Monsieur Judas smiled blandly, shrugged his shoulders, and spread out his lean hands with a deprecating gesture. "Me! Alas! I can say nothing but that you have as strong a case against me as you had against your dear friend, Monsieur Roger." Fanks reddened angrily. He was aware that he had blundered two or three times during the case, but still it was not pleasant to be taunted thus by a smiling adversary who indulged in fine irony. "You led me to believe Axton was guilty," he said, meekly. "I? Eh, it is a mistake. I but told what I knew. It is not my fault if the affair reflects upon Monsieur Roger." "Do you know I can arrest you on suspicion of murder?" "Truly! Then do so. I am ready." Fanks bit his nails in impotent wrath, feeling himself quite helpless to deal with this man. He could not arrest him because he had not sufficient evidence to warrant him doing so. He could not force him to speak, as he had no means of commanding him. Altogether he was completely at the mercy of Judas in every way. Judas saw this and chuckled. "Can I tell monsieur anything else?" "Confound you, sir, you've told me nothing." "Eh, it is because I do know nothing." "That is a lie, Guinaud. I believe you know all about this case." "Monsieur does me too much honour." It was very provoking, certainly, and Fanks, seeing the uselessness of prolonging the discussion, was about to retire when a sudden thought entered his head. "At all events Monsieur Guinaud," he said, deliberately, "cool as you are now, you may not be quite so composed before a judge." "Ah! you will arrest me for the murder. Well, I wait, monsieur, for your pleasure. Bah! I am no child to be frightened by big drums." "I won't arrest you for the murder, but I will for stealing those letters." Judas winced at this. He was not very well acquainted with English law, and although he knew Fanks would not dare to arrest him on a charge of murder on the present evidence, yet he was by no means certain regarding the business of the letters. He thought a moment. "You will arrest me for stealing what you do not know that I did steal?" "What I know or what I don't know doesn't matter. I'll arrest you as soon as I can obtain a warrant. Once you are in the clutches of the English law, and you won't get out of them till you tell all you know about this case."