foolish enough to allow myself to be lured on to the yacht for a few minutes, and when I would have gone ashore, I found that the shore ropes had been cast off, and that the vessel was already moving out of the harbour.  At first I was furious, but the three scoundrels were so jovial and good-natured, and so delighted with the joke of taking me for a sail against my will, that I presently cooled down, and having changed into a pair of rubber-soled shoes (so that I should not make dents in the smooth deck with my hobnails), bore a hand at sailing the yacht, and spent quite a pleasant day.

“From that time I found myself gradually drifting back into a state of intimacy with these agreeable scoundrels, and daily becoming more and more afraid of them.  In a moment of imbecility I mentioned what I had seen from the shop-window at Eastwich, and, though they passed the matter off with a joke, I could see that they were mightily disturbed by it.  Their efforts to induce me to join them were redoubled, and Hearn took to calling almost daily at my house—­usually with documents and signatures which he tried to persuade me to copy.

“A few evenings ago he made a new and startling proposition.  We were walking in my garden, and he had been urging me once more to rejoin the gang—­unsuccessfully, I need not say.  Presently he sat down on a seat against a yew-hedge at the bottom of the garden, and, after an interval of silence, said suddenly: 

“‘Then you absolutely refuse to go in with us?’

“‘Of course I do,’ I replied.  ’Why should I mix myself up with a gang of crooks when I have ample means and a decent position?’

“‘Of course,’ he agreed, ’you’d be a fool if you did.  But, you see, you know all about this Eastwich job, to say nothing of our other little exploits, and you gave us away once before.  Consequently, you can take it from me that, now Jezzard has run you to earth, he won’t leave you in peace until you have given us some kind of a hold on you.  You know too much, you see, and as long as you have a clean sheet you are a standing menace to us.  That is the position.  You know it, and Jezzard knows it, and he is a desperate man, and as cunning as the devil.’

“‘I know that,’ I said gloomily.

“‘Very well,’ continued Hearn.  ’Now I’m going to make you an offer.  Promise me a small annuity—­you can easily afford it—­or pay me a substantial sum down, and I will set you free for ever from Jezzard and the others.’

“‘How will you do that?’ I asked.

“‘Very simply,’ he replied.  ’I am sick of them all, and sick of this risky, uncertain mode of life.  Now I am ready to clean off my own slate and set you free at the same time; but I must have some means of livelihood in view.’

“‘You mean that you will turn King’s evidence?’ I asked.

“’Yes, if you will pay me a couple of hundred a year, or, say, two thousand down on the conviction of the gang.’