He turned like death when he saw me.
"This gentleman," said Devlin, "is angry at being detained by me, and would have resorted to violence if he thought it would serve his purpose. I have waited for your return to decide what to do."
"You shall pay for this," Mr. Dowsett managed to say, "you and your confederate. If there is justice in this world, I will make you smart for your unlawful proceedings."
"There is justice in the world," I said calmly, "as you shall find."
He was silent. With a weight of guilt upon his soul, he did not know how to reply to this remark. But he managed presently to ask:
"How long do you intend to detain me?"
"You shall know soon," I said; and, by a gesture, I intimated to Devlin that I wished to confer with him alone.
He accompanied me from the room, and we stood in the passage, keeping guard upon the door, which Devlin locked from the outside.
"There are no means of escape from within," he said. "I have seen to that."
In a low tone I told him what I had done, and he approved.