"It is a quarter past four now," said Herrick glancing at his watch. "I will wait for him." "He is dangerous," said Joyce alarmed, and rising from his chair. "So am I. It is not a man like me who is afraid of a Mexican Greaser, Mr. Joyce. Don't go near that window. You'll be making signals to your friend. I don't trust you." "On my honour--" began Joyce returning to his seat. "You haven't got any. Now then, why did Santiago try to get Marsh killed?" "He did not want to kill him. He only desired that he should be disabled and prevented from going to the vault." Herrick whistled. "Ah, he has been looking up the will at Doctor's Commons. Well, and what does he expect to gain by the money going to Frisco? The man is in communication with him I suppose?" "No," said Joyce sulkily, "he is in communication with me." "The devil!" Herrick sprang to his feet. "So _you_ put that cipher in the paper, asking Frisco to meet you at Hyde Park Corner." "Yes I did. I put in the first and the second." "Who taught you the cipher? It was one that Colonel Carr knew." "Santiago taught it to me." "Ah! Now we are getting at the truth," said Herrick, "and where did you meet Santiago may I ask? No lie this time, please?" "I met him at the gambling club in this district." "Oh, you did. I never knew that gambling was a vice of yours. It seems one never does know a man. I thought better of you. Well, and for what reason did Santiago tell you about this cipher." "I knew him before I went on the walking tour with you. When I came back to London I went to the club and saw him there. He talked about the murder of Carr and had seen my name as one of the men who found the body. In one way and another he got everything out of me." "The story you told me?" "Yes! He made me tell everything." "Clever man," said Herrick with a nod, "but of course you are so weak poor soul, that you would tell everything. I now see how this man got you into his power. Well, and why did he teach you the cipher." "It seems he knew Frisco--" "Oh! He denied that. I knew that was a lie; but no matter." "I said that Frisco was in London, and that I should like to find him. I wanted to know if Frisco had really killed Colonel Carr." "Oh!" Herrick shrugged his shoulders, "and were on simple enough to think that Frisco would tell you?" "He did tell me--" "That he was innocent of course?" "Yes. That he was innocent. But if he had told me that he was guilty I could not have betrayed him." "Humph!" said Dr. Jim with a sharp glance, "you are getting more mysterious every moment. Well, so you put in that cipher--the first--by the direction of the Mexican? "Yes. And met Frisco at Hyde Park Corner. I also put in the second when I wanted to see Frisco again. He wouldn't give me his address, but said if I wanted to see him I was to communicate by the cipher. I did not meet him the second time, because I saw you waiting to catch us." "Ah! That was clever of you."