"

Rita nodded but did not speak.

"Actually," Seton explained, "he instructed Mareno to go across the
leads to Kazmah's directly you had left the flat, and to give you a
certain message as 'Kazmah.' He also instructed Mareno to telephone
certain orders to Rashid, the Egyptian attendant. In spite of the
unforeseen meeting with Gray, all would have gone well, no doubt, if
Mrs. Sin had not chanced to be on the Kazmah premises at the time that
the message was received!

"I need not say that Mrs. Sin was a remarkable woman, possessing many
accomplishments, among them that of mimicry. She had often amused
herself by taking Mareno's place at the table behind Kazmah,
and, speaking in her brother's oracular voice, had delivered the
'revelations.' Mareno was like wax in his sister's hands, and on this
fateful night, when he arrived at the place--which he did a few minutes
before Mrs. Irvin, Gray and Sir Lucien--Mrs. Sin peremptorily ordered
him to wait upstairs in the Cubanis office, and she took her seat in the
room from which the Kazmah illusions were controlled.

"So carefully arranged was every detail of the business that Rashid,
the Egyptian, was ignorant of Sir Lucien's official connection with
the Kazmah concern. He had been ordered--by Mareno speaking from Sir
Lucien's flat--to admit Mrs. Irvin to the room of seance and then to go
home. He obeyed and departed, leaving Sir Lucien in the waiting-room.

"Driven to desperation by 'Kazmah's' taunting words, we know that Mrs.
Irvin penetrated to the inner room. I must slur over the details of
the scene which ensued. Hearing her cry out, Sir Lucien ran to her
assistance. Mrs. Sin, enraged by his manner, lost all control of her
insane passion. She attempted Mrs. Irvin's life with a stiletto which
habitually she carried--and Sir Lucien died like a gentleman who had
lived like a blackguard. He shielded her--"

Seton paused. Margaret was biting her lip hard, and Rita was looking
down so that her face could not be seen.

"The shock consequent upon the deed sobered the half crazy woman,"
continued the speaker. "Her usual resourcefulness returned to her.
Self-preservation had to be considered before remorse. Mrs. Irvin had
swooned, and"--he hesitated--"Mrs. Sin saw to it that she did not revive
prematurely. Mareno was summoned from the room above. The outer door was
locked.

"It affords evidence of this woman's callous coolness that she removed
from the Kazmah premises, and-