f
good. Don't be pessimistic. But I suppose you're right, in a way; the
evil always does manage to be more romantic.'

"'Much more romantic,' said Lee Fu. 'And the secrets are more romantic
still. Consider, for instance, the case of a dark secret, which by
chance has already become known. How infinitely romantic! Though the man
feels secure, yet inevitably it will be disclosed. When, and how? Such a
case would be well worth watching--as the great writer had in mind when
he wrote, "Murder will out."'

"The winged words made no impression on their mark. Wilbur met Lee Fu's
glance frankly, innocently, with interest. By Jove, he was wonderful!
The damned rascal hadn't a nerve in his body.

"I examined him closely. Above a trimmed brown beard his cheeks showed
the ruddy color of health and energy; his eyes were steady; his mouth
was strong and clean; a head of fine gray hair surmounted a high
forehead; the whole aspect of his countenance was pleasing and
dignified. Sitting at ease, dressed neatly in blue serge, with an arm
thrown over the chair back and one ankle resting on the other knee, he
presented a fine figure.

"He gave a hearty laugh. 'For the Lord's sake, come out of the gloom!'
he cried. 'I drop in for a chat, and find a couple of blue devils up to
their ears in the sins of humanity. Nichols over there has hardly opened
his mouth.'

"'It is the mood of the approaching storm,' interposed Lee Fu quietly.

"A fiercer squall than the last shook the building; it passed in a
moment as if dropping us in mid-air. Wilbur was the first to speak.
'Yes, it's going to be a hummer, isn't it? A bad night to be on the
water, gentlemen. I wouldn't care to be threshing around outside, now,
as poor old Turner was such a short while ago.'

"I could have struck him across the mouth for his callousness.

"Lee Fu's voice fell like oil on a breaking sea. 'All signs point to
another severe typhoon. It happened, Captain, that we were discussing
the loss of the "Speedwell" when you came in.'

"'Too bad--too bad,' said Wilbur slowly, with a shake of the head. 'You
were away, Nichols, weren't you? It was a bad week here, I can tell you,
after the news came in. I shall never forget it. Well, we take our
chances.'

"'Some of us do, and some of us don't,' I snapped.

"'That's just the way I feel about it,' he said simply. 'It came home
hard to me.' My jaw fairly dropped as I listened. Was it possible that
he liked to talk about the