t a written permit had been dictated by the
conviction that Max wished the body to be mistaken for his own. In
Inspector Dunbar, Gaston Max immediately had recognized an able
colleague as Mrs. M'Gregor had recognized "a grand figure of a man."

The Assistant Commissioner broke the silence.

"There have been other cases," he said reflectively, "now that one
considers the matter, which seemed to point to the existence of such
a group or society as you indicate, M. Max, notably one with which,
if I remember rightly, Inspector"--turning his dark eyes towards
Dunbar--"Inspector Weymouth, late of this Branch, was associated?"

"Quite right, sir. It was his big case, and it got him a fine billet
as Superintendent in Cairo if you remember?"

"Yes," mused the Assistant Commissioner--"he transferred to Egypt--a
very good appointment, as you say. That, again, was before my term of
office, but there were a number of very ghastly crimes connected with
the case and it was more or less definitely established, I believe,
that some extensive secret society did actually exist throughout the
East, governed, I fancy, by a Chinaman."

"And from China," added Dunbar.

"Yes, yes, from China as you say, Inspector." He turned to Gaston Max.
"Can it really be, M. Max, that we have to deal with an upcrop of some
deeply-seated evil which resides in the Far East? Are all these cases,
not the work of individual criminal but manifestations of a more
sinister, a darker force?"

Gaston Max met his glance and Max's mouth grew very grim.

"I honestly believe so." he answered. "I have believed it for nearly
two years--ever since the Grand Duke died. And now, you said, I
remember, that you had made a note the nature of which you would
communicate."

"Yes," replied the Assistant Commissioner--"a small point, but one
which may be worthy of attention. This ray, Dr. Stuart, which played
such havoc in your study--do you know of anything approaching to it in
more recent scientific devices?"

"Well," said Stuart, "it my be no more than a development of one of
several systems, notably of that of the late Henrik Ericksen upon
which he was at work at the time of his death."

"Exactly." The Assistant Commissioner smiled in his most
Mephistophelean manner. "Of the late Henrik Ericksen, as you say."

He said no more for a moment and sat smoking and looking from face to
face. Then:

"That is the subject of my note, gentlemen," he added. "The other
_min