"On the threat of telling her husband about her gambling and sale of the family jewels."
"The Spider used that argument first," said Maunders sullenly; "I simply endorsed it."
"I heartily believe that you are the scoundrel himself," snapped Towton.
"I swear I am not. Why, even my mother was blackmailed--my adopted mother, that is--on the plea that she is my _real_ mother. Would I have done such a thing as that?
"You would do anything to gain your own ends," said Vernon coldly, "always provided your villainy was not discovered."
Maunders grew furiously scarlet. "At least I would have spared my aunt. Mrs. Bedge would give me her last sixpence in my character as her adopted son. There was no need for me to attempt blackmail."
"Perhaps there was not. But all this does not explain how you came to communicate the secret of Dimsdale to The Spider."
"I didn't communicate it, and how he managed to learn it I can't say."
"How did you become possessed of it?" asked Towton very directly.
"I shan't tell you. And I'm not going to be ragged any longer. If I'd guessed for one moment that you were in this house I would not have put in an appearance."
"I can well believe that," said Vernon coolly.
"It's not that I'm afraid," Maunders hastily assured him. "As Diabella I have done nothing to which the law can take exception. The assaults on you and the Colonel were brought about by your own damned meddling and by the fidelity of Hokar. But I have given up playing Diabella----"
"Because you feared lest we should have you arrested," said Towton shrewdly.
"No. Had I been afraid I should never have appeared at the bazaar."
"Oh, yes, you would. You pretended to leave London so as to provide an _alibi_ in case of danger," said Vernon quietly, "and you did not think that Colonel Towton would be at the bazaar. Seeing me didn't matter, as you did not know that Towton and myself were working together. And when I think of the infernal rubbish you told me----"
"It was your own fault," said Maunders sulkily, "and I've had enough of this so, I'm off."
He moved towards the door, but Towton sprang forward and caught his arm. "If you leave this room you will be handed over to the police," he declared.
"He will be handed over in any case," said Vernon decisively.