cuments"--the Japanese spoke with great distinctness--
"you will necessarily admit our advantage. That means, you will
understand, a smaller commission on the next contract."

Alcatrante twisted his face into the semblance of a smile. "Not too
small, or we cannot undertake the work," he said.

"No, not too small," the stranger agreed calmly, "but smaller than the
last. You must not forget that there are others who would gladly do the
same work."

"Yes, but at best they cannot get the terms we get."

"Possibly. That is a matter still to be determined. Meantime we have
assumed that our interests in this document are identical. Let us test
it."

"One word first," said Alcatrante. "I take it that, if our interests are
sympathetic with yours, we may count on your protection?"

"Most assuredly."

"Then----?"

"Then we shall see. My fairness is clear in that I give you a sight of
the document with myself. I might have denied all knowledge of it."

Alcatrante smiled as if to say: "I already knew so much that you could
not risk that."

The stranger turned to Arima and said something in Japanese. Arima
replied, and the stranger explained to Alcatrante: "I asked about my man
Maku. The American struck him on the head last night, and injured him.
But he is recovering. He is troublesome--that American."

Orme started. His head bumped against the table.

"What's that?" exclaimed Poritol, advancing. "There's something under
that table!" He stooped to lift the cover.

One chance flashed into Orme's mind. Quickly he seized the cat, which was
still sleeping against his knee, and pushed it under the table-cover. It
walked out into the room, mewing plaintively.

"A cat," said Poritol, drawing back.

Arima explained in English: "It belongs to lady upstairs. Comes down
fire-escape. Shoo! Shoo!" He clapped his hands and the animal bounded to
the window-sill and disappeared up the iron steps.

"And now," began the stranger, "shall we examine the documents?"

"One moment," said Alcatrante. "I should first like a clear understanding
with you--some words in private." He moved to a corner, and there the
stranger joined him. They talked in an undertone for several minutes,
Alcatrante gesturing volubly, the stranger nodding now and then, and
interjecting a few brief words.

What was going on was more than ever a mystery to Orme. The stranger's
reference to "the next contract" strengthened the surmise that the
documents in the e