, 1922-11-17

about the room. extending !tseif-a
thing that crept blindly and disturb
ell as though IL would escape from
something that followed 1t tirelessly
and visibiy.
II required the fingers OF a master.
On h board OF a keyed instrument.
10 produce these sounds. They came
from the room beyond. a second
drawing room looking out on the Bois
de B~oulouEne.
Monsieur Jonqueile had not allowed
the ervan to announce him.
zone is not permitted to disturb
Lord Valleys at .his hour the SER
want had said
Monsieur Jonquelle's card had add
ed to the mans perpiexity. One was
airo not permitted to eeny an On
the Prefcct OF Police OF Paris. The
man had made a hopeless gesture.
like n resigning himself to tho
inevitable.
Monsieur Jonqaeile. after the Too
had closed behind him. remained for
some oments quite motionless in
the eddy. as one might write It, OF
this strange. weird music. In which
there was always n note OF ruthless
vigor-a note of barbaric vigor. harsh
and determined.
Monsieur Jonqusiis could not place
the music in any remembered COM
position. II was not the work of any
master tina he knew. 1t was an
improvisation OF the fingers that
produced it.
Presently he advanced into h
room from which the music issued
He paused a momen. in the doorway.
watching h figure with white. MIN
BILE fingers hard a. steel. Then he
spoke. B..
Your pardon. monsieur" said the
Project of Police. 81 am desolated
TO disturb YOU"
The man at the plano sprang up
and turned swiftly as though his body
accomplished she act with 4 single
motion.
To the eye. the man was strange.
His shoulders were very broad and
STOPPED; his face was wide, massive
the lace Of a Slav. His hair vas
not long. and affected nc manner.
isms.
Tho man was very carefully dress
ed. after the English fashion, and
with its well-bred restraint. Blu. the
Impression he gave one was decid
edly not English. It vas that OF a
Slav adapted to an English aspect.
The eyes one did not SEE. One
rarely saw them. They seemed to
be hidden by heavy lids like curtained
windows. And there was no expires
sion in the face. The ace was a
mask. It seemed always in repose.
The big nose. the square, brutal Jaw,
and tho wide planes OF the face, were
white as with a sort OF pailor. Mon
sieur Jonquelle had q sudden, swift
impression. The man before him was
either the greatest criminal or the
greatest genius that he had ever seen.
Jonquelle had also a further i'm
preston of failure. HI hac meant
TO srlrtle this man, and observe
what followed. And he had startled
him: but untrue to every experience.
there was nothing to observe. The
mans face remained without an ex-
preston; he was behind 1t hidden
from every eye. /. was a mask that
could not be changed by the will of
another. Monsieur Jonquelle won
dered in what name IT would
change at the will of the man that
II so admirably obscured. 1t was a
thing he was not interested to tas-
cover.
It was only for an instant that the
man wa without expression. Then
he smiled and came forward into the
room. The smile began witlrsa queer
lifting of the liz and extended vaguely
with but h slight changing of the
mans features.
His voice when he spoke. was low,
well modulated and composed. His
manner wac easy and gracious.
AIR he said. sit is Monsieur Jon
queIle. the Project Of Police of Paris.
] am honored."
Monsieur ~Jonqueile removed his
gloves; he sat for a moment twisting
them in his fingers like one in a
certain embarrassment, His host.
also seated. regarded him with the
vague smile. which apparel now as
a sort Of background on the mask
OF his face. The Prefect OF Police
hesitated.
Monsieur" he said, "I have
called upon you for an opinion upon
a problem which has always perplex-
ed me. 1t is a problem upon which
the opinions of persons without ex-
perience are wholly without value,
and unfortunately. all those who have
had experience and were. therefore.
able to give me an opinion. have been
always persons lacking in a certain
element of intelligence. I have not
had .he opinion of a man OF intelli-
gence, who was also a man of sx-
perience. upon this problem"
He paused. The man before him
did not reply. He waited as in a
profound courtesy for Monsieur Jon
quelle to complete the subject with
which he had opened his discourse.
He had taken a small chair. n he
sat in ii as a man of great strength
and rigor and of an unusual bulk
rests his weigh. upon something
whish he is uncertain will support
It.
He did not move. bus the pre-
sion in his face changed slightly.
His eyebrows lifted rs in a courteous
inquiry. Monsieur Jonqueile went
on. He seemed not entirely at ease.
II shall not pretend a: Ignorance of
-our affairs, monsieur. The law
no,,r.s ~ En1land are brutal and d.