iday evening for an hour?"

"Not at all, Soames," replied Ho-Pin, with his mirthless smile: "you may
go at six, wreturn at ten."

Ho-Pin passed on.

Soames heaved a gentle sigh of relief. The painful incident was
forgotten, then. He hurried into the room, the door of which Said was
holding open, quite eager for his unsavory work.

In crossing its threshold, he crossed out of his new peace into a mental
turmoil greater in its complexities than any he yet had known; he met M.
Gaston Max, and his vague doubts respecting the omniscience of Mr. King
were suddenly reinforced.

Soames' perturbation was so great on that occasion that he feared it
must unfailingly be noticed. He realized that now he was definitely in
communication with the enemies of Mr. King! Ah; but Mr. King did not
know how formidable was the armament of those enemies! He (Soames) had
overrated Mr. King; and because that invisible being could inspire Fear
in an inconceivable degree, he had thought him all-powerful. Now, he
realized that Mr. King was unaware of the existence of at least one clue
held by the police; was unaware that his name was associated with the
Palace Mansions murder.

The catacombs of Ho-Pin were a sinking ship, and Soames was first of the
rats to leave.

He kept his appointment at the "Three Nuns" as has appeared; he accepted
the blood-money that was offered him, and he returned to the garage
adjoining Kan-Suh Concessions, that night, hugging in his bosom a
leather case containing implements by means whereof his new accomplice
designed to admit the police to the cave of the golden dragon.

Also, in the pocket of his overcoat, he had a neat Browning pistol; and
when the door at the back of the garage was opened for him by Said, he
found that the touch of this little weapon sent a thrill of assurance
through him, and he began to conceive a sentiment for the unknown
investigator to whom he was bound, akin to that which formerly he had
cherished for Mr. King!

Now the time was come.

The people of the catacombs acquired a super-sensitive power of hearing,
and Soames was able at this time to detect, as he sat or lay in his own
room, the movements of persons in the corridor outside and even in the
cave of the golden dragon. That mysterious trap in the wall gave him
many qualms, and to-night he had glanced at it a thousand times. He held
the pistol in his hand, and buttoned up within his coat was the leather
case. Only remained the