told me you had rung up. I don't know why you are
interested in this Ormuz Khan, unless you want to raise a loan."

Paul Harley laughed. "I gather that he is a man of extensive means,"
he replied, "but hitherto he has remained outside my radius of
observation."

"And outside mine," declared the inspector. "He hasn't the most distant
connection with anything crooked. It gave me a lot of trouble to find
out what little I have found out. Briefly, all I have to tell you is
this: Ormuz Khan--who is apparently entitled to be addressed as
'his excellency'--is a director of the Imperial Bank of Iran, and
is associated, too, with one of the Ottoman banks. I presume his
nationality is Persian, but I can't be sure of it. He periodically turns
up in the various big capitals when international loans and that sort of
thing are being negotiated. I understand that he has a flat somewhere
in Paris, and the Service de Surete tells me that his name is good for
several million francs over there. He appears to have a certain fondness
for London during the spring and early summer months, and I am told he
has a fine place in Surrey. He is at present living at Savoy Court.
He appears to be something of a dandy and to be very partial
to the fair sex, but nevertheless there is nothing wrong with
his reputation,considering, I mean, that the man is a sort of
Eastern multimillionaire."

"Ah!" said Harley, who had been listening eagerly. "Is that the extent
of your information, Wessex?"

"That's it," replied Wessex, with a laugh. "I hope you'll find it
useful, but I doubt it. He hasn't been picking pockets or anything, has
he?"

"No," said Harley, shortly. "I don't apprehend that his excellency will
ever appear in your province, Wessex. My interest in him is of a purely
personal nature. Thanks for all the trouble you have taken."

Paul Harley began to pace the office. From a professional point of view
the information was uninteresting enough, but from another point of
view it had awakened again that impotent anger which he had too often
experienced in these recent, strangely restless days.

At all costs he must see Ormuz Khan, although how he was to obtain
access to this man who apparently never left his private apartments (if
the day of his vigil at the Savoy had been a typical one) he failed to
imagine.

Nevertheless, pausing at the table, he again took up his pencil, and
to the note "Obtain interview with Ormuz Khan" he added the one w