sked. "Or have you developed an
hysterical sense of humour? Why haven't we locked the old man up and
sent for the police?"

"It's the young 'un," Jacob explained. "I like 'em both. Besides,
what's the use of making a fuss? You've punished Hartwell, Felixstowe
has settled with Dane Montague, and they've the Glasgow Daisy to deal
with between them."

"It's the old man I can't understand," Dauncey confessed. "He sits
there like a lay figure of courtesy and kindliness. To listen to him,
one would believe that he would rather die than have a guest
ill-used."

Their host himself, accompanied by his son, came suddenly out of the
breakfast room. For the first time, the former appeared discomposed.
He came at once to Jacob and addressed him without preamble.

"Mr. Pratt," he said, "I have only this moment properly understood the
very disgraceful and unworthy attempt on the part of my two other
guests to carry out a scheme of private vengeance upon you whilst
subject to the incarceration necessitated by my plans."

"You are referring," Jacob observed coldly, "to the affair of the
Glasgow Daisy?"

"I beg, sir," the Marquis continued, "that you will acquit me of
all complicity in that most unwarrantable and improper attempt to
inflict punishment upon you. For your incarceration I accept the
responsibility. That you were kept short of food was a natural adjunct
to our enterprise. The other branch of the affair, however, humiliates
me. I regret it extremely. I tender to you, Mr. Pratt, my apologies."

Jacob bowed.

"I am very glad to hear," he said, "that you were not a party to the
most brutal portion of the plot. At the same time, to be quite frank
with you, Marquis, I should have expected from you some expression of
regret for your rather serious breach of hospitality. It is surely
not a slight thing to starve and imprison an invited guest with the
view of extorting money from him."

The Marquis smiled tolerantly.

"The matter presents itself to you, naturally, Mr. Pratt, in a
distorted light," he observed. "I am quite sure that if I had been
brought up in your environment, your point of view would be mine.
You must remember, however, that we are now upon the soil where my
forefathers for many generations kept together a great army of
dependents by exacting tribute from those more richly endowed with
this world's goods. If you will look closely around you, Mr. Pratt,
you will see that even the Castle, which has been