an'
came down here. Have yer got that fact inter yer brains?"

Grant glared at him wickedly, but remained silent across the table.

"Yer already in bad enough, without huntin' more trouble. Better leave
the boy alone. I thought, at first, we'd have ter use him, but I don't
now. Let the girl believe he's deserted, and that yer in a position ter
help him. That will serve yer purpose better than the other scheme. It
may awaken her gratitude, her sweet love!"

"Damn her love!"

"So it isn't love, eh, that makes yer so anxious. I thought as much. What
is it, then--revenge?"

Grant held his breath a moment, his dull eyes on the faces of the two
men.

"Well, I might as well tell you," he snarled at last. "I loved her once,
I guess; anyhow I wanted her badly enough. I want her now, but not in
just the same way. I want to show her I'm the master. I want to give her
a lesson, and that cub brother of hers. I'd have got them all, the
Colonel with them, if that damned Colonial spy hadn't stolen my coat. I
had them, dead to rights, Fagin, and the papers to prove it. Now I don't
care how it's done, so I get her. I thought she'd marry me to save the
boy, but if she won't, why then, you carry out your plan--what is it?"

Fagin laughed, again emptying his glass.

"Easy enough. She's alone, except fer her father, and he can't get out of
bed. We've got Jenks here, an' the damned old coward will do whatever I
tell him."

"But she despises me--"

"Oh, no! We'll make you a victim. That will leave things in proper shape
between yer two. We'll play it off as a drunken lark--eh, Jones? My God!
it won't be the first time we've done the trick either. Do you remember
that love-sick couple over at Tom's River, Ned? Never laughed so much in
my life. This is a better one. Lord! but won't old Mortimer rave, an'
mighty little good it will do him. Come, what do yer say, Grant? Are yer
game?"

"Hell's fire--yes." He got to his feet, gripping the back of his chair.
"Bring--bring 'em in; this is a good place."

Fagin struck the table with his fist.

"Of course it is, drink ter the bride after the ceremony. Bill, bring in
the preacher."

It was growing daylight. I could perceive the glow of the sky out through
the window, but the candles still sputtered on the table, casting grim
lights and shadows on the faces of the three men. As Bill disappeared
into the parlor, I stole silently back to the library door. What could be
done was not entir