"Ah! you are angry at my escaping from you," said Ellersby, with his usual cynicism. "Console yourself, my astute thief-catcher, my capture would not have redounded to your credit as you were quite on the wrong scent. You suspected Desmand, Calliston, Lena Sarschine and Balscombe; everyone but the right one. I have fooled you to the end, and, now I am caught, will yet escape your clutches." May Penfold stepped towards him. "As you have sinned so deeply," she said, in a low tone, "you had better make reparation while you may and confess all, so as to release Myles from prison. Meanwhile, I will go for a doctor." He signed her feebly to remain. "No doctor can do me any good," he said faintly, "but I will tell all. Mr. Dowker will, perhaps, write it down, and if I'm not too far gone I'll--sign it." "I will write your confession," said Norwood, and, sitting down at the desk, he took up a pen and waited. It was a strange scene. Ellersby lying on the floor with his eyes half closed, Balscombe leaning against the desk, with his clothes all torn and a white haggard face, and May Penfold standing beside Dowker, looking with pitying eyes on the dying man at her feet. As he knew he had not long to live, Ellersby commenced at once: "I am, as you know, the son of a West Indian, and came to England to be educated. I was brought up, in early childhood, by a negro nurse, and before I left Barbadoes she gave me an arrow-head, which, she told me, was steeped in deadly poison, and that one scratch would kill. Something to do with their Obi business, I suppose. She told me to use it on my enemies, but I was not so savage as she was, though I have got negro blood in my veins, and I did not bother much about it. I finished my education and went into society. One time, while down at Folkestone, I met Amelia Dicksfall, and loved her--you do not know how I loved her--with all the mad passion of a Creole. She led me on till I was her slave and then refused to marry me, for at least two years--for what reason I was then ignorant, but now I know it was because she wanted to marry a title, and kept me in hand so as to become my wife if she failed to realise her ambition. I went abroad and when I returned a short time ago, I found she had married Balscombe. I saw her and reproached her with her treachery, but she only laughed at me. Then I heard how she carried on with Calliston and swore I would kill her if she preferred him to me. She denied that she cared for him, and then I heard about her projected elopement and determined to make one more appeal to her. If that failed I took an oath I would kill her with the poisoned arrow-head. I thought I would see her on that night, so, dressing myself in evening dress, I put the arrow head in my pocket and went along to Park Lane. I was told she had gone to the Countess of Kerstoke's ball and, thinking this was a mere subterfuge on her part, I thought I would go to Calliston's chambers and see him.