"

"Eh?" said the other; "not a broker's man? What are you, then?"

In eager, trembling tones Mr. Piper told him, and, gathering confidence
as he proceeded, related the conversation which had led up to his
imposture. Mr. Cox listened in a dazed fashion, and as he concluded
threw himself into a chair, and gave way to a terrible outburst of
grief.

"The way I've worked for that woman," he said, brokenly, "to think it
should come to this! The deceit of the thing; the wickedness of it My
heart is broken; I shall never be the same man again--never!"

Mr. Piper made a sympathetic noise.

"It's been very unpleasant for me," he said, "but my niece is so
masterful."

"I don't blame you," said Mr. Cox, kindly; "shake hands."

They shook hands solemnly, and Mr. Piper, muttering something about a
draught, closed the window.

"You might have been killed in trying to jump out of that window," said
Mr. Cox; "fancy the feelings of those two deceitful women then."

"Fancy _my_ feelings!" said Mr. Piper, with a shudder. "Playing with
fire, that's what I call it. My niece is coming this afternoon; it would
serve her right if you gave her a fright by telling her you _had_ killed
me. Perhaps it would be a lesson to her not to be so officious."

"It would serve 'em both right," agreed Mr. Cox; "only Mrs. Berry might
send for the police."

"I never thought of that," said Mr. Piper, fondling his chin.

"I might frighten my wife," mused the amiable Mr. Cox; "it would be a
lesson to her not to be deceitful again. And, by Jove, I'll get some
money from her to escape with; I know she's got some, and if she hasn't
she will have in a day or two. There's a little pub at Newstead, eight
miles from here, where we could be as happy as fighting cocks with a
fiver or two. And while we're there enjoying ourselves my wife'll be
half out of her mind trying to account for your disappearance to Mrs.
Berry."

"It sounds all right," said Mr. Piper, cautiously, "but she won't
believe you. You don't look wild enough to have killed anybody."

"I'll look wild enough when the time comes," said the other, nodding.
"You get on to the White Horse at Newstead and wait for me. I'll let you
out at the back way. Come along."

"B