"I can speak openly to you," said Ellersby, coolly, "because you are in my power. I did place the poisoned arrow-head there, in order to secure evidence against you!" "Then it was you killed my wife!" cried Balscombe, stepping towards him with the arrow-head in his hand. "I never said I did!" retorted Ellersby, audaciously, "but I can tell you this--I met your wife on that night after you left her, and I asked her for those letters as they compromised both her and myself. She told me where they were and described the hiding-place to me. Last time I was here I searched and discovered the secret, but the letters were not there." "No. They were removed by me." "So I see--but if I did not find the letters, I found something better--the locket with my portrait which you took from your wife's neck on that night, so as I wanted to marry Miss Penfold and wanted you to help me, I placed there the arrow-head so as to force you for your own safety to help me. I have succeeded, and you must do what I order, or swing for it." "You devil!" cried Balscombe, madly. "It was you who murdered my unhappy wife--do not deny it!--I can see it in your cowardly face--I will accuse you before the world, and hang you for your crime!" "Bah!--who will believe your word against mine? There is no evidence against me!" "Your own confession!" "Does not include a confession of murder--what I have said to you in private I will deny in public--you have no witnesses." "You lie--here are three!" The two men turned round with a cry, and there, on the threshold of the room stood May Penfold with a look of triumph in her eyes--and behind, Dowker and Norwood. Ellersby saw he was lost, and with a harsh shriek made a bound for the door of the library; but before he could reach it Balscombe threw himself on him and bore him to the ground. The two men rolled on the floor fighting desperately, and then Dowker joined in to assist in securing Ellersby, when suddenly his struggles ceased and he became quite passive. "It's all over," he said quietly, with a livid face, as Balscombe arose to his feet. "I will escape you yet." "You will not escape the gallows," cried Balscombe, panting. "Yes, I will," sneered Ellersby, with a ghastly smile; "and by your own act. You forgot you had the poisoned arrow-head in your hand, and you have wounded me--see." He held up his right hand and there they saw a long red ragged wound where the weapon had torn him. "In ten minutes I will be a dead man," he said quietly. "Not all the science in the world can save me now." "Curse it!" cried Dowker in a rage, while the other three remained silent with horror.