"She holds the letter," said Agnes with a side-glance. "And being jealous of me, she intends to make me suffer, unless I buy her silence and the letter. Otherwise, according to Mr. Silver, she will show it to the police. I have seven days, more or less, in which to make up my mind. Either I must be blackmailed, or I must face the accusation." Lambert heard only one word that struck him in this speech. "Why is Chaldea jealous of you?" he demanded angrily. "I think you can best answer that question, Noel." "I certainly can, and answer it honestly, too. Who told you about Chaldea?" "Mr. Silver, for one, as I have just confessed. Clara Greeby for another. She said that the girl was sitting to you for some picture." "Esmeralda and Quasimodo," replied the artist quickly. "You will find what I have done of the picture in the next room. But this confounded girl chose to fall in love with me, and since then I have declined to see her. I need hardly tell you, Agnes, that I gave her no encouragement." "No, dear. I never for one moment supposed that you would." "All the same, and in spite of my very plain speaking, she continues to haunt me, Agnes. I have avoided her on every occasion, but she comes daily to see Mrs. Tribb, and ask questions about my illness." "Then, if she comes this afternoon, you must get that letter from her," was the reply. "I wish to see it." "Silver declares that you wrote it?" "He does. Chaldea showed it to him." "It is in your handwriting?" "So Mr. Silver declares." Lambert rubbed the bristles of his three days' beard, and wriggled uncomfortably in his seat. "I can't gather much from these hints," he said with the fretful impatience of an invalid. "Give me a detailed account of this scoundrel's interview with you, and report his exact words if you can remember them, Agnes." "I remember them very well. A woman does not forget such insults easily." "Damn the beast!" muttered Lambert savagely. "Go on, dear." Agnes patted his hand to soothe him, and forthwith related all that had passed between her and the ex-secretary. Lambert frowned once or twice during the recital, and bit his lip with anger. Weak as he was, he longed for Silver to be within kicking distance, and it would have fared badly with the foxy little man had he been in the room at the moment. When Agnes ended, her lover reflected for a few minutes. "It's a conspiracy," he declared. "A conspiracy, Noel?" "Yes. Chaldea hates you because the fool has chosen to fall in love with me. The discovery of this letter has placed a weapon in her hand to do you an injury, and for the sake of money Silver is assisting her. I will do Chaldea the justice to say that I don't believe she asks a single penny for the letter. To spite you she would go at once to the police. But Silver, seeing that there is money in the business, has prevented her doing so. As to this letter--" He stopped and rubbed his chin again vexedly. "It must be a forgery."