Halfway along the north side of the main street of Highmarket an ancient stone gateway, imposing enough to suggest that it was originally the entrance to some castellated mansion or manor house, gave ...

For some moments after Kitely had left him, Cotherstone stood vacantly staring at the chair in which the blackmailer had sat. As yet he could not realize things. He was only filled with a queer, vague...

When Mallalieu had gone, Cotherstone gathered up the papers which his clerk had brought in, and sitting down at his desk tried to give his attention to them. The effort was not altogether a success. H...

Brereton, standing back in the room, the cigar which Cotherstone had just given him unlighted in one hand, the glass which Lettie had presented to him in the other, was keenly watching the man who had...

Ever since they had left the house at the foot of the pine wood, Brereton had been conscious of a curious psychological atmosphere, centring in Cotherstone. It had grown stronger as events had develop...

Here, then, thought Brereton, was Gentleman Jack’s daughter⁠—the girl of whom Bent had just been telling him. He looked at her narrowly as she stood confronting the strange group. A self-possessed you...

From the little colony of new houses at the foot of the Shawl to the police station at the end of the High Street was only a few minutes’ walk. Mallalieu was a quick walker, and he covered this distan...

Instead of replying to the policeman by word or movement, Mallalieu glanced at Cotherstone. There was a curious suggestion in that glance which Cotherstone did not like. He was already angry; Mallalie...

During the interval which elapsed between these early morning proceedings and the bringing up of Harborough before the borough magistrates in a densely-packed court, Brereton made up his mind as to wh...

Bent, taking his guest home to dinner after the police-court proceedings, showed a strong and encouraging curiosity. He, in common with all the rest of the townsfolk who had contrived to squeeze into ...

The two men sat staring silently at the paper-strewn desk for several moments; each occupied with his own thoughts. At last the superintendent began to put the several exhibits together, and he turned...

For a moment Brereton and the superintendent looked at each other in silence. Then Bent got up from his desk at the other side of the room, and he and the little solicitor came towards them. “Keep tha...

Within a week of that night Brereton was able to sum things up, to take stock, to put clearly before himself the position of affairs as they related to his mysterious client. They had by that time com...

At that time Stoner had been in the employment of Mallalieu and Cotherstone for some five or six years. He was then twenty-seven years of age. He was a young man of some ability⁠—sharp, alert, quick a...

Although Stoner hailed from Darlington, he had no folk of his own left there⁠—they were all dead and gone. Accordingly he put himself up at a cheap hotel, and when he had taken what its proprietors ca...

During the three hours which had elapsed since his departure from Darlington, Stoner had been thinking things over. He had seen his friend Myler again that morning; they had had a drink or two togethe...

The recollection of that stick plunged Mallalieu into another of his ague-like fits of shaking and trembling. There was little sleep for him after that: he spent most of the night in thinking, anticip...

Brereton went back to his friend’s house more puzzled than ever by the similarity of the entries in Kitely’s memoranda and in Stoner’s pocketbook. Bent had gone over to Norcaster that afternoon, on bu...

That question remained unanswered, and Brereton remained silent, until he and Avice had reached the top of the path and had come out on the edge of the wide stretch of moorland above the little town. ...

It was only by an immense effort of will that Brereton prevented an exclamation and a start of surprise. But of late he had been perpetually on the lookout for all sorts of unforeseen happenings and h...

Twenty-four hours after he had seen Stoner fall headlong into Hobwick Quarry, Mallalieu made up his mind for flight. And as soon as he had come to that moment of definite decision, he proceeded to arr...

The Highmarket clocks were striking noon when Mallalieu was arrested. For three hours he remained under lock and key, in a room in the Town Hall⁠—most of the time alone. His lunch was brought to him; ...

The tightening of that sinewy grip on Mallalieu’s wrist so startled him that it was only by a great effort that he restrained himself from crying out and from breaking into one of his fits of tremblin...

Mr. Christopher Pett, warned by the uplifted finger of his aunt, tiptoed into the living-room, and setting down his small travelling bag on the table proceeded to divest himself of a thick overcoat, a...

While Mallalieu lay captive in the stronghold of Miss Pett, Cotherstone was experiencing a quite different sort of incarceration in the detention cells of Norcaster Gaol. Had he known where his partne...

During that week Mallalieu was to learn by sad experience that it is a very poor thing to acquire information at second hand. There he was, a strictly-guarded⁠—if a cosseted and pampered⁠—prisoner, un...

Had the Mayor of Highmarket, lying there sullen and suspicious, only known what was taking place close to him at that very moment, only known what had been happening in his immediate vicinity during t...

Before the solicitor and his companions could seat themselves at the table whereat the former’s preliminary explanation had been made, Mr. Wraythwaite got up and motioned Avice to follow his example. ...

Everything was very quiet in the house where Mallalieu lay wide-awake and watchful. It seemed to him that he had never known it so quiet before. It was quiet at all times, both day and night, for Miss...

Cotherstone walked out of the dock and the court and the Town Hall amidst a dead silence⁠—which was felt and noticed by everybody but himself. At that moment he was too elated, too self-satisfied to n...

Six months later, on a fine evening which came as the fitting close of a perfect May afternoon, Brereton got out of a London express at Norcaster and entered the little train which made its way by a b...