pacity for work. It is only a heretic like De Quincey who
prostitutes the magic gum to such base purposes. Chandu is misunderstood
in Europe; in Asia it is the companion of the aesthete's leisure."

"But surely," said Rita, "one pipe of opium will not produce all these
wonders."

"Some people never experience them at all," interrupted Miss Gretna.
"The great idea is to get into a comfortable position, and just resign
yourself--let yourself go. Oh, it's heavenly!"

Cyrus Kilfane turned his dull eyes in Rita's direction.

"A question of temperament and adaptability," he murmured. "De Quincey,
Pyne"--slowly turning towards the baronet--"is didactic, of course; but
his Confessions may be true, nevertheless. He forgets, you see, that he
possessed an unusual constitution, and the temperament of a Norwegian
herring. He forgets, too, that he was a laudanum drinker, not an opium
smoker. Now you, my daughter"--the lustreless eyes again sought Rita's
flushed face--"are vivid--intensely vital. If you can succeed in
resigning yourself to the hypnosis induced your experiences will be
delightful. Trust your Uncle Cy."

Leaving Rita chatting with Miss Gretna, Kilfane took Pyne aside,
offering him a cigarette from an ornate, jewelled case.

"Hello," said the baronet, "can you still get these?"

"With the utmost difficulty," murmured Kilfane, returning the case to
his pocket. "Lola charges me five guineas a hundred for them, and only
supplies them as a favor. I shall be glad to get back home, Pyne. The
right stuff is the wrong price in London."

Sir Lucien laughed sardonically, lighting Kilfane's cigarette and then
his own.

"I find it so myself," he said. "Everything except opium is to be had at
Kazmah's, and nothing except opium interests me."

"He supplies me with cocaine," murmured the comedian. "His figure works
out, as nearly as I can estimate it, at 10s 7 1/2d. a grain. I saw him
about it yesterday afternoon, pointing out to the brown guy that as the
wholesale price is roughly 2 1/4d., I regarded his margin of profit as
somewhat broad."

"Indeed!"

"The first time I had ever seen him, Pyne. I brought an introduction
from Dr. Silver, of New York, and Kazmah supplied me without
question--at a price."

"You always saw Rashid?"

"Yes. If there were other visitors I waited. But yesterday I made a
personal appointment with Kazmah. He pretended to think I had come to
have a dream interpreted. He is clever, Pyne. He neve