Mr. Yollop pondered. "I think, Cassius, if you don't mind, I'd rather you'd hit me a good sound wollop on the jaw." "I'll tell you what I'll do," modified Mr. Smilk. "I'll lock you in that closet over there, Mr. Yollop, so's you won't have to watch me rap her over the bean. After I've gone through the apartment, I'll--" "Would you strike a woman, Ernest Wilson?" cried Mrs. Champney. "See here, Smilk," said Mr. Yollop, "I cannot allow you to strike my sister. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I'll thrash you within an inch of your life." "Oh, you will, will you?" sneered Mr. Smilk. "If you want to go ahead and rob this apartment in a decent, orderly way, all well and good. My sister and I will personally conduct you through,--" "We will do nothing of the kind," blazed Mrs. Champney. "I'd like to see you try to thrash me within an inch--" "And, what's more," went on the lady, "I will see that you go up for twenty years, Ernest Wilson, you degraded, ungrateful wretch." Smilk's face brightened. He even allowed himself a foxy grin. "Now you're beginnin' to talk sense," said he. "Sit down, Ernest, and let me talk quietly to you," said Mrs. Champney. "I'm sure you don't quite realize what you are doing. You need moral support. You are not naturally a bad man. You--" "Are you goin' to take them rings off peaceably?" muttered Smilk, a hunted look leaping into his eyes. "I am not," said she. "Speak a little louder, both of you," complained Mr. Yollop. "This contraption of mine doesn't seem to catch what you are saying." "Jiggle it," said Smilk brightly. "How long ago did you telephone for the police, Crittenden?" "How long ago was it, Cassius?" "Only about an hour. We got plenty of time to finish up before they get here." "Do you think it will go harder with you, Cassius, if they find Mrs. Champney bound and gagged and everything scattered about the floor, and the jewelry in your possession?" "It might help," said Cassius. "The trouble is, you never can tell what a damn' fool jury will do, 'specially to a guy with a record like mine." "You had a splendid record up at Sing Sing," announced the lady. "That's why I had so little trouble--" "You don't get me," said Cassius lugubriously. "My record is a bad one. I've been paroled twice. That's bound to influence most any jury against me. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if they recommended clemency, as the sayin' is, and after all that's been done to keep me out of the pen, the judge is likely to up and give me the minimum sentence. No," he went on, "I guess I'll have to rap somebody over the bean. I'd sooner it as you, ma'am, on account of the way you forced me into a life of crime when I was leadin' an honest, happy, carefree--" "Why, the man's insane, Crittenden,--positively insane. He doesn't know what he's--" "For God's sake, don't start anything like that," barked Cassius. "That would be the LIMIT!"