He emerged from the room of Algernon Mailey with every reason to know that Lord Roxton’s grip was as muscular as ever. In the excitement of the struggle he had hardly realised his injuries, but now he stood outside the door with his hand to his bruised throat and a hoarse stream of oaths pouring through it. His breast was aching also where Malone had planted his knee, and even the successful blow which had struck Mailey down had brought retribution, for it had jarred that injured hand of which he had complained to his brother. Altogether, if Silas Linden was in a most cursed temper, there was a very good reason for his mood. “I’ll get you one at a time,” he growled, looking back with his angry pig’s eyes at the outer door of the flats. “You wait, my lads, and see!” Then with sudden purpose he swung off down the street. It was to the Bardsley Square Police Station that he made his way, and he found the jovial, rubicund, black-moustached Inspector Murphy seated at his desk. “Well, what do _you_ want?” asked the Inspector in no very friendly voice. “I hear you got that medium right and proper.” “Yes, we did. I learn he was your brother.” “That’s neither here nor there. I don’t hold with such things in any man. But you got your conviction. What is there for me in it?” “Not a shilling!” “What? Wasn’t it I that gave the information? Where would you have been if I had not given you the office?” “If there had been a fine we might have allowed you something. We would have got something, too, Mr. Melrose sent him to gaol. There is nothing for anybody.” “So you say. I’m damned sure you and those two women got something out of it. Why the hell should I give away my own brother for the sake of the likes of you? You’ll find your own bird next time.” Murphy was a choleric man with a sense of his own importance. He was not to be bearded thus in his own seat of office. He rose with a very red face. “I’ll tell you what, Silas Linden, I could find my own bird and never move out of this room. You had best get out of this quick, or you may chance to stay here longer than you like. We’ve had complaints of your treatment of those two children of yours, and the children’s protection folk are taking an interest. Look out that we don’t take an interest, too.” Silas Linden flung out of the room with his temper hotter than ever, and a couple of rum-and-waters on his way home did not help to appease him. On the contrary, he had always been a man who grew more dangerous in his cups. There were many of his trade who refused to drink with him.