"Not so fast, my friend!" he said. "Your circus must wait awhile. Up with your hands."
He drew a revolver, and held it in front of the man's face. His shaking arms went slowly upward, his furious crimson countenance turned a sort of pale drab, he swayed a moment, tried to regain his balance, staggered, and then dropped to his knees. Mr. Narkom promptly snapped the bracelets upon his wrists.
Cleek hauled him promptly into the circle of light.
"Curse you!" snarled the man. "Why didn't I kill you the other day?"
"Yes, why?" said Cleek, lightly, "a mistake on your part." Stooping down he took possession once more of the Purple Emperor. "No stone is worth imperilling your life for, my good John."
A little cry broke from the blanched lips of Lady Margaret as she peered at the dishevelled figure.
"Why, it is the butler, the man who watched over me alternately with Aggie in that awful cellar!" she cried.
"It's the man who saw Bobby, and said——" Jennifer broke off abruptly, biting her lips in vexation at having thus betrayed herself, and Cleek, looking at her significantly, took up the thread.
"Yes, the man you tried to bribe, Miss Jennifer, who ran away so quickly and disappeared in an empty field. I will show you how he did it. Dollops, bring him along, and follow me, people. There is still more to this astounding riddle."
He switched on his heel, and passed through the door which he had opened behind them and across the vaulted kitchen, followed by his companions. Then, climbing up a few steps, they went through still another door which led them out into the open.