which must have formed a center of interest in any place, trebly so, then, in such a place as this. Her costume consisted in a series of incongruities, whilst the en

inging girdle fashion. A sort of chemise-like the 'anteree of Egyptian women-completed her costume, if I e

wickedly with deliberation; for the pallidly dusky, oval face, with the full red lips, between which rested a large yellow cigarette, and the half-closed almond-shaped eyes, possessed a beauty which might have appealed to an artis

innocent of any binding or ornament, advanced along the room towards us, making unh

Fletcher acro

" he wh

now was close to mine, and became aware

e victim of an odd delusion, or Zarmi had been the driver of

e, now held in her fingers, mingled with her disheveled hair. She looked fully into my face, a long, searching look; then her lips parted in the slow, voluptuous smile

trong friend drinkin

in it the siren lure which is the ancient heritage of the Eastern woman-a heritage mor

; and raising his hand, he idly toyed w

mbering, half-closed black eyes again upon me, then slowly, languishingly, upon Fletcher.

he silken scarf, plucked out a Malay kr?s with a richly jeweled hilt

her, regarding her fixedly, never moved ... and Zarmi stayed h

softly but intensely, "

n had filled me, she had suddenly clutched me by the shoulder, a

she whispere

almost touched mine. Then, miraculously, the fire died out of her eyes; they half closed again and became

ing up the brass tray, she swayed down the room, cha

. Beneath the make-up with which I had stained my s

we are on the eve of a gre

ose entrance was less than two paces from where we sat, came a sound of dragging and tapping! Slowly, cautiously, I began

, Doctor!" hi

re! Fletcher! I am utterly confused. I believe this pla

carrying two glasses and jug upon the ornate tray. These she set down upon the table; then stood spi

the proffered payment aside with her disengaged hand, the

drink," she said. "You

halantly, watering the rum i

tay here. This one a strong

letcher; "strong

him one little ki

ested its edge upon her hip, turned, and wal

table, "it was Zarmi who drove the ca

Providence that brought us here to-night. Yes! I know how you feel, Docto

ifted, a smoldering yellow cigarette held between the first and second fingers. With a movement o

we could not save him. I became conscious of an inward and suppressed excitement; surreptitiously I felt the hilt of the Br

letcher, as together we rose from the ta

mes we had to lower our heads. Two steps led down into the place,

wled upon the floor, in the center whereof, upon a small tea-chest, stood a smoky brass lamp. The room and its occupants alike were indeterminate, sketchy; its

ouetted against the vague light coming through an ope

we crossed the foul den and found ourselves in

, extending her lo

my arm about her waist, leant back against my shoulder and, raising

cting what I did of this tigerish half-caste, I could almost have f

sharp cry of pain. I turned in time to see the girl touch hi

aid. "But I love you, too-see! Co

aying her hips lithely and glancing bac

in a sort of rough shed, stone-paved, and containing a variety of n

g around me, the stone floor t

s at either end. Evidently the chest had but recently been nailed up. As Zarmi touched it

him, too, had come the ghastly conviction-the gr

ith's coffin that

y to my ears, "and then I

n the world lay dead there at the feet of the hellish girl who called herself Zarmi, and I knew since it wa

d open, although sound of Thames-side activity came stealing to my ears, we were yet within th

chest out on to the brink of the cutting-for it was upon this that the door directly opened. The mist had gr

I was vaguely aware of the presence of a crouched figure enveloped in rugs-vaguely aware that two f

r I was aroused to the realities by the contact of

trong feller!" s

ady strained to utmost tension, snapped. I turned, with a wil

t the mocking Eurasian, "

flashing a glance from my own contorted face to that,

he lust of slaying claimed my mind.... Then I turned towards the r

" I cried.

ull. Like a wild cat Zarmi hurled herself past me and leapt into the boat. One glimpse I had of her pallidly dusk

tcher sinking to his knees, o

whispered. "But ... don't worry ..

my feet. I threw myself upon the wo

tter, in my sorrow, than an hysterical woman. "S

, and with my arms thrown across the