"You cannot," he continued, "by the wildest stretch of imagination, believe that this has been a one-man job. The whole scheme of your conveyance into Dredlinton House and into this room has necessitated the employment of something like twenty men. The greater part of these, of course, have been paid by me. One or two are volunteers." "Volunteers?" Phipps exclaimed. "Do you mean that you could find men to do your dirty work for nothing?" "I found men," Wingate answered sternly, "and I could find many more--and without payment, too--who were willing to enter into any scheme directed against you and your company." "Are we to stand here," Phipps demanded, "whilst you preach us a sermon about our business methods?" "I am afraid, for your own sakes, you must hear what I have to say before you go," Wingate replied. "I will put it in as few words as possible. If you give the show away, besides making yourselves the laughingstocks of the world you may live for twenty-four hours if my people are unlucky, but I give you my word of honour, Phipps--and I will do you the credit of believing that you recognise truth when you come across it--that you will both of you be dead before the dawn of the second day." Phipps leaned against the back of a chair. He seemed to have aged ten years in the last few days. "You threaten us with the vengeance of some secret society?" he demanded. "Not so very secret, either," Wingate rejoined, "but if you want to know the truth, I will tell it you. The greatest problem which we had to face, in arranging this little escapade, was how we should keep you silent after your release. We could think of none but primitive means, and those primitive means are established. There are five men, each of them men who have been ruined by the operations of your company, who have sworn to take your lives if you should divulge the truth as to your detention here. They are men of their word and they will do it. That is the position, gentlemen. I will not detain you any longer." Phipps moistened his dry lips. "If," he said, "we decide to hold our peace about the happenings of the last few days, it will not be because of your threats." "So long as you hold your peace," Wingate replied drily, "I have no desire to question your motives. Believe me, though, silence, and silence alone, will preserve your lives." He opened the door and they passed out of the room, Phipps stumbling a little, as though blinded by the unexpected sunshine which streamed through the skylight in the hall. From the shadows beyond, Grant came suddenly into evidence. "Breakfast is served in the dining room," he announced respectfully. A flickering anger seemed suddenly to blaze up in Stanley Rees. He cast a furious glance at the man whose fingers had twisted their imprisoning cords. "Open the door," he snarled, "and let us get out of this damned house!"