he front flat on
the third floor. Standing where he now was, there was momentary danger of
being discovered by persons who would guess why he was there. Maku might
come.

Orme looked to see who lived in "4a," the flat above the Japanese. The
card bore the name:

"Madame Alia, Clairvoyant and Trance Medium."

"I think I will have my fortune told," muttered Orme, as he pressed
Madame Alia's bell and started up the stairs.

At the top of the second flight he looked to the entrance of the front
apartment. It had a large square of ground glass, with the name "Arima"
in black letters. He continued upward another flight and presently found
himself before two blank doors--one at the front and one a little at one
side. The side door opened slowly in response to his knock.

Before him stood a blowsy but not altogether unprepossessing woman of
middle years. She wore a cheap print gown. A gipsy scarf was thrown over
her head and shoulders, and her ears held loop earrings. Her inquiring
glance at Orme was not unmixed with suspicion.

"Madame Alia?" inquired Orme.

She nodded and stood aside for him to enter. He passed into a cheap
little reception-hall which looked out on the street, and then, at her
silent direction went through a door at one side and found himself in the
medium's sanctum.

The one window gave on a dimly lighted narrow space which apparently had
been cut in from the back of the building. Through the dusty glass he
could see the railing of a fire-escape platform, and cutting diagonally
across the light, part of the stairs that led to the platform above.
There was a closed door, which apparently opened into the outer hall. In
the room were dirty red hangings, two chairs, a couch, and a small square
center-table.

Madame Alia had already seated herself at the table and was shuffling a
pack of cards. "Fifty-cent reading?" she asked, as he took the chair
opposite her.

Orme nodded. His thoughts were on the window and the fire-escape, and he
hardly heard her monotonous sentences, though he obeyed mechanically her
instructions to cut and shuffle.

"You are about to engage in a new business," she was saying. "You will be
successful, but there will be some trouble about a dark man.--Look out
for him.--He talks fair, but he means mischief.--There is a woman,
too.--This man will try to prejudice her against you." And all the time
Orme was saying to himself, "How can I persuade her to let me use the