e the carved face of the image, save that the
latter possessed two open eyes and the Chinaman but one. The details of
the room were indiscernible, lost in yellowish shadow, but the eye of
the raven and the eye of Sin Sin Wa glittered like strange jewels.

"H'm," said Kerry. "Sorry to interrupt your devotions. Light us."

"Allee velly proper," crooned Sin Sin Wa.

He took up the Joss tenderly and bore it across the room. Opening a
little cupboard set low down near the floor he discovered a lighted
lantern. This he took out and set upon the dirty table. Then he placed
the image on a shelf in the cupboard and turned smilingly to his
visitors.

"Number one p'lice!" shrieked the raven.

"Here!" snapped Kerry. "Put that damn thing to bed!"

"Velly good," murmured Sin Sin Wa complacently.

He raised his hand to his shoulder and the raven stepped sedately from
shoulder to wrist. Sin Sin Wa stooped.

"Come, Tling-a-Ling," he said softly. "You catchee sleepee."

The raven stepped down from his wrist and walked into the cupboard.

"So fashion, lo!" said Sin Sin Wa, closing the door.

He seated himself upon a tea-chest beside the useful cupboard, resting
his hands upon his knees and smiling.

Kerry, chewing steadily, had watched the proceedings in silence, but
now:

"Constable Bryce," he said crisply, "you recognize this man as Sin Sin
Wa, the occupier of the house?"

"Yes, sir," replied Bryce.

He was not wholly at ease, and persistently avoided the Chinaman's
oblique, beady eye.

"In the ordinary course of your duty you frequently pass along this
street?"

"It's the limit of the Limehouse beat, sir. Poplar patrols on the other
side."

"So that at this point, or hereabout, you would sometimes meet the
constable on the next beat?"

"Well, sir," Bryce hesitated, clearing his throat, "this street isn't
properly in his district."

"I didn't say it was!" snapped Kerry, glaring fiercely at the
embarrassed constable. "I said you would sometimes meet him here."

"Yes, sometimes."

"Sometimes. Right. Did you ever come in here?"

The constable ventured a swift glance at the savage red face, and:

"Yes, sir, now and then," he confessed. "Just for a warm on a cold
night, maybe."

"Allee velly welcome," murmured Sin Sin Wa.

Kerry never for a moment removed his fixed gaze from the face of Bryce.

"Now, my lad," he said, "I'm going to ask you another question. I'm not
saying a word about the warm on a cold ni