Release me. Now. Or I have to go to the doctor." Gently but firmly he pressed on the pistol muzzle. It was impossible to tell how far the weapon might be loaded, but he could not be sure of its safety, and while making any pretence at a struggle in which his fingers might have been mangled or broken, the muzzle could be pulled the least fraction of an inch forward, and-- But again he did the wise thing. "I'll look first. Take your hands off that weapon. I'll look." The girl obeyed his gesture, but he dared not trust her. He must be quite sure of his ground. He turned to the door, crossed to the wall, and looked round it. The place was lit by one of those electric lamps that do not illumine more than a few yards round, and that were so common once, but have, with all the great increase of civilization, become almost as scarce as savage tribes. The electric current, in fact, was so weak that it hardly extended at all outside the house it served, a common defect in the wiring of all the older suburbs. The next lamp, but half a mile distant, gave out a much more brilliant illumination. There was enough, however, to show him that he was alone. Even a second's hesitation would have told him that, had there been any one else within the radius of the light. Then he turned round, put up the pistol, and said again, "Now, quick. You must understand that I cannot spare you even a second. It is absolutely necessary that you should be released." "Look here, Jasper Treverton. I don't know what has happened--but I've had enough. I know this place; my sister used to stay here often. I was brought up in the country, and I know this house. Do you want to go inside, or shall I go for the police?" Jasper paused. It was all very well to talk about the girl's safety. He had not a shadow of a doubt that if he let her go, before he had cleared the air, she would give the alarm to the police. He hesitated for a moment. "No--this is my business," he said at last. "Nevertheless, you can render me the greatest assistance. If I leave you, where are you to go?" "My brother's. I know where he keeps the key. You need not be afraid of being betrayed. I have only got to call a cab, and be off." "Very well. Let us go. This way." He led the girl out of the house. "Keep quite close to me," he said, when they were in the street. "I may have to act on the spur of the moment, and must not leave you behind." They soon reached the cab stand. "Your sister's key, cabman. Now, I'll leave you to look after your niece. I hope you understand what I am telling you?" The cabman, who had already been informed of the number of the house, and was not easily to be taken in, laughed aloud. "You're as safe as a church, sir, inside that place. I've been driving my cab here six weeks past, and I know all the houses round. There's not one in twenty that has not got policemen in and out of it at all hours o' the day, and, if you was to walk in, you'd be a burglar before you knew you was one." "I shall not walk in. You are quite mistaken. I am not going to set foot inside that house." "Yes, you are." Jasper's voice grew very stern. "You are going inside that house--and if you open your lips, by Heaven, I will fire on you myself!" "What is the matter?" said a voice behind him. "Anything wrong?" Jasper sprang round, and found himself face to face with the doctor. "Anything wrong?" repeated the doctor. Jasper stared at the man. "No--no--nothing!" he said. "Nothing--except that you are a burglar in my hands." "What do you mean?" "You, and your accomplice--that woman there--have plotted to rob this house." "Why, how's this? I knew you were a friend of mine, but I wasn't aware that you had taken to my sort of business." "Do not trifle with me, sir. You are not the kind of man I expect to find here, and my presence in the house is likely to be noticed. I ought to give you in charge for house breaking." "Well, well; howsoever! Come! What is it you want?" "We want that girl who was here, the other night, when I heard the conversation of that woman over the garden wall. I believe she had a hand in the matter, and I know that she has been carrying on a correspondence with a prisoner, confined here in the 'squire's house, in this neighbourhood. I want that girl." "She has gone." "Where?" "I don't know." "It is false! She has gone to your 'sister'--it was she who opened the door to you, eh? Out of the house?" "How do you know that?" "I have seen her go out; and she has gone to your 'sister.' She has told her all about me, and asked her to give her shelter. What do you say to that, eh?" "What do you say to it yourself?" "That the girl will be easily found, as she will return to your sister's--because she will trust her. This, as you can see, is a trap for me--but not for you." "And who made you the master?" "Thank you. It was a good morning's work." The doctor paused a moment. He had made up his mind to risk nothing by any open violence. The burglar had gone, and he was alone. He might get shot by some foolish youngster, or, with a dozen chances against him, he might have trouble in getting through an hour. In any case, when his back was turned, the lady would escape. So he said quietly, "Come, that's over and done with. You have brought me here to tell you the truth--to give you the girl, and a cheque for L500--if you think that is too much, you can send the girl back again." "I don't take you for a fool," said Jasper, sharply. "And what is the use of fooling about the cheque? I want the girl, and the L500, and--and anything else you have got in your possession. Be quick and send her." "Then, you may as well let me get the stuff and see my prisoner safe and sound--and without another moment's delay. What you have got to pay the girl is L1,000 in a banker's cheque, and----" "We can talk about that in due time." He stopped the man before he had done, and whispered-- "You are not a sneak, I believe, Mr. Doctor, or you would let me go off now and leave you to pick up my menaces and wait till another time. But you can see for yourself that you're in no danger, or that there is any special urgency about the matter. You are not being used as a decoy. You are only helping to get a letter, which will be very useful to me if I can bring it to the right persons. I have done you a great service to-day-- not, mind you, because you have made me your friend, but because I am anxious about that sister of yours, whom I know, and, most likely, I am her lover. Come, let us get this business done, and we'll have a drink together." "No; not if you don't call me all the names under the sun." "Don't be cross. I know all you want to say to me; and-- Look here, young man, let us be practical. You cannot be ignorant of the fact that that bag has twenty pound's worth of dust in it, the other day in this very lane? What have you got to sell me now?" Jasper was silent. He knew quite well that the girl had not taken away the "dust" from the drawer. "Come, be honest. What have you got