Fire-Tongue

e. "Drive in the direction of Hyde Park Corner,"

y they were proceeding slowly with the stream of traffic in the S

tared fixedly out of the rear window, observing the occupants of all other cars and cabs whic

d, half-way along Piccadilly, "S

he house of Sir Charles Abingdon. He had been seeking to learn whether he was followed, but in none of the faces he had scrutinized had he detected any interest in himself, so that his idea that whoever was watch

ires respect for the occupant. If anything had occurred during the journey to suggest to Harley that Sir Charles was indeed und

l which had elapsed since Sir Charles's departure from his office, he had had leisure to survey the outstanding features of the story, and, discounting in his absenc

e of the distinguished surgeon's dread lay in some unrevealed episode of the past. Beyond the fact that Sir Charles was a widower, he knew little or nothing of his private life; and h

It was an evasive, fickle thing, but was nevertheless the attribute which had made him an investigator of genius.

harles's car proceeding toward the Strand. That odd, sudden chill, as of an abrupt lowering of the t

house, he "sensed" the atmosphere k

The air had a welcome freshness and the glistening pavements looked delightfully cool after the parching heat of the day. In the quiet square, no doubt, it was always re

g to penetrate the premature dusk. The whole complexion of the matter changed. Some menace intangible now, but

Harley. Out from the doorway came hominess and that air of security and peace which had seemed to characterize the house when viewed from outside. The

y?" said the bu

I am

ologizes for not being in to receive you,

out?" inquired Harley as he h

her side of the square, and Mr. Wilson's man rang up a

er showed him into a small but well-f

aimlessly to wander about the room, apparently studying the titles of the works crowding the bookshelves. As a matter of fact, he was endeavouring to arran

t of reaching Sir Charles's house he had doubted the reality of the menace which hung over this man, the note of danger which

t experience had taught him that it

brary door, spoke in low tones, perhaps in deference to the presence of a visitor. Harley was only mildly interested, but the voices had broken his trai

claimed her to be, bowed in a queer Victorian fashion which suggested that a curtsy might follow. One d

l right," said H

could hope to conceal itself, there remained a trace of that grimness which he had detected at the moment of her entrance. In short, she was still bristling from a recent encoun

her fingers busily rearranging the blooms,

, that is so,"

ould not have stayed in the house for one week if I had had my way. Miss Phil

Phil?" said Harley, inten

imple glee at the joke. "I mean Jones, the new parlourmaid. When I say

perceived that the old lady

she was out on Wednesday. Then she has the impudence to allow someone to ring her up here at the house;

ay," she concluded, pathetically, as she walked slowly from the room,

tly amused to be made the recipie

e housekeeper, since the outstanding disadvantage of that strange gift resembling prescience was that it sometimes blunted the purely analytical part of his

aph in a silver frame which occupied the centre of the shelf. It was the photograph of an unusually pretty girl; that is to say, of

aive expression was palpably a pose, and her slightly parted lips promised laughter. She possessed delightfully wavy hair and her nec

Miss Phil',"

d just placed the match in an ash tray when he heard Sir Charles's voice in the lobby, and a moment later Sir Charles himself came hurr

ir Charles, "in the first pla

errupted. "Your excellent housek

e seen that his thoughts were elsewhere. "But I have to relate a most inexplicable occurre

ou mean, S

ng to be the servant of Mr. Chester Wilson, that

butler in

ssion in his eyes grew almost wild, "no one in

It was

se to get me a

ary. Whether because of his words or because of the presence of the man himself, the warning, intuitive finger had again touched Paul

icularly on my return journey, of course.

th you," said Pau

ome episode, a memory, was clamouring for recognition, while the intuitive, subconscious voice whispered: "This man is in danger; protect him." What was the me

had observed at their earlier interview in Chancery Lane. "In any eve

r Charles-a premonition that this man's days were numbered. It was uncanny, unnerving; and whereas, at first, the atmosphere of Sir Charles Abingdon's hom

uld not well have failed to attract the attention of a burglar. But that the person who had penetrated t

on had overflowed even into this room. In the warm shadows about him were pictu

, surely belonged in its eerie quality to the land of temple bells, of silent, subtle peoples, to the secret land which has bred so many mysteries. Yes,

ed and very surly-looking maid, in whom Harley t

own room in a manner almost furtive, "I realized to-day at your office that the history of this dread which has c

e under

titled to expect from her father. I don't mean," he said, hastily, "that we are in any sense out of sympathy, but latterly in some way I must confess that we have got a little out of touch." He gla

ley with sympathy. "I am all attention, and I shall only int

easier to explain the matter now. To continue, the

n appeared to remo

who knows India so well as you do," he con

ersation, nodded in agreement. "The call of the East," he replied, "is a very re

who hovered disdainfully in the background. When again host and guest found themselves alone: "I don't in any way distrust the servants," explained Sir Charles, "b

rley noticed that his hand was shaking nervously. He thought of the photograph in the library, and now, in this

is daughter; and, mentally visualizing the pure oval face and taunting eyes of the library photograph, Harley found it impo

condition, then truly it was a dreadful one. No longer able to conceal his concern, H

eassuringly. "A mere nothing

continued Ha

ness or seizure. His fresh-coloured face was growing positively livid, and he plucked at the edge of the table with twitchin

ey, loudly. "Quick!

swift footsteps and th

choking voice. He began to clutch his

pered Harley.

cross the table as though he saw some ghastly apparition there. And now with appalling suddenness he

he said... "N

d terror-stricke

uttering. "Sir Charles!

housekeeper, with other servants peering over her shoulder into that warmly li