he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him. The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they

nglish Bank. Please han

Hunt

by word. Then at last he looked up. His

ht," he said. "This

sturbed. He threw open the

Henry?" he invited. "This is a very serious mat

irs. Men had pleaded in here with all the eloquence at their command, men of every rank and walk in life, thieves, nobles, ruined men and pseudo-millionaires, always with the same cry

d been ill, for instance, I should have brought you your correspondence across to the hotel, but I should not have delivered it to your own secretary. That, as I say, is our invariable rule, and we find that it has saved many of our clients from inconvenience. In your case," the manager concluded impr

e. He drew towards himself the heap of lett

r letters and answer them, if you like, before you go out. I always call th

eys replied. "Are you sure t

is merely a matter of routine. I was just going to shut myself up here and read the Times. Hav

jesty's Service." These he opened and read their contents slowly and with great care. When he had finished, he produced a pair of scissors from his waistcoat pocket

e few messages. Thank you very much, Mr. Harrison, for your kindness. I

ager he

ught to part with it,"

he person who presente

er shook

s the only one in the bank, explained that letters were never delivered to an order, and turned away t

could never do anything in the matter without evidence of identifica

son yield

ting, if only as a curiosity. The imitat

hen for a moment, with his ha

-well, I might almost say danger. You and I both know that there are weapons in this place which can be made use of by persons wholly without scruples, which are scarcely available at home. I want you to keep your eyes open. I have very few friends here whom

atened with assassination?"

nt that to bring it to a successful conclusion I fancy that those who are engaged in it would not hesitate to face any risk. I have wired to England for help. If anything happens

nager

ent on, "that you are exaggerating the danger. Mr. Bi

s smiled

come to any harm. But I am here in a somewhat different position, and my negotiations in the east, during the last few weeks, have made me exceedingly unpopular with some very powerful people. How

his hand. He watched the sunlight glitter on the white houses which fringed the bay. He looked idly up at the trim little vineyards on the brown hill-side. It was the beauty spot of the world. There was no object upon which his eyes could rest, which was not beautiful. The whole place was like a feast of colour and form and sunshine. Yet for him the light seemed suddenly to have faded from life. Danger had only stimulated him, had helped him to cope with the dull pain which he had carried about with him during the last few months. He was face to face now with something else. It was worse, this, than anything he had dreamed. Somehow or other, notwithstanding the growing estrangement with his wife which had ended in their virtual separation, he had still believed in her, still had faith in her, still had hope of an ultimate reconciliation. And behind it all, he had loved her. It seemed at that moment that a nightmare was being formed around him. A new horror was creeping into his thoughts. He had f

the constant procession of automobiles covered him all the while. The exercise had done him good. He was able to keep his thoughts focussed upon his mission. So far, at any rate, he had held his own. His dispatches to London had been clear and vivid. He had told them exactly what he had feared, he had shown them the inside of this scheme as instinct had revealed it to him, and he had begged for aid. One man alone, surrounded by enemies, and in a country where all things were possible, was in a parlous position if once the extent of his knowledge were surmised. So far, the plot

dust by an advancing automobile. This time, by some chance, he glanced around, attracted by the piercing character of its long-distance whistle. A high-powered grey touring car came by, travelling at a great pace. Hunterleys stood perfectly rigid, one hand grasping the wall by the side of which he stood. Notwithstanding his spectacl

and changed, and, passing along the private passage, made his way into the Sporting Club. The first person whom he saw, seated in her accusto

don't think that I care to play just now.

f altered feeling of which she had been more than

essed slowly. "I have been losing all

was certainly looking tired. Her eyes were weary, she had the air of an un

ea so much," she adde

him. Then the memory of that forged order still in his pocket, flashed i

dy Hunterleys? I have been in an

ce on one side. Dracon

hadn't we?" he remarked. "Glad to

his wife's glance. He

aconmeyer continued. "It was a crude sort of hold-up for a neighbourhood

y," his w

at the moment was critical. Then a hand was laid quie

to step this way for a moment

u?" Hunterl

of Police, at mo