Miss Lorry looked curiously at him. "You should know!" "What the blazes do you mean?" "Oh, if you don't know there's no more to be said. As Strode is dead, you can't get the money now. Your blackmailing is of no value. Miss Strode will get the diamonds and marry Mr. Allen Hill." "Hill?" said Giles thoughtfully; "does he take after that fool of a father of his?" "No; he's a man and not a whimpering ass like Lawrence Hill." Giles stood musing at the door. "So Miss Strode will get the diamonds?" he said; "blest if I don't see her, and----" Miss Lorry whirled round. "You leave her alone or I'll make things unpleasant for you. The poor girl has sorrow enough, and she's a good girl." "Keep your hair on, I'll do nothing--at present," added Antonio significantly: and with an ironical bow he departed. Miss Lorry clutched her breast with a frown. "I'll write that letter and send it by Butsey," she said determinedly. CHAPTER XV AN UNEXPECTED MEETING Mr. Mask had a dark little office in the city down a long narrow lane which led from Cheapside. In the building he inhabited were many offices, mostly those of the legal profession, and Mr. Mask's rooms were on the ground floor. He had only two. In the outer one a clerk almost as old as Mr. Mask himself scribbled away in a slow manner, and showed in clients to the inner room. This was a gloomy little dungeon with one barred window looking out on to a blank wall, damp and green with slime. Light was thrown into the room through this window by means of a silvered glass, so the actual illumination of the apartment was very small indeed, even in summer. In winter the gas glared and flared all the day.