in it, at the old
man's directions, I drove out to Maldon, in Essex, where at a small
house outside the town I found, to my surprise, Rayne already awaiting
us.

What, I wondered, was in progress?

CHAPTER IV

THE FOUR FALSE FINGERS

The house outside Maldon proved to be a newly built, detached,
eight-roomed villa in a lonely spot on the high road to Witham. As I
idled about it, I smelt a curious odor of melting rubber. Apparently
the place had been taken furnished, but with what object I could not
guess. Tarrant was a queer, rather insignificant-looking old fellow
with a shock of white hair and a scraggy white beard.

Both he and Rayne were closeted together in the little dining-room for
nearly two hours, while I sat in the adjoining room. I could hear them
conversing in low tones, and the smell of rubber warmed by heat became
more pungent. What game was being carried on? Something very secret
without a doubt. I thought I heard the sound of a third man's voice.
Indeed, there might be a third person present, for I had not been
admitted to the room.

At last, leaving Rayne there, I drove the old man on to Witham, where
I left him at his own request at a point near the wireless telegraph
station, and turning, went back to the thieves' garage and there left
the car.

I did not see Rudolph Rayne again for several days, but according to
instructions I received from Madame Duperre, I went by train up to
Yorkshire and awaited their arrival.

From Duperre, who arrived three days after I had got to Overstow, I
gathered that Rayne had suddenly been called away to the Continent on
one of his swift visits, "on a little matter of business," added
Vincent with a meaning grin.

We were smoking together in the great old library, when I told him of
my narrow escape on Clifton Bridge.

"Yes," he said. "Benton is always trying to get at us. It was sly of
him to impersonate old Morley. I wonder how he got to know that you
were meeting him? Someone must have betrayed Rayne. I have a suspicion
who it may be. If he has, then woe betide him! Rudolph never forgives
an enemy or a blunderer."

I tried to get from Duperre the reason why the hunchback had met Rayne
in such secrecy, but he would divulge nothing.

Next day his wife and Lola returned, and that same evening as I sat
with the latter in the chintz-covered drawing-room--for though I had
been engaged as chauffeur I was now treated as one of the family--I
had a del