. "Young woman, you forget
yourself! Because of the evil suggestions, the malevolent influence of
this man's plausible lies, are you such an ingrate as to turn upon
your only friends, your father's intimate, life-long associates, the
people who have, from disinterested motives of the purest kindness and
affection, provided for you, comforted you, and shielded you from the
world? Anita, I cannot believe it of you! I will leave you, now. I am
positively overcome with this added shock of your ingratitude and
willful deceit, coming so soon after the blow of my poor friend's
death. I trust you will be in a thoroughly repentant frame of mind
when next I see you.

"As for you, sir!" He turned to the immovable figure of the detective.
"I will soon show you what it means to meddle with matters which do
not concern you--to pit yourself arrogantly against the biggest power
in this country!"

"The biggest power in this or any other country is the power of
justice." Blaine's voice rang out trenchantly. "When you and your
associates planned this desperate _coup_, it was as a last resort. You
had involved yourselves too deeply; you had gone too far to retrace
your steps. You were forced to go on forward--and now your path is
closed with bars of iron!"

"I will not remain here any longer to be insulted! Miss Lawton, I
shall never cross the threshold of this house again--this house, which
only by my charity you have been suffered to remain in--until you
apologize for the disgraceful scene here this morning. I can only hope
that you will soon come to your senses!"

As he strode indignantly from the room, Anita turned anxiously to
Henry Blaine.

"Oh, what will he do?" she whispered. "He is really a power, a
money-power, you know, Mr. Blaine! Where will he go now?"

"Straight to his _confrere_ Carlis, and tell him that the game is up."
The detective spoke with brisk confidence. "He'll be tailed by my men,
anyway, so we shall soon have a report. Don't see anyone, on any
pretext whatsoever, and don't leave the house, Miss Lawton. I will
instruct Wilkes on my way out, that you are to be at home to no one. I
must be getting back to my office now. If I am not mistaken, I shall
receive a visit without unnecessary delay from my old friend Timothy
Carlis, and I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Blaine's prediction proved to have been well founded. Scarcely an hour
passed, and he was deep in the study of some of his earlier notes on
the c