"You re a fierce one, you are, anyway," grumbled the man, climbing up to his seat with an uneasy eye on the weapon which still covered him. "My sister is just like you, plucky as a bantam, she is." "Which sister do you mean, Mrs. Marshall or Miss Cass? You have two, you know, adopted sisters?" "Oh, she told you that, did she?" said Job, rubbing his head, and evidently perplexed at the extent of his visitor's knowledge. "Well, it seems you know a lot, you do!" "Enough to hang you," was the curt reply. "That's a lie!" shouted Job. "I didn't lay a finger on him." "Then how did you become possessed of the red pocket-book?" The gypsy started, and gave Mr. Cass another of his keen glances. He did not reply immediately, but seemed to be reflecting. At length, "How do I know you are not laying a trap for me? The business I had with the high-born Gentile lady concerns her only. She has not told me to speak of hidden things to you." "If you don't tell me--and tell me quickly too--you will have to reply to a magistrate." "What magistrate, rye?" "The one before whom I will bring you," was a the quiet answer. "Understand that I have sufficient evidence in my possession to have you arrested on suspicion of having murdered the man Jenner. For reasons which you will doubtless appreciate, I am willing to deal gently with you. But," he raised a threatening finger, "only on condition that you make a clean breast of all to me--and at once." "Anything you do to me, rye, will harm your sister. I hold something which can break her heart." "The bill of exchange you heard Marshall talking about to Jenner?" Job fell back in amazement. "You do know all! Yes; I hold the bill--the forged bill--which can put in prison----" "No one. That is quite enough; you need tell no more lies. You got possession of the pocket-book----" "Yes; and I took the bill out before I gave it to the lady." "I see," said Mr. Cass tranquilly, although he marvelled at the daring of the man. "And you made use of your assertion that you had possession of the bill to blackmail Mrs. Marshall?" "I only got a little money out of her, my Gentile. She has been kind to me, and she has given me this house to die in." "Then the sooner you die the better. You are no good to anyone, so far as I can see. You scoundrel!--to blackmail a lady! She believed you--I do not. "You don't believe I have the bill?" asked Job, incredulously. "No; for if you had you would shew it to me." "I will not. Why should I?" "You cannot shew it to me! I thought as much." "Hey! You think so, rye! Then if I haven't the bill, who has?" "Mrs. Marshall; for I gave it to her to-day." "It is--a lie! a lie!" Job was quite pale now; he saw that his last card was played, and that he had now very little hold--but still some--over Mrs. Marshall.