estion struck him as bearing some significance
he could not yet fathom.

Yet, though his mind was thus occupied, Morgan cared little about
Ingram's private designs. It satisfied him to feel that Ingram was his
unconscious tool, and that he was at length drifting in the right
direction. On rattled the vehicle through empty, dark streets, where
the very street lamps looked lonely and subtly fostered his mood.

They drew up at length in a narrow street of stucco houses, and Morgan
followed Ingram through a wooden gate up a glass-covered stairway that
led to an ordinary front door. Ingram opened it with a latch-key, and
they stood in a square, little hall, prettily furnished and dimly
lighted by an antique hanging lamp.

"Cleo expects me," said Ingram, "but I must ascertain if she will
receive both of us."

He disappeared through a door at the back of the hall, and, returning
soon, led Morgan through a sort of anteroom into a large inner
apartment, on the threshold of which they were met by a waft of
strange perfume which Morgan recognised immediately, though for a
moment it somewhat overpowered him. The scene, too, was so bizarre
that his perception of it lacked sharpness, and his first impression
was a dreamy one of fusing colour.

The room itself was large and square, and more than half of the marble
inlaid floor was raised several inches above the other part--that on
which Morgan stood as he entered. In the centre of this lower part was
a small marble fountain, with two tiers of basins, beautifully carved.
The water played prettily, overflowing from the lower and larger basin
into a daintily-bordered square tank set in the floor. Against the
wall beyond the fountain was built a marble slab, supported by a
double arch, under which stood ewers and vases. And higher up in this
same wall were set two pairs of tiny windows, divided into little
coloured panes, with designs of flowers and peacocks.

The ceiling seemed a quaint, flat, immense tangle of gold, green, red
and blue thread work, each line of which could be followed till the
eye lost it in the maze; and three lamps, suspended by brass chains,
filled the room with a ruby light that came through the interstices of
fine brass and silver work. The walls were marked out in panelling and
covered with a strange, decorative pattern. The raised part of the
floor was spread with richly woven rugs of warm tints, and a few
stools of curious workmanship stood about. Books