“I’ll not do it!” she whispered back.

“Open it, or I will,” he ordered.

Their gazes held a moment longer while Barney rattled at the lock.  Then slowly, falteringly, her amazed eyes over her shoulder upon him, Maggie crossed and unlocked the door.  Barney entered, Old Jimmie just bend him.

“I say, Maggie, what was the big idea in keeping us—­” he was beginning in a grumbling tone, when he saw Larry just beyond her.  His complaint broke off in mid-breath; he stopped short and his dark face twitched with his surprise.

“Larry Brainard!” he finally exclaimed.  Old Jimmie, suddenly tense, blinked and said nothing.

“Hello, Barney; hello, Jimmie,” Larry greeted his former allies, putting on an air of geniality.  “Been a long time since we three met.  Don’t stand there in the door.  Come right in.”

Barney was keen enough to see, though Larry’s attitude was careless and his tone light, that his eyes were bright and hard.  Barney moved forward a couple of paces, alert for anything, and Old Jimmie followed.  Maggie looked on at the three men, her girlish figure taut and hardly breathing.

“Didn’t know you were in New York,” said Barney.

“Well, here I am all right,” returned Larry with his menacing cheerfulness.

By now Barney had recovered from his first surprise.  He felt it time to assert his supremacy.

“How do you come to be here with Maggie?” he demanded abruptly.

“Happened to catch sight of her on the street to-day.  Trailed her here to the Grantham, and to-night I just dropped in.”

Barney’s tone grew more authoritative, more ugly.  “We told you long ago we were through with you.  So why did you come here?”

“That’s easy answered, Barney.  The last time we were all together, you’d come to take Maggie away.  This is that same scene reproduced—­ only this time I’ve come to take Maggie away.”

“What’s that?” snapped Barney.

Larry’s voice threw off its assumed geniality, and became drivingly hard.  “And to get Maggie to come, I’ve been telling her the kind of a bird you are, Barney Palmer!  Oh, I’ve got the straight dope on you!  I’ve been telling her how you framed me, and were able to frame me because you are Chief Barlow’s stool.”

Barney went as near white as it was possible for him to become, and his mouth sagged.  “What—­what—­” he stammered.

“I’ve been telling her that you are the one who really squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack Rosenfeldt.”

“You’re a damned liar!” Barney burst out, and instantly from beneath his left arm he whipped an automatic which he thrust against Larry’s stomach.  “Take that back, damn you, or I’ll blow you straight to hell!”

“Barney!—­Larry!” interjected Maggie in sickened fright.

“This is nothing to worry over, Maggie,” Larry said.  He looked back at Barney.  “Oh, I knew you would flash a gun on me at some stage of the game.  But you’re not going to shoot.”