“It’s her own fault,” he muttered. “If she will throw herself into the lion’s jaws, she has none but herself to blame if he closes his teeth upon her. By Jove, what a schemer she is! She hesitates at nothing. Fancy making love to me, in order to bewitch me into acceding to any request she might make of me. I know now why she hinted her desire to see Gibraltar in my company. She wanted to inveigle me into English territory; but that game’s off, my dear. And then how extraordinarily well she is got up now! I should never have suspected ‘Mr. Bootle’s’ _bona fides_ if that little fool of a Dollman had not roused my suspicions about ‘Miss Stratton.’ Being suspicious, it was natural that I should watch her, and that I should listen at her window. But I shall never forget my amazement at discovering how completely I had been hoodwinked. Yet I am sure that my previous failure to penetrate her dual disguise must be attributed to her superior cleverness, not to my denseness. This makes it all the more imperative to remove her--and now I see my chance.” The next moment he had stealthily sprung forward, and with arm upraised, was about to plunge a knife into Mr. Bootle’s back, when there was a sudden rush, and he felt himself borne to the ground by a heavy mass which threw itself against him. With a startled cry he flung out his arms, and made a frantic effort to save himself from falling, the knife which he meant to have used to such deadly purpose dropping from his nerveless grasp. But his struggle was useless, and he lay gasping with terror, while Briny (for he it was who had thus opportunely come to the rescue) held him down, and growled murderous things. Mr. Bootle had turned round as soon as he heard the commotion behind him, and, recognising Briny, guessed at once what was the matter. “The dastard has intended to kill me, or to stun me, thinking me a fit subject for robbery,” was his first thought. But presently, on approaching nearer, he recognised his foe, and realised that his disguise was penetrated. Like lightning, however, the idea flashed through his brain that even yet it would be good policy to appear to be unaware of Gregory Staines’ discovery, and to pretend to be ignorant of the motive of Briny’s attack upon him. “Briny! Briny!” he called hurriedly. “Mind what you are doing. Off! I say. Off at once! This is a friend!” Briny, in obedience to the voice which he knew and loved through every attempt at disguising it, drew himself off the recumbent figure of the man, who was dreading lest he should use his fangs, and whom terror was rendering passive under his weight. But that he relinquished his prey with great reluctance was quite evident, and he growled menacingly as Gregory Staines rose to his feet, with a sickly attempt to endorse his foe’s assumption of the unreasonableness of Briny’s attack upon him.