rply at Adela, who just then met
his eye, but it was with a look more of curiosity than anything else;
and as she realised that he was gazing at her reproachfully, she turned
away and watched the three men.

"Very well," said the one who was hurt, "I wash my hands of what may
follow."

"All right."

Mr Barclay turned cold as he wondered what was to happen next. He saw
plainly enough now that the house had been let to a gang of men engaged
upon some nefarious practice, but what it was he could not guess.
Coining seemed to be the most likely thing; but from what he had heard
and read, these men did not look like coiners.

Then a curious feeling of rage filled him, and the blood rushed to his
brain as he lay reproaching himself for his folly. He had been
attracted by this woman, who was evidently thoroughly in league with the
man who spoke to her in a way which sent a jealous shudder through him,
while the sisters of whom he had once or twice caught a glimpse, seemed
to be absent, unless--The thought which occurred to him seemed to be so
wild that he drove it away, and lay waiting for what was to come next.

"Be off, girls!" said the first man suddenly; and without a word, the
two women present left the room, Adela not so much as casting a glance
in the direction of the prisoner.

The three men whispered together for a few moments, and then Mr Barclay
made an effort to get up, but it was useless, for the first two seized
him between them, all bound as he was, and dragged him out of the room,
along the passage, and down the stone steps to the basement, where they
thrust him into the wine-cellar, and half-dragged him across there into
the inner cellar, the houses on that side being exactly the same in
construction as ours.

"Fetch a light," said one of them; and this was done, when the speaker
bent down and dragged the handkerchief from the prisoner's mouth.

"You scoundrel!" cried Mr Barclay.

"Keep a civil tongue in your head, my fine fellow," he said.

"You shall suffer for this," retorted Mr Barclay.

"P'r'aps so. But now, listen. If you like to shout, you can do so,
only I tell you the truth: no one can hear you when you're shut in here;
and if you do keep on making a noise, one of us may be tempted to come
and silence you."

"What do you want?--Money?"

"You to hold your tongue and be quiet. You behave yourself, and no harm
shall come to you; but I warn you that if you attempt any games, look
out,