chap, and you
embarrassed Rita. It was unnecessary." He paused, and then added slowly:
"She is as sacred to me, Gray, as she is to you--and we are both friends
of Monte Irvin."

For a moment Quentin Gray's fiery temper flickered up, as his heightened
color showed, but the coolness of the older and cleverer man prevailed.
Gray laughed, stood up, and held out his hand.

"You're right, Pyne!" he said. "But she's damn pretty!" He uttered a
loud sigh. "If only she were not married!"

Sir Lucien gripped the outstretched hand, but his answering smile had
much pathos in it.

"If only she were not, Gray," he echoed.

He took his departure shortly afterwards, absently leaving a brown
packet of cigarettes upon the table. It was an accident. Yet there were
few, when the truth respecting Sir Lucien Pyne became known, who did not
believe it to have been a deliberate act, designed to lure Quentin Gray
into the path of the poppy.

CHAPTER XXII. THE STRANGLE-HOLD

Less than a month later Rita was in a state of desperation again.
Kazmah's prices had soared above anything that he had hitherto extorted.
Her bank account, as usual, was greatly overdrawn, and creditors of all
kinds were beginning to press for payment. Then, crowning catastrophe,
Monte Irvin, for the first time during their married life, began to take
an interest in Rita's reckless expenditure. By a combination of adverse
circumstances, she, the wife of one of the wealthiest aldermen of the
City of London, awakened to the fact that literally she had no money.

She pawned as much of her jewellery as she could safely dispose of,
and temporarily silenced the more threatening tradespeople; but Kazmah
declined to give credit, and cheques had never been acceptable at the
establishment in old Bond Street.

Rita feverishly renewed her old quest, seeking in all directions
for some less extortionate purveyor. But none was to be found. The
selfishness and secretiveness of the drug slave made it difficult for
her to learn on what terms others obtained Kazmah's precious goods; but
although his prices undoubtedly varied, she was convinced that no one of
all his clients was so cruelly victimized as she.

Mollie Gretna endeavored to obtain an extra supply to help Rita, but
Kazmah evidently saw through the device, and the endeavor proved a
failure.

She demanded to see Kazmah, but Rashid, the Egyptian, blandly assured
her that "the Sheikh-el-Kazmah" was away. She cast discre