“You mean, Deland, that she delivered your message?” “What’s the difference? I sent her out here to get the first installment you promised us.” “So she said.” “The situation now has changed, so changed for the worse that I now want all that you promised us,” Deland added, with sinister vehemence. “I not only want it, Madison, but I’m going to have it.” “No, Deland, you are not,” said Madison, with more firmness than he yet had displayed. “What’s that?” Deland’s jaws closed with an audible snap. “You heard what I said.” There was a moment or two of silence. Deland appeared briefly staggered by the altered attitude of the lawyer. He was not alone, moreover, in hearing that last semi-defiant remark. Nick Carter was reviving. Inured to hard knocks, his head had sustained much better than either of his companions suspected the blow it had received. Nick heard the remark, however, much as one hears in a dream, or the voice of one at a distance. It began to bring him to himself, nevertheless, and with slowly returning consciousness a realization of his position and of what had occurred. With these came, too, a more keen appreciation of the entire situation, and the cobwebs then cleared from his brain more rapidly. A definite thought had leaped up in his mind, quickly followed by another and another. “By Jove, I was knocked out. Madison has another visitor. One of his confederates, one of the gang of crooks, showed up here. It is to him he is talking.” Nick had not stirred--did not stir. “I’ll wait for more,” was the thought that followed. “I will hear what is said. It may be Deland himself. I can rely upon Chick and Patsy.” Stretched prostrate on the floor a few feet from the desk, with his face upturned in the full rays from the lamp, Nick had not ventured to lift so much as a corner of an eyelid, lest the movement of it might be seen and rightly interpreted. He continued motionless and silent, as if still dead to the world, and in another moment the familiar voice of Deland fell upon his ears and convinced him of his assailant’s identity. “Yes, I heard what you said, Madison,” he replied, with sudden ominous coldness. “I heard what you said--but you do not mean it.” “On the contrary, Deland, I do mean it,” declared the lawyer, more forcibly. “That you will not settle with me and my pals for what we have done?” “That is precisely what I mean.” “By Heaven, then, you shall pay the price in another way!” cried Deland, with renewed ferocity. “You shall meet the fate which--ha! they are here, now. We will see--we will see!” “You’ll not be alone in seeing,” thought Nick, now comparatively himself again. A low, peculiar whistle had come from within the conservatory. It brought Deland to his feet on the instant, turning quickly toward the alcove through which he had entered.