“I’m very fond of you--that’s what it means. I shall probably be hanged in about six weeks’ time, and there’s a wise old saying that you might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. You for the moment are the lamb.” The bright, shining eyes were fixed on hers. She almost swooned with horror. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to murder you or cut your throat or do any of the things I tried to do to Mr. Reeder this morning--oh, yes, I was the fantastical gentleman on the _Zaira_. The whole thing happened a few yards away from where you’re standing. Now, Anna, you’re going to be very sensible, my sweet--there’s nobody within five miles of here who is at all concerned----” The hinges of the door were rusty: they squeaked when it was moved. They squeaked now. Clive Desboyne turned in a flash, fumbling under mackintosh and coat. “Don’t move,” said Mr. Reeder gently. It was his conventional admonition. “And put up your hands. I shall certainly shoot if you do not. You’re a murderer--I could forgive you that. You’re a liar--that, to a man of my high moral code, is unpardonable.” The dozen detectives who had been waiting for three hours in this dank house came crowding into the room, and snapped irons on the wrists of the white-faced man. “See that they fit,” said Mr. Reeder pleasantly. “I had a pair this morning which were grossly over-size.” THE END TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES Minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. bargemaster/barge-master, drawing-room/drawing room, tool-shed/tool shed, etc.) have been preserved. Alterations to the text: Punctuation: fix a few quotation mark pairings, missing periods, etc. [Red Aces/Chapter IV] Change (“I seldom read magazine stories,” said Mr. _Reader_) to _Reeder_. [Red Aces/Chapter VI] “that all the money he paid in was in French bank notes” delete the first _in_. (“He owed him money. I know no more _that_ that.) to _than_. [Red Aces/Chapter X] “he _addresssed_ the company again without taking his eyes” to _addressed_. [Red Aces/Chapter XI] “It _were_ no accident: it was a deliberate double-cross.” to _was_. “endeavouring to open the safe behind the bookcase, The telephone” change the comma to a period. “was sent anonymously to the younger _Mackay_ by Machfield” to _McKay_. [Kennedy The Con. Man/Chapter IV] (“What’s biting you,” demanded blue trench coat.) change the comma to a question mark. [Kennedy The Con. Man/Chapter V] (“F.S.” frowned the inspector. “That’s a pretty common initial.”) add a comma after _F.S._ (“Why should it be Seafield. That’s wildly improbable, Reeder.”) change the first period to a question mark. [The Case Of Joe Attymar/Chapter IV] “Gaylor opened an _attache_ case and took out a battered” to _attaché_. [The Case Of Joe Attymar/Chapter VIII] (“By _jove_!” said Desboyne suddenly. “I left it outside) to _Jove_. [End of text]