"Have you got it?"

"Right here," Joseph assented, dangling it before her eyes.

"I think it's a fair bargain I'm offering you," she reminded him. "You
lose the key and keep your place. You only have to keep your mouth shut
and nothing happens."

"Nothing doing," the negro declared shortly. "Keys as important as this
ain't lost. If I part with it, I get the chuck, and I probably get into
the same mess as the others. If I keep it--"

"If you keep it," Pamela interrupted, "you will probably stand with
your back to the light in the Tower within the next few days. They've
left off being lenient with spies over here."

He looked at her, and there were things in his eyes which few women in
the world could have seen without terror. Pamela's lips only came a
little closer together. She pressed the inside of the ring upon her
third finger, and a ray of green fire seemed to shoot forward.

"I guess I'm up against it," he growled, taking a step forward. "I'll
have something of what's coming to me, if I swing for it."

His arm was suddenly around her, his face hideously close. He gave a
little snarl as he felt the pinprick through his shirt sleeve. Then he
went spinning round and round with his hand to his head.

"What in God's name!" he spluttered. "What in hell--!"