In a word, Denham and Morley ruined me.
I hate them both, but Morley worst of all. Do you think Denham will recover?"
"From his broken leg? Of course he will, and then he will be taken to jail at once.
Steel left the warrant behind to be executed, in order that he might come with me."
"I hope Denham will get a long sentence, sir," said Dane savagely. "He is a bad man.
But Morley—nothing short of death will expiate his crime so far as I am concerned.
I wanted to reform, sir.
Miss Anne was so good to me that I saw how wicked was the life I was living.
I wished to reform and return to my mother.
Morley heard of this.
He followed me to New York, where I was then.
I had fled from the gang, saying I would have nothing more to do with the thieving.
Morley found me with my mother. He told her what I was." Here Dane paused and sighed. "The blow killed her."
"She died of a broken heart, I suppose?"
"Yes, of a broken heart.
Then I went back with Morley to the old life like a whipped dog.
But I vowed revenge.
I intend to have it now." And he set his teeth determinedly.
Giles was sorry for the young man.
He appeared to have some good in him when he felt the death of his mother, and the cause of it, so deeply.
But Ware could not help remembering that Dane had murdered Daisy Kent.
But for the fact that they relied on Dane to distinguish The Red Cross under her disguise, he would not have been allowed to come.
But Steel thought it was best to catch Morley first and then have Dane arrested for the crime.
He advised Giles to say nothing about it, lest it should arouse the suspicions of Dane.
But on board The Firefly there was no escape for the man, and after the previous conversation Giles began to wonder if Dane really was guilty, despite the belief of Steel and the evidence of Denham.
He resolved to set his doubts at rest.
"Dane," he said, after a pause, "you appear to have much good in you, and the Princess Olga is anxious to save you from yourself.
Since you are helping us to break up this gang and catch Morley, who appears to be the arch-criminal, I am willing to do what I can to save you from the law.
But there is another crime——"
"What particular crime do you mean, sir?" asked Dane quietly.
"The murder of Miss Kent."
Dane started.
"Do you believe that I had anything to do with that?"
"Why not?
You were at Rickwell on the night it was committed."
"I was.
I came over from the yacht at Gravesend to tell Morley she was waiting his orders there, and to tell Denham also.
He had appointed a meeting there for me.
I came on a motor-bicycle.
What of that?"
"A man called Scott told Steel that you were in Rickwell."
"I admit it.
I know Scott.
He has turned King's evidence.
It seems to me, sir, that the whole lot of us will be pardoned if we are so anxious to betray one another.
But this crime——"
"Denham says you killed the girl."
Dane sprang to his feet with flashing eyes.
"I swear by all that I hold most holy that I did not touch the girl," he declared. "I never even set eyes on her.
Denham accuses me—yes, because I have told the truth about him.