going
to make a discovery, and so on and so forth until he reached his long
delayed climax.

T. X. waited up very late that night and at twelve o'clock his patience
was rewarded, for the Foreign Office' messenger brought a telegram to
him. It was addressed to the Chief Secretary and ran:

"No. 847. Yours 63952 of yesterday's date. Begins. Hussein Effendi a
prosperous merchant of this city left for Italy to place his daughter in
convent Marie Theressa, Florence Hussein being Christian. He goes on to
Paris. Apply Ralli Theokritis et Cie., Rue de l'Opera. Ends."

Half an hour later T. X. had a telephone connection through to Paris
and was instructing the British police agent in that city. He received a
further telephone report from Paris the next morning and one which
gave him infinite satisfaction. Very slowly but surely he was gathering
together the pieces of this baffling mystery and was fitting them
together. Hussein Effendi would probably supply the last missing
segments.

At eight o'clock that night the door opened and the man who represented
T. X. in Paris came in carrying a travelling ulster on his arm. T.
X. gave him a nod and then, as the newcomer stood with the door open,
obviously waiting for somebody to follow him, he said,

"Show him in--I will see him alone."

There walked into his office, a tall man wearing a frock coat and a red
fez. He was a man from fifty-five to sixty, powerfully built, with a
grave dark face and a thin fringe of white beard. He salaamed as he
entered.

"You speak French, I believe," said T. X. presently.

The other bowed.

"My agent has explained to you," said T. X. in French, "that I desire
some information for the purpose of clearing up a crime which has
been committed in this country. I have given you my assurance, if that
assurance was necessary, that you would come to no harm as a result of
anything you might tell me."

"That I understand, Effendi," said the tall Turk; "the Americans and the
English have always been good friends of mine and I have been frequently
in London. Therefore, I shall be very pleased to be of any help to you."

T. X. walked to a closed bookcase on one side of the room, unlocked it,
took out an object wrapped in white tissue paper. He laid this on the
table, the Turk watching the proceedings with an impassive face. Very
slowly the Commissioner unrolled the little bundle and revealed at
last a long, slim knife, rusted and stained, with a hilt,