n, and two subordinates, and an inner
room where Mulhausen dwelt.

Jones, on giving his name, was shown at once into the inner room where
Mulhausen was seated at his desk.

Mulhausen was a man of sixty or so, small, fragile looking, with grey
side whiskers and drowsy heavy-lidded eyes.

He nodded to Jones and indicated a chair. Then he finished his work, the
reading of a letter, placed it under an agate paper weight, and turned
to the newcomer.

"What can I do for you this morning?" asked Mulhausen.

"You can just read this letter," said Jones.

He handed over Voles' letter.

Mulhausen put on his glasses, opened the letter, and read it. Then he
placed the open letter on top of the one beneath the agate paper weight,
tore up the envelope, and threw the two fragments into the waste paper
basket behind him.

"Anything more?" asked he.

"Yes," replied the other, "a lot more. Let us begin at the beginning.
You have obtained from me a piece of real estate worth anything up to a
million pounds; you paid five thousand for it."

"Yes!"

"You have got to hand me that property back."

"I beg your pardon," said Mulhausen. "Do you refer to the Glanafwyn
lands?"

"Yes."

"I see. And I have to hand those back to you--anything more?"

"No, that's all. I received your daughter's letters back from Voles
yesterday--Let's be plain with one another. Voles has confessed
everything. I have his confession under his own handwriting, you are all
in a net, the whole gang of you--you, your daughter, your son and Voles.
You plucked me like a turkey. You know the whole affair as well as I do,
and if I do not receive that property back before five o'clock to-day, I
shall go to the nearest police office and swear an information against
you."

"I see," said Mulhausen, without turning a hair, "you will put us all in
prison, will you not? That would be very unpleasant. Very unpleasant
indeed."

He rose, went to some tin boxes situated on a ledge behind him, took out
his keys and opened one.

Jones, fancying that he was going to produce the title deeds, felt a
little jump at his thyroid cartilage. This was victory without a battle.
But Mr. Marcus Mulhausen took no title deeds from the box. He produced a
letter case, came back with it to the table, and sat down.

Then holding the letter case before him he looked at Jones over his
glasses.

"You rogue," said Mulhausen.

That was the most terrific moment in Jones' life. Mulhause