riting. Perhaps
Sir John, or perhaps my lady, would pay me something for that little
bill. If not, the police can have a squint at it. I've held my tongue
long enough, and--'

"'Look here, Lavender,' said Lord Arthur, 'do you know what this little
game of yours is called in law?'

"'Yes, and I don't care,' says Lavender. 'If I don't have that L500 I am
a ruined man. If you ruin me I'll do for you, and we shall be quits.
That's my last word.'

"He was talking very loudly, and I thought some of Lord Arthur's friends
up in the pavilion must have heard. He thought so, too, I think, for he
said quickly:

"'If you don't hold your confounded tongue, I'll give you in charge for
blackmail this instant.'

"'You wouldn't dare,' says Lavender, and he began to laugh. But just
then a lady from the top of the steps said: 'Your tea is getting cold,'
and Lord Arthur turned to go; but just before he went Lavender says to
him: 'I'll come back to-night. You'll have the money then.'

"George Higgins, it appears, after he had heard this interesting
conversation, pondered as to whether he could not turn what he knew into
some sort of profit. Being a gentleman who lives entirely by his wits,
this type of knowledge forms his chief source of income. As a
preliminary to future moves, he decided not to lose sight of Lavender
for the rest of the day.

"'Lavender went and had dinner at The Black Swan,' explained Mr. George
Higgins, 'and I, after I had had a bite myself, waited outside till I
saw him come out. At about ten o'clock I was rewarded for my trouble. He
told the hall porter to get him a fly and he jumped into it. I could not
hear what direction he gave the driver, but the fly certainly drove off
towards the racecourse.

"'Now, I was interested in this little affair,' continued the witness,
'and I couldn't afford a fly. I started to run. Of course, I couldn't
keep up with it, but I thought I knew which way my gentleman had gone. I
made straight for the racecourse, and for the hedge at the bottom of
Lord Arthur Skelmerton's grounds.

"'It was rather a dark night and there was a slight drizzle. I couldn't
see more than about a hundred yards before me. All at once it seemed to
me as if I heard Lavender's voice talking loudly in the distance. I
hurried forward, and suddenly saw a group of two figures--mere blurs in
the darkness--for one instant, at a distance of about fifty yards from
where I was.

"'The next moment one figure had