throat.

"Then I shall become the most famous singer in the whole world," she
murmured. "And I shall have all the money I want. My friend, you have
done me a service. I will not forget it." She looked at him and laughed
slightly. "But I do not think you have done the world a service. A great
many people will not like the germ. No, they will desire to get rid of
it, Alexis."

She shuddered a little. I stared at her.

"I think you are mistaken," said Alexis, gruffly.

She shook her head.

"Come, let us finish dinner quickly and I will take you both to my flat
and sing to you a little."

Leonora's flat was in Whitehall Court, and of its luxury I need not
speak. I must confess to the fact that, sober and timid as is my nature,
I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. Leonora was generous. Her voice was
exquisite. I sat on a deep couch of green satin and gazed at a Chinese
idol cut in green jade, that stood on a neighbouring table, with all my
senses lulled by the charm of her singing. The sense of responsibility
fell away from me like severed cords. I became pagan as I lolled there,
a creature of sensuous feeling. Sarakoff lay back in a deep chair in the
shadow with his eyes fixed on Leonora. We were both in a kind of
delicious drowsiness when the opening of the door roused us.

Leonora stopped abruptly. With some difficulty I removed my gaze from
the Chinese figure, which had hypnotized me, and looked round
resentfully.

Lord Alberan was standing in the doorway. He seemed surprised to find
that Leonora had visitors. I could not help marking a slight air of
proprietorship in his manner.

"I am afraid I am interrupting," he said smoothly. He crossed to the
piano and leant over Leonora. "You got my telegram?"

"No," she replied; "I did not even know you had returned from France."

"I came the day before yesterday. I had to go down to Maltby Towers. I
came up to town to-day and wired you on the way."

He straightened himself and turned towards us. Leonora rose and came
down the room. We rose.

"Geoffrey," she said, drawling slightly, "I want to introduce you to two
friends of mine. They will soon be very famous--more famous than you
are--because they have discovered a germ that is going to keep us all
young."

Lord Alberan glanced at me and then looked hard at the Russian. A
swiftly passing surprise shewed that he recognized Sarakoff. Leonora
mentioned our names casually, took up a cigarette and dropped into a
c