the Chinks."

"It was rumoured that he had bolted with her," added another speaker.

"I think it was more than a rumour."

"Why do you say so?"

"Well, representations were made to the authorities, I know for an
absolute certainty, and I have an idea that Adderley was kicked out of
the Service as a consequence of the scandal which resulted."

"How is it one never heard of this?"

"Money speaks, my dear fellow," cried Burton, "even when it is possessed
by such a peculiar outsider as Adderley. The thing was hushed up. It was
a very nasty business. But Knox was telling us that he had actually seen
the lady. Please carry on, Knox, for I must admit that I am intensely
curious."

"I can only say that I saw her on one occasion."

"With Adderley?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Where?"

"At his place at Katong."

"I even thought his place at that resort was something of a myth,"
declared Jennings. "He never asked me to go there, but, then, I took
that as a compliment. Pardon the apparent innuendo, Knox," he added,
laughing. "But you say you actually visited the establishment?"

"Yes," I replied slowly, "I met him here in this very hotel one evening
in the winter of '15, after the natives' attempt to mutiny. He had been
drinking rather heavily, a fact which he was quite unable to disguise.
He was never by any means a real friend of mine; in fact, I doubt that
he had a true friend in the world. Anyhow, I could see that he was
lonely, and as I chanced to be at a loose end I accepted an invitation
to go over to what he termed his 'little place at Katong.'

"His little place proved to be a veritable palace. The man privately, or
rather, secretly, to be exact, kept up a sort of pagan state. He had any
number of servants. Of course he became practically a millionaire after
the death of his father, as you will remember; and given more congenial
company, I must confess that I might have spent a most enjoyable evening
there.

"Adderley insisted upon priming me with champagne, and after a while I
may as well admit that I lost something of my former reserve, and began
in a fashion to feel that I was having a fairly good time. By the way,
my host was not quite frankly drunk. He got into that objectionable and
dangerous mood which some of you will recall, and I could see by the
light in his eyes that there was mischief brewing, although at the time
I did not know its nature.

"I should explain that we were amusing ourselves in a room