Fire-Tongue

the hour of six by no means marked the end of his business day. His work was practically ceaseless. But even in times of leisure, at the club or theatre, fate would sometimes c

ble was his first meeting with Major Jack Ragstaff of the Cavalry Club, a meeting which took place after the of

arge and very handsome Burmese cabinet, which seemed strangely out of place amid the filing drawers, bookshelves, and other usual impedimenta of a professional man. A peculiarly uninteresting week was drawin

had undertaken confidential work of the highest importance, especially in regard to the Near East, with which he was intimately acquainted. A member of the English bar, and the last court of ap

at the temples in these days, but young in mind and body, physically fit, and possessed of an intellectual keenness which had forced recognition from two hemispheres. His office was part of an

ley, looking around, "a

ut a month of this and you will h

arley

more briefs for me. I shall retire to Norfo

hing would entirely sa

to his own ambition. Well, there is no occasion to wait; you mi

card upon the table, "I was just

y glanced

oud, staring reflectively at his s

"but I fancy he has r

I had better see him, as I fancy that he and I met casua

ed-looking, elderly gentleman upon whose florid face

n encroaching upon your time, for I am by no means sur

y working day is ended; but if nothing comes of your visit beyond a chat

a big leather armchair which Harley had pushed forward. "If I presume upon so slight an acquaintance, I am

look which belongs to members of his profession; but mingled with it was an expressi

rley. He pushed forward a box

no," was

ide him, he began in leisurely manner to load a briar. In this he desired to convey that he treated the visit as that of a friend, and als

y conscious that the facts which I am in a position

nodded enc

ion to apply to me, Sir Charles. It is my business to look fo

s head, and seemed in some m

said, "I believe m

re is someone who

d

striking a match. "Even if the facts are scanty, no doubt

cumstantial. Frankly, I have forced myself to come here, and now that I have

the part of his hearer, and Harley, lighting his pipe, nodded in understanding fashion. He was the last man in the world to jump to conclusions. He had learned by bitter expe

regret to say, a close resemblance to the symptoms of a well-known form of hallucination. In s

ey. "You mean that you are mor

d

ur impression o

your office, I have every reason to belie

ame in

d

llowed you th

my chauffeur turned into Chancery Lane, the

r pursuer followed on

s my imp

And is this sort of thin

n for some

hing

I was actually assaulted less than a

e of an awakening curiosity. Sir Charles Abingdon

d of light, pattering footsteps immediately behind me. The place was quite deserted at that hour, and although I was so near home, the worst would have happened, I fear, if my sense of hearing had been less acute. I turned in the very instant that a man was a

did yo

struck out w

d t

issue, but simply ran swiftly off, alw

Harley. "Do you think h

was perhaps saturated with some drug, or he ma

bsolutely no impr

encounter took place, if you care to do so, you will recogniz

. It must have shaken you very badly. But we must not overloo

ely those of a footpad,

ley. "They were rather Or

ted. "Oriental!" he whisp

a train of though

f thought. It leads me to a point which I must mention, but which concerns a very well-known man. Before I proceed I

, "there must be some data in your possession which sug

vening, when I could place this evidence, if evidence it may be called, before you. I find

seemed to be

going fully into the matter. But before proceeding further there are two questions I should like to ask you. The first is this: Wha

full statement of the case, I should welcome a further opportunity of rearranging the facts before imparting them to you. One thing

ry! Tell me: w

ttance to my private study, where there are several cases of Oriental jewellery and a number of pieces of valuable gold and silverware, all antique. At wha

understan

iately-I perceived that my papers were disarranged. Close examination revealed the fact that a

ured Harley. "Upon a

hich I had vaguely contemplated publishing in one of the reviews, a

u written i

y say that it was my purpose still further to add to it,

this patient had come

ey

ate of the at

that dat

eillance of your

lieve

and the 'well-known man' to whom

simple. I realize more than ever that I must arrange my facts in some sort of

Harley, promptly. "I ha

fancies, Mr. Harley," he said. "But a conviction has been growing upon me for some time that I have incurred, how I cannot imagine, but that neverth

w that he found himself temporarily relieved of the nec