hoarse cry betrayed a condition of desperate febrile
excitement. Mrs. Irvin was capable of proceeding to the wildest
extremities. Clearly the mysterious Egyptian recognized this to be the
case, for slowly raising his hand:

"I will communicate with you," he said, and the words were spoken almost
hurriedly. "Depart in peace--"; a formula wherewith he terminated every
seance. He lowered his hand.

The silver gong sounded again--and the dim light began to fade.

Thereupon the unhappy woman acted; the long suppressed outburst came at
last. Stepping rapidly to the green transparent veil behind which Kazmah
was seated, she wrenched it asunder and leapt toward the figure in the
black chair.

"You shall not trick me!" she panted. "Hear me out or I go straight to
the police--now--now!" She grasped the hands of Kazmah as they rested
motionless, on the chair-arms.

Complete darkness came.

Out of it rose a husky, terrified cry--a second, louder cry; and then a
long, wailing scream... horror-laden as that of one who has touched some
slumbering reptile....

CHAPTER IV. THE CLOSED DOOR

Rather less than five minutes later a taxicab drew up in old Bond
Street, and from it Quentin Gray leapt out impetuously and ran in at the
doorway leading to Kazmah's stairs. So hurried was his progress that
he collided violently with a little man who, carrying himself with a
pronounced stoop, was slinking furtively out.

The little man reeled at the impact and almost fell, but:

"Hang it all!" cried Gray irritably. "Why the devil don't you look where
you're going!"

He glared angrily into the face of the other. It was a peculiar and
rememberable face, notable because of a long, sharp, hooked nose
and very little, foxy, brown eyes; a sly face to which a small, fair
moustache only added insignificance. It was crowned by a wide-brimmed
bowler hat which the man wore pressed down upon his ears like a Jew
pedlar.

"Why!" cried Gray, "this is the second time tonight you have jostled
me!"

He thought he had recognized the man for the same who had been following
himself, Mrs. Irvin and Sir Lucien Pyne along old Bond Street.

A smile, intended to be propitiatory, appeared upon the pale face.

"No, sir, excuse me, sir--"

"Don't deny it!" said Gray angrily. "If I had the time I should give you
in charge as a suspicious loiterer."

Calling to the cabman to wait, he ran up the stairs to the second floor
landing. Before the painted door