Jarwin said that he was not needed, so I paid him a year's
wages instead of giving him notice, and let him go. But I have met him
once or twice at the lawyers, as he has been telling Mr. Jarwin about
poor Hubert's investments. And yesterday afternoon he came to see me."

"What about?"

Agnes came to the point at once, seeing that it would be better to do
so, and put an end to Lambert's suspense. "About a letter supposed to
have been written by me, as a means of luring Hubert to The Manor to be
murdered."

Lambert's sallow and pinched face grew a deep red. "Is the man mad?"

"He's sane enough to ask twenty-five thousand pounds for the letter,"
she said in a dry tone. "There's not much madness about that request."

"Twenty-five thousand pounds!" gasped Lambert, gripping the arms of his
chair and attempting to rise.

"Yes. Don't get up, Noel, you are too weak." Agnes pressed him back into
the seat. "Twenty thousand for himself and five thousand for Chaldea."

"Chaldea! Chaldea! What has she got to do with the matter?"

"She holds the letter," said Agnes with a side-glance. "And being
jealous of me, she intends to make me suffer, unless I buy her silence
and the letter. Otherwise, according to Mr. Silver, she will show it to
the police. I have seven days, more or less, in which to make up my
mind. Either I must be blackmailed, or I must face the accusation."

Lambert heard only one word that struck him in this speech. "Why is
Chaldea jealous of you?" he demanded angrily.

"I think you can best answer that question, Noel."

"I certainly can, and answer it honestly, too. Who told you about
Chaldea?"

"Mr. Silver, for one, as I have just confessed. Clara Greeby for
another. She said that the girl was sitting to you for some picture."

"Esmeralda and Quasimodo," replied the artist quickly. "You will find
what I have done of the picture in the next room. But this confounded
girl chose to fall in love with me, and since then I have declined to
see her. I need hardly tell you, Agnes, that I gave her no
encouragement."

"No, dear. I never for one moment supposed that you would."

"All the same, and in spite of my very plain speaking, she continues to
haunt me, Agnes. I have avoided her on every occasion, but she comes
daily to see Mrs. Tribb, and ask questions about my illness."

"Then, if she comes this afternoon, you must get that letter from her,"
was the reply. "I wish to see it."

"Silver declares that you