ng left but _this_! You'd not believe me if I said I was fond of
you, Cornelia, but it's the solid truth, though I robbed you all the
same. I _plotted_ to rob you, as you say! You had plenty of money, and
we were cleaned out. I meant to get away with that necklace, and sell
the stones on the Continent. There are people there who will buy
without asking questions. I've got to know them pretty well during the
last few years. ... Cornelia, what are you going to do? Is Mr
Marchant sending to arrest me here?"

"He doesn't know that anything is wrong. I managed to keep quiet, and
let him believe I knew all about it. To the last I kept hoping that
there was some way out. Captain Guest wanted to bring an officer along,
but I wouldn't do it."

"That was like you! You wanted I should have a chance, but it's all
true; every one thing! There's more true than you know of--other bills
to come in, a big sum run up here. You can give back the necklace, but
even so, it is going to be heavy enough. ... Cornelia, _what are you
going to do_? I'm a bad woman--are you going to send me to prison, to
have a chance of growing worse, among other bad women like myself?"

Cornelia threw out her arms with a sudden, reckless gesture.

"_No_!" she cried strongly, "I'm not! I'm going to let you go; I'm
going to _help_ you to go. Captain Guest's a pretty hard man; I guess
you'd better not see him again. Keep those notes--you'll need some
money to help along, and march out of the hotel right now, and lose
yourself as fast as ever you can. You can have ten minutes to do it,
while I wait here, and as much longer as I can keep him quiet; but
you've got to be slippy. ... You shall have your chance!"

Mrs Moffatt gasped for breath, her face twitched convulsively, and she
tottered as she stood.

"You mean that? Oh, God bless you, Cornelia Briskett! If there are any
blessings going, there's no one on earth deserves them more than you.
You've saved me this time. Whatever happens in the future, you've given
me a chance."

"That's so, but the question is, _are you going to take it_? See here!
let's strike a bargain over this before you go! You are a clever woman,
or you wouldn't have escaped so long, but the game is played out. It
isn't safe to go on, when any moment you may be recognised by people you
have fooled before. You're bound to make a fresh start--why shouldn't
you try being straight for a change? You'd find it would