‘Mrs. Rodman doesn’t live here,’ Clara began, lowering her voice and making a great effort to steady it.

‘Oh, she don’t?’ replied ’Arry, beginning to discern that something was wrong.

‘Can you tell me what you want with her?’

He looked her in the eyes and again grinned.

‘Dare say I could if it was made worth my while.’

She took a purse from her pocket and laid half-a-crown on the table.  Her hand shook.

’I can’t afford more than that.  You shall have it if you tell me the truth.’

’Arry took counsel with himself for an instant.  Probably there was no more to be got, and he saw from the woman’s agitation that he had come upon some mystery.  The chance of injuring Rodman was more to him than several half-crowns.

‘I won’t ask more,’ he said, ’if you’ll tell me who you are.  That’s fair on both sides, eh?’

‘My name is Mrs. Williamson.’

’Oh?  And might it ’appen that Mr. Rodman calls himself Mr. Williamson when it suits him?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she replied hurriedly.  ’Tell me who it is you call Mrs. Rodman.’

‘I don’t call her so.  That’s her married name.  She’s my sister.’

The door opened.  Both turned their heads and saw Rodman.  He had come back for a letter he had forgotten to take with him to post At a glance he saw everything, including the half-crown on the table, which ’Arry instantly seized.  He walked forward, throwing a murderous look at Clara as he passed her.  Then he said to ’Arry, in a perfectly calm voice—­

‘There’s the door.’

‘I see there is,’ the other replied, grinning.  ‘Good-mornin’, Mr. Rodman Williamson.’

Husband and wife faced each other as soon as the front door slammed.  Clara was a tigress; she could not be terrified as Alice might have been by scowls and savage threats.  Rodman knew it, and knew, moreover, that his position was more perilous than any he had been in for a long time.

‘What do you know?’ he asked quietly.

’Enough to send you to prison, Mr. Rodman.  You can’t do quite what you like!  If there’s law in this country I’ll see you punished!’

He let her rave for a minute or two, and by that time had laid his plans.

’Will you let me speak?  Now I give you a choice.  Either you can do as you say, or you can be out of this country, with me and Jack, before to-morrow morning.  In a couple of hours I can get more money than you ever set eyes on; I’ll be back here with it’—­he looked at his watch—­’by one o’clock.  No, that wouldn’t be safe either—­that fellow might send someone here by then.  I’ll meet you on Westminster Bridge, the north end, at one.  Now you’ve a minute to choose; he may have gone straight away to the police station.  Punish me if you like—­I don’t care a curse.  But it seems to me the other thing’s got more common sense in it I haven’t seen that woman for a month, and never care to see her again.  I don’t care over much for you either; but I do care for Jack, and for his sake I’ll take you with me, and do my best for you.  It’s no good looking at me like a wild beast You’ve sense enough to make a choice.’