e
had neglected to wind it, and he hurried with his toilet, fearful of
incurring the anger of Ho-Pin--of Ho-Pin, the beetlesque.

He observed, with passive interest, that the operation of shaving did
not appreciably lighten the stain upon his skin, and, by the time that
he was shaved, he had begun to know the dark-haired, yellow-faced
man grimacing in the mirror for himself; but he was far from being
reconciled to his new appearance.

Said peeped in at the door. He no longer wore his chauffeur's livery,
but was arrayed in a white linen robe, red-sashed, and wore loose, red
slippers; a tarboosh perched upon his shaven skull.

Pushing the door widely open, he entered with a tray upon which was
spread a substantial breakfast.

"Hurryup!" he muttered, as one word; wherewith he departed again.

Soames seated himself at the little table upon which the tray rested,
and endeavored to eat. His usual appetite had departed with his
identity; Mr. Lucas was a poor, twitching being of raw nerves and
internal qualms. He emptied the coffee-pot, however, and smoked a
cigarette which he found in his case.

Said reappeared.

"Ta'ala!" he directed.

Soames having learnt that that term was evidently intended as an
invitation to follow Said, rose and followed, dumbly.

He was conducted along the matting-lined corridor to the left; and now,
where formerly he had seen a blank wall, he saw an open door! Passing
this, he discovered himself in the cave of the golden dragon.
Ho-Pin, dressed in a perfectly fitting morning coat and its usual
accompaniments, received him with a mirthless smile.

"Good mowrning!" he said; "I twrust your bwreakfast was satisfactowry?"

"Quite, sir," replied Soames, mechanically, and as he might have replied
to Mr. Leroux.

"Said will show you to a wroom," continued Ho-Pin, "where you will find
a gentleman awaiting you. You will valet him and perfowrm any other
services which he may wrequire of you. When he departs, you will clean
the wroom and adjoining bath-wroom, and put it into thowrough order
for an incoming tenant. In short, your duties in this wrespect will be
identical to those which formerly you perfowrmed at sea. There is
one important diffewrence: your name is Lucas, and you will answer no
questions."

The metallic voice seemed to reach Soames' comprehension from some place
other than the room of the golden dragon--from a great distance, or as
though he were fastened up in a box and were bein