With a cry of relief he advanced and stretched out his hands eagerly.
"Give it to me! What is it? Give it to me?" The woman put the bag behind her back with a frown.
"No," she answered, in the same passionless voice. "Nothing for nothing. I have told you what I wanted. Give me fifty pounds, and you shall have it."
"But what is it?"
"A clue to the man who committed the murder."
"Give it to me at once!"
"Certainly--when I get fifty pounds." Maxwell reflected. He was not a rich man, and fifty pounds was a great consideration to him. Still, in his search he would probably spend that amount, and by giving it to this woman he would perhaps learn the name of the criminal at once, so it would be better to save time by acceding to her demand, and thus arrest the assassin before he had time to leave the country. Therefore he made up his mind to give it to her, and secure the evidence she said was in the bag; but first he tried to find out exactly what that evidence was worth.
"Do you know who committed the murder?"
"No, I do not. I found something which I think belongs to him, and may lead to his detection. You shall have it for fifty pounds."
"Why do you come to me?"