ith unexpected consistency."

For a moment there was silence, which was sharply disturbed by an
unexpected and apparently unsuggested query from Gratz.

"Were you ever," he asked, looking directly at Raikes, "in this
apartment during the absence of its occupant?"

"No!" stammered Raikes, apparently very much astonished at the question.

"You lie!"

Raikes and his nephew sprang to their feet, their eyes bulging in the
direction of the bedroom.

In the doorway stood the Sepoy.

"You lie!" he repeated, "you miserable husk, you! You were here one
evening in my absence, or, at least, what you supposed was my absence,"
and raising his manacled hands the speaker pointed to the closet. "I was
there," he said.

"Ah--ah!" faltered Raikes chokingly.

"And now," continued the Sepoy, "let us get to the end of this business.
It ought to be a simple proceeding. You want three missing bags of gold;
they will be forthcoming on one condition."

"And what is that?" cried Raikes, beginning to withdraw into himself as
if he expected a sharp bargain.

"That you leave the details of the transaction in the hands of this
gentleman," answered the Sepoy, pointing to Gratz. "You had better
consent," he added as he analyzed the hesitation of the startled Raikes,
"or I shall describe, with photographic minuteness, all that occurred in
the few short moments of your visit."

Raikes regarded Gratz helplessly.

During all this conversation the detective had been doing some rapid
thinking and had decided upon his course, so nodding to Raikes, he said:
"Leave the matter to me; I will restore your coin to you in the morning.
See that neither of you leaves the house until then, or speak to a soul
before I see you."

Whatever objections may have been forming in the mind of the miser were
quickly dissipated by a look from the Sepoy, and without another word
Raikes and his nephew departed.

"Well," inquired Gratz, when the two were again alone, "what have you to
say to me that you do not want Raikes to hear?"

"You will know shortly," replied the Sepoy after a few moments of
reflection, with his eyes directed upon the handcuffs. "I do not have to
resort to your elaborate reasoning to discover the nature of your
profession. These," holding up his hands, "are unmistakable."

"Yes," answered Gratz drily, "they require no trope or metaphor to
illustrate their application."

"However," continued the Sepoy, "I have just listened to the deducti