she took in gloating over the destruction of her cousin,
had led her, contrary to my special injunctions, to haunt the
vicinity on the evening of the experiment. Thus, she not only
witnessed the arrival of the doomed man, but also saw the constable
perform the duty imposed upon him. This might have mattered little,
had it not been for the presence of Mr. Addison, whom an unkind fate
at this juncture involved in the matter.

For Mr. Addison Nahemah conceived one of those sudden and violent
infatuations which characterized the feline element of her complex
mentality. Unknown to me, Nahemah followed Mr. Addison to his home in
the neighborhood and indeed was actually seen by him, I believe, on
two occasions. Thus far all might yet have been well; but when later I
entered the Red House to carry out the only dangerous part of the
scheme, to my consternation Nahemah insisted upon accompanying me.

Prompted by that destructive devil which sometimes possessed her she
not only (unknown to me) painted a figure of a cat upon the crate, but
also she placed an image of Bast in the box with the dead man!

The premature discovery of Sir Marcus, owing to the accident at the
docks, prevented the plan being carried out in all its details, but
when, through certain rumors which began to creep into the press, I
learned of the presence of the statuette, I began to realize the
dangerous position in which I was placed and the handicap of such an
accomplice.

As a result of the scene which ensued, Nahemah, still under the worst
influences of her hybrid disposition, openly visited Mr. Addison and
recovered the image of Bast! This she did in circumstances which
hopelessly compromised both of us, since they revealed in a hitherto
faultless plan the presence of an unsuspected party and directed the
police inquiries into an entirely new channel.

I thought it expedient to retire immediately to the Bell House, which
during my brief absence in London had been in charge of Cassim, all
approaches to Friar's Park being carefully guarded by the man Hawkins.

At this point I may touch upon a previous danger which had been met
and overcome. Provision had been made in the will of Sir Burnham for
the retention by his widow of Friar's Park and the revenues thereof;
but since in the event of her death I should have been compelled to
appear in the character of the mortgagee, it was contrary to our
interests that Lady Coverly should die whilst any heir to t