"I can't tell you," he said in a tremulous voice. "You must." "It's impossible." "I tell you what, sir," said Naball coolly, "if you don't tell, it means trouble for you and the other man." "What other man?" asked Malton shakily. "The man you got this note from." Malton thought for a moment, and then apparently made up his mind. "You saw I was taken aback?" he asked Naball curiously. The detective nodded. "It's because I'm sorry for what I have to tell you--the man I got the note from was Ezra Lazarus." Naball jumped to his feet with a cry. "The dead man's son?" he said. "Yes; the dead man's son," replied Malton slowly. Naball stood for a few minutes, then putting the note in his pocket-book, once more took up his hat, and moved to the door. "Where are you going?" asked Malton, rising. "To see Mr. Ezra Lazarus," said Naball, pausing a moment. "In the meantime, till I have certain proof of his guilt, you hold your tongue." And he walked out, leaving Malton standing at his desk as if turned into stone. Naball, on his way to the newspaper office, rapidly ran over in his own mind all the details of the case against Ezra. "His father wouldn't give him any money, and he wanted to get married to that girl; father and son had a quarrel on the day preceding the murder; he was at the Bon-Bon on that night, and took Caprice downstairs to her carriage; she gave him Stewart's coat to take back to him again; in that coat was the knife found by Villiers under the window; she left the theatre long before Stewart,--where did he go? to his office, or--good heavens! if it should turn out to be true--" Ezra received him, looking rather knocked up, but his face, though pale, was quite placid, and Naball wondered how a man guilty of such a terrible crime as parricide could be so calm. "You look tired," he said, taking a seat. "I am tired," admitted Ezra wearily. "I've been busy with my father's affairs." "Humph!" thought Naball; "counting his gains, I suppose." "Any fresh development of the case?" asked Ezra. "Yes," said Naball solemnly. "I received this note to-day, and traced it back to Malton; he says it was given to him by you." Ezra examined the note with great interest, and on turning it over saw the fatal words endorsed. He looked up quickly to Naball. "This is one of the notes that were stolen?" he asked. "Yes," replied Naball; "and Malton said it was given to him by you." "By me!" repeated Ezra in amazement. "How on earth could I come across this note?" "That's what I want to find out," said Naball. Ezra looked at him for a moment, then the whole situation seemed to burst on him, and with a stifled groan the unhappy young man fell back into his chair, burying his face in his hands. "Good God!" he cried, "you don't suspect me of killing my father?" "If you are innocent, you can explain where you got the note."