“Now listen,” he said, in the same husky voice. “You incarnate fiend, you asked me just now how I could keep you quiet. I will tell you; I can keep you quiet by running this knife up to the hilt in your throat,” and once more he pricked her with its point. “It would be murder,” he went on, “but I do not care for that. You and others between you have not made my life so pleasant for me that I am especially anxious to preserve it. Now, listen. I will give you the two hundred and fifty pounds that I have brought, and you shall have the two hundred and fifty a year. But if you ever again attempt to extort more, or if you molest me either by spreading stories against my character or by means of legal prosecution, or in any other way, I swear by the Almighty that I will murder you. I may have to kill myself afterwards—I don’t care if I do, provided I kill you first. Do you understand me? you tiger, as you call yourself. If I have to hunt you down, as they do tigers, I will come up with you at last and _kill_ you. You have driven me to it, and, by heaven! I will! Come, speak up, and tell me that you understand, or I may change my mind and do it now,” and once more he touched her with the knife. She rolled off the sofa on to the floor and lay there, writhing in abject terror, looking in the shadow of the table, where her long lithe form was twisting about in its robe of yellow barred with black, more like one of the great cats from which she took her name than a human being. “Spare me,” she gasped, “spare me, I don’t want to die. I swear that I will never meddle with you again.” “I don’t want your oaths, woman,” answered the stern form bending over her with the knife. “A liar you have been from your youth up, and a liar you will be to the end. Do you understand what I have said?” “Yes, yes, I understand. Ah! put away that knife, I can’t bear it! It makes me sick.” “Very well then, get up.” She tried to rise, but her knees would not support her, so she sat upon the floor. “Now,” said Mr. Quest, replacing the knife upon the mantelpiece, “here is your money,” and he flung a bag of notes and gold into her lap, at which she clutched eagerly and almost automatically. “The two hundred and fifty pounds will be paid on the 1st of January in each year, and not one farthing more will you get from me. Remember what I tell you, try to molest me by word or act, and you are a dead woman; I forbid you even to write to me. Now go to the devil in your own way,” and without another word he took up his hat and umbrella, walked to the door, unlocked it and went, leaving the Tiger huddled together upon the floor. For half-an-hour or more the woman remained thus, the bag of money in her hand. Then she struggled to her feet, her face livid and her body shaking.