So the Duke had led him to the little cellar, where he laboured hotly at a refractory electric battery, and Hank had pushed him up through a trap door out of the roof, where he, trembling, fixed a misplaced slate, and the Duke had insisted upon the ground being opened in the garden so that a defective drain-pipe might be repaired. After digging industriously, if unskilfully, for half an hour, it was discovered that the drain-pipe was in another part of the garden altogether. Then he was taken into the common-room to fix the gas. Between the fear that his excessive exertions and their attendant perspiration, would melt the wax that affixed his noble moustache and the desire for information, Mr. Nape was more than ordinarily embarrassed. For there is little one may learn in a four-foot excavation, and the news whispered abroad on suburban housetops is scarcely worth remembering. Therefore he welcomed the adjournment to the common-room. Whilst he tinkered, the men talked, and at their first words Roderick pricked up his ears. "Duke," said Hank, "I want to ask you something." "Wait till the man is out of the room," said the Duke warningly. Hank shrugged his broad shoulders. "He’s too interested in his work," he said, "and besides——" He shrugged again. "Well, what is it you want?" "Isn’t it time," asked Hank with sinister emphasis, "that you and I shared out the swag?" The Duke rose and agitatedly paced up and down. "Let us go into the next room," he said. The front drawing-room, from the back was divided by a pair of light folding doors. Mr. Nape descended from the chair, and crept noiselessly towards the partition. "Duke," said Hank’s voice, "or ’Jim Duke,’ to give you your right name——" "Hush," said the Duke’s voice appealingly. "Jim Duke," continued the other callously, "as you are known in Pentonville and Sing Sing, it’s time for a share out." "How much do you want," sullenly. "I don’t know," said Hank’s voice, "it ought to be considerable. There’s the Countess of B——’s diamond necklace, the Princess of Saxony’s tiara, and the proceeds of the Hoxton Bank robbery." Mr. Nape could scarcely contain himself. He heard the Duke’s footfall as he strode up and down the room, then he heard him speak, "I will give you twenty thousand pounds," he said shortly. Mr. Nape heard a sharp laugh. "Twenty thousand! why I’ll get that for turning King’s evidence—about the Lylham Hall affair!" There was a pause. "If I killed him, you were an accessory," said the Duke. "I helped to bury him, if that’s what you mean," said Hank coolly, "and that was against my wishes; you will remember that I suggested that he should be chucked into the river." "True," said the Duke moodily, "it has always been my cursed failing, this burying business—you forget I was intended for the Church." "You didn’t bury the Earl," said Hank significantly, and they both laughed boisterously. As for Mr. Nape, his blood froze and his teeth started chattering.