rnment allows to be bought every day without the production of a
licence--just a hooligan's weapon, in fact--went back and put it into
the Jew's hand. He raised the hand several times, and pointed the muzzle
to the temple, keeping the forefinger on the trigger. At length he let
go the wrist, and said in a gentle, persuading tone:

"That is the way to handle a revolver when you are going to shoot, my
dear Josephus. Now, let me see if you can do it by yourself."

With mechanical precision the Jew's arm went up until the muzzle touched
his temple. Again and again he did the same thing at Phadrig's bidding,
till at length he said rather more peremptorily:

"Now pull the trigger!"

The finger tightened and the hammer clicked. Five times more was the
operation repeated, and then Phadrig gently took the revolver and laid
the hand down. He went to the secretaire and loaded the six chambers,
cocked the weapon and put it into the right hand side-pocket of the
lounge jacket which Josephus was wearing, and said deliberately:

"Now remember, my dear Josephus: you will go straight back to your
office in Waterloo Road and let yourself in with your key. In your
private room you will see a man who wants to rob you of some valuable
papers. You will be ruined if he gets them, so you must take your pistol
out of your pocket and shoot him. Do you quite understand me?"

"Yes; I am to shoot him."

"That is right. Now, if you do not go he will have them before you get
there. Get up and we will say good-night. You must not put your hand in
your pocket until you see the man who wants to rob you. Good-night.
There is your hat."

"Good-night!"

Mr Isaac Josephus put on his hat and walked away to his death with the
motions of a mechanical doll.

CHAPTER XIX

THE HORUS STONE

An hour later Phadrig, the poor curio dealer, had disappeared, and Mr
Phadrig Amena, the wonder-working Adept, clad in evening clothes and a
light overcoat, alighted from a hansom at the great entrance to the
Royal Court Mansions. The huge, gorgeously uniformed guardian of the
Gilded Gates was saluting at his elbow in an instant, for a friend of
Princes is a very great man in the eyes of even such dignitaries as he.

"The Prince expects you, sir," he said, loud enough to make the title
heard by those who were standing by. "Will you be good enough to walk
in? I will discharge the cab."

He stood aside with a bow and another salute, and Phadrig walked lig