g, let alone cowed
by such a threat as that of a `popular demonstration,' on the part of
the runaway swindlers and fraudulent bankrupts and forgers and
ex-convicts who form such an important element in the population of this
highly moral village? Do you really share such an opinion?"

The other stared. He simply did not know what answer to make. Roden
continued--

"It might be as well, if I may respectfully say so, before undertaking
the grave responsibility of branding me or anybody else as a murderer on
the strength of a report in so authoritative an organ as the _Bryonville
Sentinel_, to ascertain first, that there is such a place as Stillwell's
Flat; secondly, that a murder actually was committed there; and, lastly,
that I ever was there in my life. And now, have I your permission to
return to my work, sir?"

"You have, sir. It's only fair to tell you that my opinion and the
course of action I have decided upon in consequence of this--er--of this
revelation, remains unchanged."

But, after his subordinate had withdrawn, Shaston felt horribly
uncomfortable. That last bolt had gone right home. What if the whole
thing should turn out a fiasco after all?

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

"THOU SHOULDST HAVE KNOWN ME TRUE."

In hinting that a public demonstration, hostile to his subordinate, was
preparing, Mr Shaston was so far right in that it was no fault of
Sonnenberg, and one or two others of like kidney, that something of the
sort did not come off. Even then the tender conscience of collective
Doppersdorp, whose main ingredients Roden Musgrave had not inaccurately
defined, was wounded to the extent of expressing its feelings in a
series of petty manifestations of spite and malice. Thus the
disfigurement of his front door was repeated, with the difference that
this time a gallows, with a man hanging on it, was substituted for the
axe. Or, if he passed a knot of youthful loots loafing at a street
corner, his ears could not fail to catch some deft allusion followed by
a yahoo bray of laughter. And although once or twice reference would be
made to tar-and-feathers, still no act of overt hostility was attempted.
It might have been, indeed, that upon this virtuous crowd was forced
home the same consideration which Roden himself had suggested to his
official superior--that, granting the identity, a man with his fighting
record was not one to be roughly handled with impunity; especially as
during that brief ex