“To get them you must first get him.”

“That’s manifest.”

“As for smuggling them onto American soil, none of us did that.”

“But you caused one of your spies to do so for you.”

“Admitted.”

“And you have them now.”

“So we have.”

“That makes you as guilty as if you did the work of smuggling yourself.”

“So I presume.  We connived the trick, for our own benefit, to cheat the Custom House.  We ain’t denying that.  In fact, it’s going to be a big thing for us.  Now, we don’t wish to be pestered with your persecutions any longer.”

“I don’t see how you can help yourself.”

“We do.”

“How?”

“Name your price to quit.”

“You mean to bribe us off, eh?”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“We are not to be bought.”

“Humbug!  I never knew a Custom House officer to refuse.”

“We ain’t of that stamp, young lady.”

She looked at him incredulously a moment, and saw by the stern look in his deep gray eyes that he meant what he said.

It seemed to unnerve her for a moment.

She reflected and finally asked: 

“Are you determined?”

“Absolutely!”

“You are bound to hound us?”

“We are, until we gain our point.”

“This is astonishing.”

“Are you aware that we have your mother in jail?”

A look of alarm swept over her face, the color fled from her cheeks and she slowly rose to her feet and asked in strained tones: 

“What!  My mother in prison?”

“Yes, and you are going to join her in a few moments.”

“Mr. Brady, you are very much mistaken.”

“Why am I?”

“I’ll show you, sir.”

She gave utterance to a cough.  It was a signal.  Instantly the door of an ante-room flew open.  In the opening stood four men.  They were the spies.

Each one was armed with a revolver.

These weapons were aimed at the Bradys and the girl laughed outright when she saw the involuntary expressions of astonishment that swept over their features.

“Quite a surprise, isn’t it?” she asked in grim tones.

“We are in a trap!” Harry muttered.

“That’s the situation!” said the girl, quietly.  “If you move hand or foot, you’ll get shot.  Those men never miss their mark.  At such short range they could kill you even if they were not expert shots.”

The Bradys saw the force of her reasoning.

In a word, they were helpless.

Neither attempted to draw a weapon in self-defense.

To do so would be to seal their doom.

An awkward silence ensued.

Old King Brady finally asked in gruff tones: 

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“Make prisoners of you and hold you until we have disposed of the diamonds,” quickly replied Clara.