The Colonel smiled tolerantly.
"That is good," he said. "I hate cowards. But I am going to make you very much afraid of me—unless you are wise and give me that packet."
Barnes breathed thickly for a moment. Coward he knew that he was to the marrow of his bones, but other of the evil passions were stirring in him then. His narrow eyes were alight with greed. He had the animal courage of vermin hard pressed.
"The packet is mine," he said fiercely. "It's nothing to do with you. Get out of my room."
He rose to his feet. The Colonel awaited him with equable countenance. He made, however, no advance.
"Young man," the Colonel said quietly, "do you know what happened to your brother?"
Sydney Barnes stood still and shivered. He could say nothing. His tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth.
"Your brother was another of your breed," the Colonel continued. "A blackmailer! A low-living, evil-minded brute. Do you know how he came by those letters?"
"I don't know and I don't care," Barnes answered with a weak attempt at bluster. "They're mine now, and I'm going to stick to them."
The Colonel shook his head.