"You made a solemn compact with me that night at Wroxeter," she said. "And you have broken it. On my part I have done all that was possible. Cator would have known the truth long ago had it not been for my presence in Italy, and for the counteracting efforts of his own lieutenant, Francesco Marucci. To my foresight all this is due, yet now you decline to save yourself!" "I refuse to be blackmailed." "You hope to escape and marry her," laughed the fair-haired woman defiantly. "I hope for nothing. My life is, to me, just as precious as it was that bitter night at Wroxeter." "And you absolutely refuse to accept the alternative?" "I will accept nothing either from you, or from your associates," he replied. "Then we are to be enemies?" "If you so desire." "You prefer the revelations that I intend to make?" "I do, most certainly," he answered with a forced laugh. "Shall I tell you one thing?" "Do, by all means." "Well, you shall never marry her. To-morrow she will hate the very mention of your name," she cried wildly. "My memory, you mean." "Why?" "Because to-morrow I shall be dead, and your chance of plucking the pigeon will have disappeared," he answered bitterly. She looked at him with a maddened and fiery glance, as though his defiance had aroused the spirit of murder within her. She saw that his determination to carry out his previous intention of suicide checkmated her. All her ingenious wiles had been conceived and operated in vain. While he still lived, there was a hope of securing the prize which an hour ago had seemed to be so well within her grasp. "So you refuse!" she cried in a frenzy of anger. "You intend to escape by self-destruction, miserable coward that you are!" "I am no coward!" he replied with fierce indignation. "If I were a coward I would accept the offer of your associates and pay willingly to be placed beyond the possibility of arrest. But I prefer to face the inevitable, and shall do so without flinching." Then, turning to the others, he added: "I wish all three of you more success in your next attempt to squeeze money from an unfortunate criminal--that is all." He turned to leave, but Tonio, the hot-headed young bully, instantly sprang forward and drew from his belt a glittering knife, one of those long, narrow-bladed weapons which the Italian of the South usually carries out of sight on his person, although his paternal government forbids him so to do. Quick as thought Dudley divined the Italian wished to prevent him from leaving the house, and, seeing the knife held down threateningly before him, he raised his fist and with a rapid, well-directed drive from the shoulder struck the fellow beneath the jaw with such force that he was lifted up and fell backwards upon the table, overturning the cheap paraffin lamp standing there.