ver the carven brass coffer upon the table, "is certai

t finger tenderly across the heavily embossed figures, which, like barnacles, enc

added, glancing over his shoulder

his Semitic origin, shrugged his shoulders in a fashion incongruous

ay be sixteenth century or even earlier. The K?ren treasure-chest in the Hague Collect

which he had been sitting, and beginning restlessly to pace the room, "in

-nez, straightened himself slowly, turned in the ponderous manner of a fa

he interior of the box

on of the carpet and stared har

he replied, "th

complicated conjuring tricks; they rarely open by any such rational means as lock and key. For instance, the K?ren treasure-chest t

ein, with a faint note of professional envy

regarding the possession of the chest to which you refer,

he Younghusband Expedition, had been unable to open the chest. When opened at Christie's it proved to

tly; then-"Have you endeavored

h shook his

to think that the contents might prove of interes

ly at the lobe of his left ear, s

o attempt it at

clerk stared at the

"if you accepted an offer for the box, whi

offer," said Smith. "I

justed his pi

er cent on the proceeds of the contents. You must remember," raising a fat forefinger to check Smith, who was about to interrupt him, "that it

s the room; again a slight smil

l, and the same applies to the contents, if any. For the moment if you will send me a note of your fee, I shall be obliged." He ra

t from the table, and prepared to depart

gentlemen," s

was about t

he said, turning, his hand upon the door

present inadequate knowledge of it

miled ske

st," he said, bowed t

door wa

ar, "if we are ever short of funds, here's something"-pointing to the

egan to pace the carpet again, his gaze always s

the house of John Ki to be, if not the head-quarters, certainly a meeting-place of the mysterious organization the Si-Fan; we knew that Dr. Fu-Ma

e, dark secrets it held; I wondered how many murders

-hole is explained, I am sorely tempted to essay the task of opening th

ge by means of which- who knows-we might one day buy our lives from the enemy. I have a sort of fancy, call it sup

dly; this was a new p

endowed with a capacity for divining the presence of Fu-Manchu or his agents. Some such second-

rapid. He relighted his pipe, which had gone out

in a place of greater security. Come along, Pe