was joyously singing.

"French!" said Cleek under his breath, as he caught the notes of the
singer and the words of his audience--"French--I knew it!"

Then he drew in his head, and having broken of the bread and eaten of
the salt which, at a word from Arjeeb Noosrut, the woman brought on a
wicker tray and laid before them, he moved hastily to the door.

"Brother and son of the faithful, peace be with thee--I must go," he
said. "But I come again; and it is written that thou shalt be honoured
above all men when I return to thee, and that the true believers--the
true sons of Holy Buddha--shall have cause to set thy name at the head
of the records of those who are most blest of him!"

Then he salaamed and passed out; and, closing the door behind him, ran
like a hare down the narrow stairs. At the door Dollops rose up like the
imp in a pantomime and jumped toward him.

"Law, Gov'nor, I'm nigh starved a-waitin' for yer!" he said in a
whisper. "Wot's the lay now? A double-quick change? I've got the stuff
here, look!"--holding up the package he was carrying--"or a chance for
me to do some fly catchin' with me bloomin' tickle tootsies?"

The man in the Cingalese costume had vanished from the doorway of the
adjoining house, and, catching the boy by the arm, Cleek hurried him to
it and drew him into the dark passage.

"I'm going to the back; I'm going to climb up to the windows of the
second storey and see who's there and what's going on," he whispered.
"Lie low and watch. I think it's Margot's gang."

"Oh, colour me blue! Them beauties? And in London? I'd give a tanner for
a strong cup o' tea!"

"Sh-h-h! Be quiet--speak low. Don't be seen, but keep a close watch; and
if anybody comes downstairs--"

"He's mine!" interjected Dollops, stripping up his sleeves. "Glue to the
eyebrows and warranted to stick! Nip away, Gov'nor, and leave it to the
tickle tootsies and me!" Then, as Cleek moved swiftly and silently down
the passage and slipped out into a sort of yard at the back of the house,
he pulled out his roll of brown paper squares and his tube of adhesive,
and crawling upstairs on his hands and knees, began operations at the top
step. But he had barely got the first "plaster" fairly made and ready to
apply when there came a rush of footsteps behind him and he was obliged
to duck down and flatten himself against the floor of the landing to
escape being run down by a man who dashed in through the lower floor,
flew at top