"I am not to be frightened by melodrama," said Mrs. Hill scornfully. "Sit down, Sarah--sit down," said Hill, his teeth chattering. The woman could not help casting a contemptuous look on the coward, even though she fancied, she owed so much to him. But, as she was a most sensible woman, she saw that it would be as well to obey. "I am ready to hear," she said, sitting by Hill, and putting her strong arm round the shivering, miserable creature. "I'll come to the point at once," said Don, speaking to Hill, "as we have not much time to lose. Mr. Hill, you have forty thousand pounds' worth of diamonds here. Give them up!" Hill turned even paler than he was. "How do you know that?" he asked. "It can't be true," put in Mrs. Hill spiritedly. "If you are talking of Mr. Strode's diamonds, my husband hasn't got them." "Your husband stole the wooden hand from the dead," said Foxy, with his usual snarl. "He took it home and opened it." "I did not know it contained the diamonds," babbled Hill. "No. You thought it contained a certain document," said Don, and produced a paper from his pocket, "a blue paper document, not very large--of such a size as might go into a wooden hand, provided the hand was hollow as it was. Is this it?" Hill gave a scream and springing up bounded forward. "Give it to me--give it!' he cried. "For the diamonds," said Father Don, putting the paper behind him. "You shall have them. I hid them in this room--I don't want them, but that paper--it is mine." "I know that--signed with your name, isn't it? Well, bring out the diamonds, and, when you hand them over----" "You'll give me the paper?" Foxy shook his head as Father Don looked inquiringly at him. "No, we must keep that paper, so as to get away--otherwise you'll be setting the police on our track." "I swear I won't--I swear----" Hill dropped on his knees, "I swear----" His wife pulled him to his feet. "Try and be a man, Lawrence," she said. "What is this document?" "Nothing--nothing--but I must have it," cried Hill jerking himself away. He ran across the room, and fumbled at the lock of a cabinet. "See--see--I have the diamonds! I found them in the hand--I put them into a canvas bag--here--here--" his fingers shook so that he could hardly open the drawer. Foxy came forward and kindly helped him. Between the two, the drawer was opened. Hill flung out a mass of papers, which strewed the floor. Then from beneath these, he hauled a small canvas bag tied at the mouth and sealed. "All the diamonds are here," he said, bringing this to Don and trying to open it. "Forty thousand pounds--forty--for God's sake--" he broke off hysterically--"the paper, the paper I signed!" Don took possession of the bag and was about to hand over the document, when Foxy snatched it. "We'll send this from the Continent," he said, "while we have this, you won't be able to set the peelers on us."