"Little, but it gave him the opportunity to try and ingratiate himself. He failed most completely, and why?" "How do I know? He is an ass, anyway." "Exactly. More than that, the young lady is in love with Philip Anson." "I'm not." "But he is in love with her. At first, both Mrs. Atherley and the girl kept him at arm's length. She was too poor, he too rich. That difficulty was smoothed over quite recently, and they meet now nearly every day. Langdon hasn't a dog's chance, and if all goes well, the happy pair will soon be off to Norway or Switzerland for their honeymoon." "Oh, indeed. Then where does all your clever scheming come in? Why have you held me back? He went to Sussex. You wouldn't let me follow him. He was out late several nights on his motor car along the North Road. I would have met him and smashed his face in with a life-preserver, but you held me back. What are you driving at? What's the game?" "You shall see." Grenier went to a cupboard and took out a small box. From this he produced a single check, and several slips of paper on which were written names and signatures. "That is an old check signed by Philip Anson," he said, coolly. "Here is his signature repeated several times for amusement. It only needs a man of action like you, an accomplished actor like myself, to possess the necessary nerve--the nerve that risks all on a supreme coup--and we will be not only rolling in money, but able to enjoy life pleasantly in any part of the world we select--even in London when the wind changes a little." "You must talk plainly if you want me to understand you," said Mason, doggedly. "Very well. You think I am somewhat like Philip Anson at this moment?" "His image, confound him!" "No, not his image. I would not humbug his friends. I might puzzle them for a moment, at a distance, but let them speak with me and I am done. It is sufficient that I resemble him. But the handwriting, that is good?" "First-class." "There I agree with you. My skill in that direction has been admitted by three bank clerks and an Old Bailey judge. And now for the coup. If you intend to kill this young gentleman you may as well kill him to our mutual advantage. There is no gain in being hanged for him unnecessarily, eh?" Mason glared at him in silence. "I see I must keep to the point. We must, by some means, inveigle him to a place where you can work your sweet pleasure on him. Ah, that interests you. It must be known that he is going to that place. It must be quite certain that he leaves it." "Leaves it!"