---'

"'I feel flattered,' I murmured.

"'But for one thing,' he went on, 'I cannot account to myself for your
connection with Mademoiselle Macedoine. I ask myself--what is he doing
there? I cannot answer.'

"'Why are you so anxious about a thing like that when you have so many
cares?' I demanded.

"'Because,' said he, 'I wish to make use of you. The news you bring me
to-night is, to me personally, by reason of my position here as an
Ottoman subject, extremely important. I propose to you that you take a
package of papers to my brother in London. I shall leave for
Constantinople by the four o'clock train to-morrow. If you will call
here at three to-morrow I will have them ready for you and will see you
safe to your ship where no doubt you have a safe on board. I can assure
you that when you deliver these papers to my brother he will reimburse
you for your trouble. Or if you prefer----'

"'No,' said, 'I will do it with pleasure for nothing.'

"'Impossible,' he retorted, gravely, coming up to the table again. 'It
is a commission and will be generously rewarded.'

"'You anticipate trouble then?' I suggested.

"'Monsieur,' said he, 'I anticipate the worst kind of trouble. I have
known of it for some time, but the happenings of to-night prove that I
was mistaken as to the time.'

"'It will be better if I know nothing about it,' I said. 'I will call at
three or earlier. I have an appointment ashore to-morrow afternoon but I
can come here first.'

"'You go to Mademoiselle Macedoine, perhaps?' I nodded. 'Give her my
respects,' he murmured, regarding me steadily. 'My respects. It would be
impertinent no doubt to refer again to your own future movements?'

"And you know," said Mr. Spenlove, breaking off in his narrative
abruptly, "I had no words to reply. I was stricken with a species of
intellectual consternation at the incredible gulf which separated me
from that man emotionally. I was staggered by the vision which
persistently came before me of those four unknown women, quite possibly
beautiful young women, though of this I had no actual proof, dwelling in
discreet seclusion and serving no useful purpose in the world beyond the
gratification of a plutocrat's ego-mania. If that can be called useful.
And there was also, in addition to these, this girl whom I knew. Five of
them: and they were not even permitted to be wicked! And I had to
wrestle with this outrageous problem of our relative status as human
beings at t