as a thief, as well as a spy."

"And now," said Clyffurde, still smiling and apparently quite
unperturbed, "that you have been enlightened on this subject to your own
satisfaction, may I ask what you intend to do?"

"Force you to give up what you have stolen, you impudent thief,"
retorted the other savagely.

"And how are you proposing to do that, M. de St. Genis?" asked the
Englishman with perfect equanimity.

"Like this," cried Maurice, whose exasperation and fury had increased
every moment, as the other man's assurance waxed more insolent and more
cool.

"Like this!" he cried again, as he sprang at his enemy's throat.

A past master in the art of self-defence, Clyffurde--despite his wounded
arm--was ready for the attack. With his left on guard he not only
received the brunt of the onslaught, but parried it most effectually
with a quick blow against his assailant's jaw.

St. Genis--stunned by this forcible contact with a set of exceedingly
hard knuckles--fell back a step or two, his foot struck against some
object on the floor, he lost his balance and measured his length
backwards across the bed.

"You abominable thief . . . you . . ." he cried, choking with rage and
with discomfiture as he tried to struggle to his feet.

But this he at once found that he could not do, seeing that a pair of
firm and muscular knees were gripping and imprisoning his legs, even
while that same all-powerful left hand with the hard knuckles had an
unpleasant hold on his throat.

"I should have tried some other method, M. de St. Genis, had I been in
your shoes," came in irritatingly sarcastic accents from his calm
antagonist.

Indeed, the insolent rogue did not appear in the least overwhelmed by
the enormity of his crime or by the disgrace of being so ignominiously
found out. From his precarious position across the bed St. Genis had a
good view of the rascal's finely knit figure, of his earnest face, now
softened by a smile full of kindly humour and good-natured contempt.

An impartial observer viewing the situation would certainly have thought
that here was an impudent villain vanquished and lying on his back,
whilst being admonished for his crimes by a just man who had might as
well as right on his side.

"Let me go, you confounded thief," St. Genis cried, as soon as the
unpleasant grip on his throat had momentarily relaxed, "you accursed spy
. . . you . . ."

"Easy, easy, my young friend," said the other calmly; "you ha