Mr. Riminon’s face was purple with rage.  He stepped forward with uplifted hand.

“How dare you, sir!” he began.

“I dare much more,” said Keith, quietly.

“You take advantage of my cloth—!”

“Oh, no; I do not.  I have one more thing to say to you before I go.  I wish to tell you that one of the shrewdest detectives in New York is at work on this case.  I advise you to be careful, for when you fall you will fall far.  Good day.”

He left Mr. Rimmon shaken and white.  His indefinite threats had struck him more deeply than any direct charge could have done.  For Mr. Rimmon knew of acts of which Keith could not have dreamed.

When he rose he went to his sideboard, and, taking out a bottle, poured out a stiff drink and tossed it off.  “I feel badly,” he said to himself:  “I have allowed that—­that fellow to excite me, and Dr. Splint said I must not get excited.  I did pretty well, though; I gave him not the least information, and yet I did not tell a falsehood, an actual falsehood.”

With the composure that the stimulant brought, a thought occurred to him.  He sat down and wrote a note to Wickersham, and, marking it, “Private,” sent it by a messenger.

The note read: 

“DEAR FERDY:  I must see you without an hour’s delay on a matter of the greatest possible importance.  Tripper-business.  Your friend K. has started investigation; claims to have inside facts.  I shall wait at my house for reply.  If impossible for you to come immediately, I will run down to your office.

“Yours, RIMMON.”

When Mr. Wickersham received this note, he was in his office.  He frowned as he glanced at the handwriting.  He said to himself: 

“He wants more money, I suppose.  He is always after money, curse him.  He must deal in some other office as well as in this.”  He started to toss the note aside, but on second thought he tore it open.  For a moment he looked puzzled, then a blank expression passed over his face.

He turned to the messenger-boy, who was waiting and chewing gum with the stolidity of an automaton.

“Did they tell you to wait for an answer?”

“Sure!”

He leant over and scribbled a line and sealed it.  “Take that back.”

“Yes, sir.”  The automaton departed, glancing from side to side and chewing diligently.

The note read:  “Will meet you at club at five.”

As the messenger passed up the street, a smallish man who had come down-town on the same car with him, and had been reading a newspaper on the street for some little time, crossed over and accosted him.

“Can you take a note for me?”

“Where to?”

“Up-town.  Where are you going?”

The boy showed his note.

“Um—­hum!  Well, my note will be right on your way.”  He scribbled a line.  It read:  “Can’t be back till eight.  Look out for Shepherd.  Pay boy 25 if delivered before four.”