me to begin making enemies. Fate, in one of her
cruel moments, has cursed me with an unpleasing exterior. Nay, do not
pretend that you think otherwise, for I know it to be true. Those whom I
would fain conciliate are offended by it. You, however, I should have
thought would have seen below the surface. Why should we quarrel? To
quote your own Shakespeare, 'I would be friends with you and have your
love.' I am rich, I have influence, I have seen a great deal of the
world, and have studied mankind as few others have done. If, therefore,
we joined forces, what is there we might not do together?"

Incredible as it may seem after all I had suffered on his account, such
was the influence he exerted over me that I now began to find myself
wishing it were not necessary for me to say the things I had come to
say. But I had no intention of allowing him to suppose I could be moved
as easily as he seemed to imagine.

"Before there can be any talk of friendship or even of association
between us, Monsieur Pharos," I said, "it will be necessary for me to
have a complete understanding with you. If I have wronged you, as I
sincerely hope I have done, I will endeavour to make amends for it. Are
you aware that on the night of Lady Medenham's 'at home' a diabolical
murder was committed at the old curiosity shop at the corner of the
street adjoining that in which my studio is situated?"

"One could hardly read the English papers without being aware of it," he
answered gravely; "but I scarcely see in what way that affects me."

Here he stopped and gazed at me for a moment in silence as if he were
anxious to read what was passing in my mind. Then he began again:

"Surely you do not mean to tell me, Mr. Forrester, that your dislike to
me is so great as to induce you to believe that I was the perpetrator of
that ghastly deed?"

"Since you are aware that a murder _was_ committed," I said, without
appearing to notice his interruption, "perhaps you also know that the
deed was supposed to have been done between the hours of midnight and
one o'clock. You may also have read that an individual was seen leaving
the house by the back entrance almost on the stroke of one, and that he
was believed to have taken refuge in my studio."

"Now that you recall the circumstance, I confess I did see something of
the sort in the paper," he answered; "and I remember reading also that
you informed the inspector of police, who called upon you to make
inquirie