“I have the greatest power on earth, my dear Miss Arnell,” he said. “The power that no man or woman dare defy or neglect.”

“And that is?”

“That is the power of money.”

Violet was now between tears and laughter; but she still felt that she must argue with this man, lunatic though she was now sure that he was.

“I fear that you have not enough money to make me marry Mr. Moss,” she objected. “I would not marry him for all the money in the world. I have told you that I am very deeply in love with Harry Baker, and if I cannot marry him I shall never marry at all.”

“That is as it may be,” he said. “You now have great strength of will—or so you think. We will see what a little solitary confinement will do.”

“Am I to be kept prisoner here indefinitely?” she asked indignantly.

“No,” he replied with a smile. “You will not be kept here indefinitely, my dear Miss Arnell. I could afford to spare neither the time nor the money that would be necessary for such a course of action.”

“Then what is to happen when you realise that I am not going to give in to your outrageous demands?” asked Violet. “And you know you will be compelled to realise that sooner or later.”

“If you prove so obstinate that there is obviously no moving you, my dear young lady,” he said in tones as sweet as his words were harsh, “then you will have to be otherwise disposed of.”

“What do you mean?”

“Need I be more explicit?”

“I certainly think you do. I haven’t the foggiest notion of what you are getting at.”

“Just think it over, Miss Arnell. I think that if you get that obstinate little brain of yours to work you will soon see the answer to the problem.”

With that he was gone. He whisked himself quickly through the door, and shut it behind him. Violet heard the key turning in the lock.

She sat perfectly still for some minutes, going over and over in her mind the interview which had passed. Of course, she told herself, it was obvious enough what they were after—her money! And Moses Moss, in spite of what the man had said, was clearly in on the whole affair. Clearly he had forged her father’s will; and had made it apparently benefit her, with the idea that he should marry her, and so get hold of her father’s great fortune. And worse still to think of—Moses Moss and this nameless horror of a gaoler had murdered her father and the poor, unfortunate Dr. Crocker as well. And they had planned the whole affair so that she should be made free of Harry; “framing-up” the case so that Harry should be found guilty.