"Oh, well--they'll have it at Liverpool," observed Prydale. "We can get at it there. Of course, they'll have your record of the entire transaction. He'd be down on their passenger list--under the name of Parsons, I think, Mr. Murgatroyd?" "He gave me that name," said Murgatroyd. Prydale gave Byner a look and both rose. "I think that's about all," said the detective. "Of course, our next inquiry will be at Liverpool---at the Royal Atlantic. Thank you, Mr. Murgatroyd--much obliged." Before the watchmaker could collect himself sufficiently to say or ask more, Prydale and his companion had walked out of the shop and gone away. And then Murgatroyd realized that he was in for--but he did not know what he was in for. What he did know was that if Prydale went or sent over to Liverpool the whole thing would burst like a bubble. For the Royal Atlantic people would tell the detectives at once that no passenger named Parsons had sailed under their auspices on November 24th last, and that he, Murgatroyd, had been telling a pack of lies. Mrs. Murgatroyd, a sharp-featured woman whose wits had been sharpened by a ten years' daily acquaintance with poverty, came out of the shop into the parlour and looked searchingly at her husband. "What did them fellows want?" she demanded. "I knew one of 'em--Prydale, the detective. Now what's up, Reuben? More trouble?" Murgatroyd hesitated a moment. Then he told his wife the whole story concealing nothing. "If they go to the Royal Atlantic, it'll all come out," he groaned. "I couldn't make any excuse or explanation--anyhow! What's to be done?" "You should ha' had naught to do wi' that Pratt!" exclaimed Mrs. Murgatroyd. "A scoundrelly fellow, to come and tempt poor folk to do his dirty work! Where's the money?" "Locked up!" answered Murgatroyd. "I haven't touched a penny of it. I thought I'd wait a bit and see if aught happened. But he assured me it was all right, and you know as well as I do that a hundred pound doesn't come our way every day. We want money!" "Not at that price!" said his wife. "You can pay too much for money, my lad! I wish you'd told me what that Pratt was after--he should have heard a bit o' my tongue! If I'd only known----" Just then the shop door opened, and Pratt walked in. He at once saw Murgatroyd and his wife standing between shop and parlour, and realized at a glance that his secret in this instance was his no longer. "Well?" he said, walking up to the watchmaker. "You've had Prydale here--and you'd Eldrick this morning. Of course, you knew what to say to both?" "I wish we'd never had you here last night, young man!" exclaimed Mrs. Murgatroyd fiercely. "What right have you to come here, making trouble for folk that's got plenty already? But at any rate, ours was honest trouble. Yours is like to land my husband in dishonesty--if it hasn't done so already! And if my husband had only spoken to me----"