and with a quick movement she rushedacross to the electric bell beside the fireplace.
He gave vent to a short dry laugh of triumph, the reason of which wasnext second plain. The little porcelain push had been broken, and thecontact disarranged.
Jim Jannaway always took precautions. He was a cool and calculatingscoundrel.
She turned upon him in quick anger, and he saw that she intended toscream for help.
"One moment, if you please, Miss Griffin," he cried in a low voice."Just hear my suggestion before you raise the alarm and compel me todepart hurriedly through the window. A word now will save both of us agreat deal of unnecessary bother afterwards. You're a very brave littlegirl, and I admire you for it. Most other girls, on seeing me here,would have gone into hysterics, or fainted. But you're a little`brick.'"
"Thank you, this is really no time for compliments," was her cold,resentful reply. "Please say what you have to say, and quickly."
She had managed to cross the room half-way, and from where she now stoodshe could see that the precious document she had typed lay open at itslast page. The fellow had evidently read it all!
"Well," he said, in that easy-going manner of his that she found soextremely irritating. "As far as I can at present discern, MissGriffin, the game is a drawn one. I can quite--"
"I consider it blackguardly impertinence on your part to enter myfather's house at night, and read his private papers," she protested,her face pale and determined.
"My dear girl, to me your opinion of my actions really doesn't matter,"he laughed. "I wanted to discover something, and have adopted theeasiest means of doing so."
"Even at risk of being arrested?"
"Oh, I shan't be arrested," he laughed. "Don't think I'm afraid ofthat. Why, my dear girl, perhaps you wouldn't believe it, but thisisn't the first time I've been in this very room. I know what's in allthose drawers yonder, and even the balance in your father's banker'spass-book."
"You've been here before!" gasped the girl astounded. "How did you getin?"
"Why, with your own key. It was easy enough. Your servants never boltthe front door. They really ought to be more careful, you know," helaughed.
She hesitated for a moment, and in that slight hesitation he, craftymalefactor that he was, recognised that he had triumphed.
"I may presume, I suppose, that you've read that document upon thewriting-table?" she asked a moment later.
"I have--every word of it," he replied, with a polite bow.
"That is why you came here?"
"It was. I really expected to experience greater trouble in finding it.I opened only three drawers before coming across it."
"Probably you'd like a copy of it," she said, with bitter sarcasm.
"Thank you, no. I have a very excellent memory, and can recollect all Irequire. Besides, I've taken a few notes," was the bold and defiantanswer, "All I would request of you, my dear girl, is to keep a stilltongue in your head, go up to bed, and forget all about this unexpectedmeeting. Such a course will be much the best for you, I assure you."
"You--my enemy, are trying to advise me as a friend--eh? This is reallyamusing! I tell you quite frankly that I intend to give you over to thepolice. You cleverly entrapped me, and now from me you may expect noclemency."
"I want none," he laughed. "But if I'm arrested, your friend, `RedMullet,' shall also see the inside of a prison again. I promise youthat."
"He is innocent of this burglary," she said.
"But he isn't innocent of certain other little matters about whichScotland Yard will be only too delighted to know," replied the fellow,with an evil grin. "So if you don't want him to go to `quod'--and he'sbeen pretty good to you, I think--you'd better remain silent aboutto-night. And there's the other matter--the--"
And he paused, and looked straight into her face, without concluding.
"Well?" she asked in a hard voice, holding the train of her robe withone hand, and still facing him boldly. "And what is the other matter,pray?"
"I wish to tell you quite plainly that if you choose to be a littlefool, you'll take the consequences. They'll fall on you, and prettyheavily too. Trust me to escape them."
"And I tell you that I intend to be a little fool, as you so politelyput it," was her fearless response. "It is my duly to my father to goat once and tell him of my discovery. And I will!"
"Very well," he answered quite calmly, his evil eyes still fixed uponhers. "Go. You are perfectly at liberty. To me, it is of no greatconsequence, but to you it will mean both the ruin of your reputationand the loss of your lover!"
"How?" she gasped quickly, her face in an instant as pale as death.
"How?" he echoed in a fierce low whisper, advancing until he was closeto the girl. "Cannot you see that I shall tell Frank Farquhar the truthof your absence from your home--that you met me, and stayed with me inthose rooms!"
"You scoundrel!" she cried, drawing away from him, her cheeks flushedwith sudden anger. "You threatened this before--you despicable coward,to thus try and take advantage of a woman's good name! You destroyedthat false telegram, so that I should not have it to show as proof!"
"You could get a copy from the post-office, I daresay," he laughedairily. "But I merely make plain what is my intention, and that's whyI've come to the conclusion that the game between us is a drawn one."
"Your threats have no terror for me!" she exclaimed, turning fiercelyupon him. He saw that in her big eyes was determination and defiance,and was surprised.
"Then shout away, my dear girl--scream the house down, if you like," helaughed coolly, as though with utter unconcern. "But just let me putthings straight again first." Then walking to the writing-table he tookthe translation of the decipher, replaced it in its drawer, and relockedit with a key he drew from his pocket.
His coolness was amazing, his cunning, extraordinary. The long windowleading to the balcony over the portico was ajar. He had fixed a thinsilken rope to the railings ready for escape to the street in case ofnecessity.
"Your conduct is abominable!" she ejaculated. "What harm have I doneyou that I should deserve this?"
"My dear girl, my conduct is only abominable of necessity, I assureyou," he argued with an impudent smile. "Our compact is simple enough.You do not wish to lose the man you love. Indeed, why should you?"
"Ah! why indeed?" she cried. "I have you alone to thank for all theevil suspicions cast upon me."
"You have told them nothing--of course. You're far too clever forthat--eh?" he remarked, standing easily before her with his hands in hispockets. "Besides, what could you say?"
"I could say nothing," she replied bitterly. "I only know that you liedto me, by posing as Frank's friend."
"My dear little girl," he answered with an arrogant laugh. "I wascompelled to tell you a fairy-story, because--well, shall I tell you thetruth?--because I was so very anxious for the loan of your latch-key."
"Then why was I kept there a prisoner? Why did that red-facedblackguard come to me, and threaten me?"
"I had nothing whatever to do with that. I was not there," heprotested.
"You enticed me into the hateful place by saying that Frank was inhiding there," she replied firmly.
"For the reason I have already explained. I apologise. Can I do more,Miss Griffin?"
"Apologise!" she echoed in a hoarse whisper. "You apologise! I wishfor no apology!"
"But you desire your own happiness, and can secure it, providing I amsilent," he said in a low, clear deliberate voice. "Think what it wouldmean to you if you gave the alarm--the wrecking of your own life, andthe arrest of your friend Mullet! But I give you perfect liberty tochoose your future course of action. I have no wish to coerce you."
"You could not, even if you wished!" she declared, yet through her brainsurged thoughts of what the loss of Frank would mean to her.
The man before her was a blackguard. He had shown himself as such.With perfect coolness he could besmirch her fair na
me in such a mannerthat it could never again be cleared.
At that moment the girl was fighting for her own honour as well as herfather's secret which this man had gained. It was a secret no longer--it could never be. Their enemies had triumphed!
She set her teeth hard, and tried to think.
Jim Jannaway was quick to notice her change of manner.
"Remember," he remarked, "one word to your father