The doctor spoke so bravely and so fiercely that for the moment Anthony and Clarice wavered in their belief of Ferdy's story. They knew well that Ferdy was a supreme liar, and, on the face of it, Sir Daniel Jerce's character had always been above reproach. The doctor saw that he had made an impression, and followed up his advantage, swiftly and vehemently. "That Ferdinand should accuse me is no surprise," he went on, in a ringing voice. "I have done so much for him, that it is natural he should be ungrateful. I have always found that those I have helped have been my worst enemies. Ferdinand is indebted to me for money, for advice, for education, and for liberty." "For liberty?" echoed Clarice, drawing near to the speaker. "Yes! That young whelp received a cheque from me for twenty pounds as a loan. He altered the figures and the writing to two hundred pounds with a cleverness which would have done credit to an accomplished forger. I could have put him in gaol. But I forgave him, and this ingratitude is my reward." "One moment, Ferdy," said Clarice, checking her brother's speech with a gesture, "where is the forged cheque, Sir Daniel?" Jerce was taken aback. "I gave it to Ferdinand," he said, sullenly. "You did, when you could have used it to stop his evil doings?" "I wished to give him another chance of reforming," protested Jerce. "You liar!" shouted Ferdy, beside himself with rage. "You gave me the cheque after I had stamped Uncle Henry's dead body with the Purple Fern according to your directions." "Yes," said Jerce, rashly losing his self-control, "and after you had murdered your guardian." "I did not! I did not!" "On what grounds do you base this accusation, Jerce?" asked Ackworth. "On the grounds that Felix Exton, the young man who died in Tea Street, Whitechapel, gave me the stamp of the Purple Fern----" "You never said that before." "There was no need. I never said so, because Ferdinand stole the stamp from me, and I thought that he might make use of it. Horran was angry with him, and Ferdinand wished to get rid of him, thinking that he would then come into the money. I base my accusation upon the fact that the Purple Fern was stamped on my poor friend's forehead, and only Ferdinand, who possessed the stamp, could have done that. For your sake, Miss Baird, I have held my peace, cruelly though you have treated me; but now, when Ferdinand seeks to throw the blame of his wickedness on me, I must speak out, to protect myself. If need be I shall go to the police, and tell all that I know. I am not a man to be defied with impunity." The clever turn which the doctor gave to Ferdy's story startled Clarice, as she saw how dangerous the man was, and to what lengths he was prepared to go to save his own skin. "You had the gold box," she said, rather weakly. "Pardon me. Osip dropped that when he searched me." "He denies that. He said that you had the box, for which he was looking, and threw it away."