The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dope, by Sax Rohmer

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Title: Dope

Author: Sax Rohmer

Posting Date: August 16, 2008 [EBook #1182]
Release Date: January, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOPE ***

Produced by Alan Johns

DOPE

By Sax Rohmer

PART FIRST--KAZMAH THE DREAM-READER

CHAPTER I. A MESSAGE FOR IRVIN

Monte Irvin, alderman of the city and prospective Lord Mayor of London,
paced restlessly from end to end of the well-appointed library of his
house in Prince's Gate. Between his teeth he gripped the stump of a
burnt-out cigar. A tiny spaniel lay beside the fire, his beady black
eyes following the nervous movements of the master of the house.

At the age of forty-five Monte Irvin was not ill-looking, and, indeed,
was sometimes spoken of as handsome. His figure was full without being
corpulent; his well-groomed black hair and moustache and fresh if rather
coarse complexion, together with the dignity of his upright carriage,
lent him something of a military air. This he assiduously cultivated as
befitting an ex-Territorial officer, although as he had seen no active
service he modestly refrained from using any title of rank.

Some quality in his brilliant smile, an oriental expressiveness of the
dark eyes beneath their drooping lids, hinted a Semitic strain; but
it was otherwise not marked in his appearance, which was free from
vulgarity, whilst essentially that of a successful man of affairs.

In fact, Monte Irvin had made a success of every affair in life with
the lamentable exception of his marriage. Of late his forehead had
grown lined, and those business friends who had known him for a man of
abstemious habits had observed in the City chophouse at which he lunched
almost daily that whereas formerly he had been a noted trencherman, he
now ate little but drank much.

Suddenly the spaniel leapt up with that feverish, spider-like activity
of the toy species and began to bark.

Monte Irvin paused in his restless patrol and listened.

"Lie down!" he said. "Be quiet."

The spaniel ran to the door, sniffing eagerly. A muffled sound of voices
became audible, and I