to see who is still alive. Anscombe spoke
the first.

"I don't know what you mean or to what you refer," he said
quietly. "But at any rate this lady who has promised to marry me
is innocent, and therefore if all her ancestors had been
murderers it would not in the slightest turn me from my purpose
of marrying her."

She looked at him, and all the gratitude in the world shone in
her frightened eyes. Marnham stepped, or rather staggered
forward, the blue vein throbbing on forehead.

"He lies," he said hoarsely, tugging at his long beard. "Listen
now and I will tell you the truth. Once, more than a year ago, I
was drunk and in a rage. In this state I fired at a Kaffir to
frighten him, and by some devil's chance shot him dead. That's
what he calls being a murderer."

"I have another tale," said Rodd, "with which I will not trouble
this company just now. Look here, Heda, either you fulfil your
promise and marry me, or your father swings."

She gasped and sank together on the seat as though she had been
shot. Then I took up my parable.

"Are you the man," I asked, "to accuse others of crime? Let us
see. You have spent several months in an English prison (I gave
the name) for a crime I won't mention."

"How do you know--" he began.

"Never mind, I do know and the prison books will show it.
Further, your business is that of selling guns and ammunition to
the Basutos of Sekukuni's tribe, who, although the expedition
against them has been temporarily recalled, are still the Queen's
enemies. Don't deny it, for I have the proofs. Further, it was
you who advised Sekukuni to kill us when we went down to his
country to shoot the other day, because you were afraid that we
should discover whence he got his guns." (This was a bow drawn
at a venture, but the arrow went home, for I saw his jaw drop.)
"Further, I believe you to be an illicit diamond buyer, and I
believe also that you have again been arranging with the Basutos
to make an end of us, though of these last two items at present I
lack positive proof. Now, Dr. Rodd, I ask you for the second
time whether you are a person to accuse others of crimes and
whether, should you do so, you will be considered a credible
witness when your own are brought to light?"

"If I had been guilty of any of these things, which I am not, it is
obvious that my partner must have shared in all of them, except
the first. So if you inform against me, you inform against him,
a