t side, saw a faint
gleam, and felt myself violently struck upon the chest. For a moment
I staggered back, and then heard Tom rush past me and deal one
crashing blow.

"Run, run! Down the passage, quick!"

In an instant we were tearing through the black darkness to the outer
door, but in that instant I could see, through the open door behind,
in the glare of all the candles, the figure of the yellow woman still
sitting motionless and calm.

We gained the door, and plunged into the bright daylight. Up the
alley we tore, out into the street, across it and down another, then
through a perfect maze of by-lanes. Tom led and I followed behind,
panting and clutching my bursting pockets lest the coin should tumble
out. Still we tore on, although not a footstep followed us, nor had
we seen a soul since Tom struck my assailant down. Spent and
breathless at last we emerged upon the Strand, and here Tom pulled
up.

"The streets are wonderfully quiet," said he.

I thought for a moment and then said, "It is Sunday morning."

Scarcely were the words out of my mouth when I heard something ring
upon the pavement beside me. I stooped, and picked up--the Golden
Clasp.

"Well," said I, "this is strange."

"Not at all," said Tom. "Look at your breast-pocket."

I looked and saw a short slit across my breast just above the heart.
As I put my hand up, a sovereign, and then another, rolled clinking
on to the pavement.

Tom picked them up, and handing them to me, remarked--

"Jasper, you may thank Heaven to-day, if you are in a mood for it.
You have had a narrow escape."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, that you would be a dead man now had you not carried that piece
of metal in your breast-pocket. Let me see it for a moment."

We looked at it together, and there surely enough, almost in the
centre of the clasp, was a deep dent. We were silent for a minute or
so, and then Tom said--

"Let us get home. It would not do for us to be seen with this money
about us."

We crossed the Strand, and turned off it to the door of our lodgings.
There I stopped.

"Tom, I am not coming in. I shall take a long walk and a bathe to
get this fearful night out of my head. You can take the money
upstairs, and put it away somewhere in hiding. Stay, I will keep a
coin or two. Take the rest with you."

Tom looked up at the gleam of sunshine that touched the chimney-pots
above, and decided.

"Well, for my part, I am going to bed; and