"You may put up that pistol," he said coolly. "I'm not going to jump you, so it's unnecessary. Besides, it's bad form with a lady present. And finally, if you should happen to let it off the racket would bring the police down on you more quickly than you'd like, I fancy." The man grinned and shoved the weapon into a pocket from which its grip projected handily. "Something in what you say," he assented. "Besides, I'm quick, surprisingly quick with my hands." "Part of your professional equipment, no doubt," commented Staff indifferently. "Admit it," said the other easily. He turned his attention to Alison. "Well, Miss Landis ...?" "Well, Mr. Iff?" she returned in the same tone. "No," he corrected; "not Iff--Ismay." "So you've changed identities again!" "Surely you don't mind?" he said, grinning over the evasion. "But you denied being Ismay aboard the Autocratic." "My dear lady, you couldn't reasonably expect me to plead guilty to a crime which I had not yet committed." "Oh, get down to business!" Staff interrupted impatiently. "You're wasting time--yours as well as ours." "Peevish person, your young friend," Ismay commented confidentially to Alison. "Still, there's something in what he says. Shall we--ah--begin to negotiate?" "I think you may as well," she agreed coldly. "Very well, then. The case is simple enough. I'm here to offer to secure the return of the Cadogan collar for an appropriate reward." "Ten thousand dollars has been offered," she began. "Not half enough, my dear lady," he interposed. "You insult the necklace by naming such a meagre sum--to say nothing of undervaluing _my_ intelligence." "So that's it!" she said reflectively. "That is it, precisely. I am in communication with the person who stole your necklace; she's willing to return it for a reward of reasonable size." "She? You mean Miss Searle?" The man made a deprecating gesture. "Please don't ask me to name the lady...." "I knew it!" Alison cried triumphantly. "You puppy!" Staff exclaimed. "Haven't you the common manhood to shoulder the responsibility for your crimes yourself?" "Tush," said the man gently--"tush! Not a pretty way to talk at all--calling names! I'm surprised. Besides, I ought to know better than you, acting as I do as agent for the lady in question." "That's a flat lie," said Staff. "If you repeat it--I warn you--I'll jump you as sure 's my name's Staff, pistol or no pistol!" "Aren't you rather excited in your defence of this woman?" Alison turned on him with a curling lip. "I've a right to my emotions," he retorted--"to betray them as I see fit." "And I," Ismay put it, "to my freedom of speech--" "Not in my rooms," Staff interrupted hotly. "I've warned you. Drop this nonsense about Miss Searle if you want to stop here another minute without a fight. Drop it! Say what you want to say to Miss Landis----and get out!"