ttle finger. Presently
he roused.

"That's all to-night, my boy," he said, gravely.

He drew out his purse, extracted a sovereign, and laid it in the
messenger's hand.

"And this," he said, softly, holding up a second gold piece, "is
for--discretion! You comprehend?"

The boy shot a swift glance, not unmixed with terror, at the still,
recumbent figure in the corner, mumbled an assent and withdrew. Out in
the dampness of the fog, he took a long, deep breath.

As the door closed behind him, the door of an inner room opened and
Farrington came out. He had preceded the messenger by five minutes. The
young exquisite leaned back in his chair, and smiled into the sombre
eyes of his companion.

"At last!" he breathed, softly. "The thing moves. The wheels are
beginning to revolve!"

The other nodded gloomily, his glance straying off toward the corner of
the room.

"They've got to revolve a mighty lot more before the night's done!" he
replied, with heavy significance.

"I needn't tell you," he continued, "that we must move in this venture
with extreme caution. A single misstep at the outset, the slightest
breath of suspicion, and pff! the entire superstructure falls to the
ground."

"That is doubtless true, Mr. Farrington," murmured his companion,
pleasantly. He leaned down to inhale the fragrant scent of the violets.
"But you forget one little thing. This grand superstructure you speak
of--so mysteriously"--he hid a slight smile--"I don't know it--all. You
have seen fit, in your extreme caution, to withhold complete information
from me."

He paused, and regarded his companion with a level, steady gaze. A
faint, ironical smile played about the corners of his mouth; he spoke
with a slightly foreign accent, which was at once pleasant and piquant.

"Is it not so, my friend?" he asked, softly. "I am--how you say--left
out in the cold--I do not even know your immediate plans."

His countenance was serene and unruffled, and it was only by his
slightly quickened breathing that the conversation held any unusual
significance.

The other stirred uneasily in his chair.

"There are certain financial matters," he said, with a light air.

"There are others immediately pressing," interrupted his companion. "I
observe, for example, that your right hand is covered by a glove which
is much larger than that on your left. I imagine that beneath the white
kid there is a thin silk bandage. Really, for a millionaire, Mr.
Farringt