Pagina 593 van 657

"Precisely. It was I. I found that I had my man, so I came home

and changed my clothes. It was a delicate part which I had to

play then, for I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert

scandal, and I knew that so astute a villain would see that our

hands were tied in the matter. I went and saw him. At first, of

course, he denied everything. But when I gave him every

particular that had occurred, he tried to bluster and took down a

life-preserver from the wall. I knew my man, however, and I

clapped a pistol to his head before he could strike. Then he

became a little more reasonable. I told him that we would give

him a price for the stones he held-£ 1000 apiece. That brought

out the first signs of grief that he had shown. 'Why, dash it

all!' said he, 'I've let them go at six hundred for the three!' I

soon managed to get the address of the receiver who had them, on

promising him that there would be no prosecution.