doors of the restaurant opened and shut. The Bearded One had
disappeared.

For an endless five minutes Lessing forced himself to sit still, then he
paid his account, put on his hat, and opening the door, stood on the
outer step of the restaurant looking anxiously to right and to left. He
had purposely left behind his coat, since in the event of finding the
Bearded One still hanging about, he could then be able to assert that he
was impatiently waiting for the arrival of more Brothers. The night was
chill and there were but few pedestrians in the narrow street. Running
his eye to right and left he could count a dozen in all, no one of whom
bore any resemblance in figure or clothing to his late companion.

A better moment for escape could not be desired, and as if sent by
Providence a taxi suddenly came into sight, and the chauffeur held up an
inquiring hand. In another second Lessing was seated inside, and had
given an address in Mayfair. He did not risk returning for his coat, a
telephone message to the manager would possibly secure it from theft, if
not the coat must go. This was not a moment for considering coats.

Lessing sat motionless on his seat until the taxi had covered a couple
of miles westwards, when he touched the communicating cord and startled
the chauffeur by an imperative order:

"Scotland Yard. And as quick as you can go!"

Throughout the years that followed Lessing remembered his interview with
the Scotland Yard officials with a smarting indignation. To his excited
senses the calmness, the stolidity, the insistent incredulity which
greeted his story, were exasperating to the last degree. He discovered
to his dismay that the first impression left on his hearers was that he
himself was drunk, but the realisation forced him to a composure which
won an eventual grudging attention. The officials reiterated that the
scheme propounded was impracticable, but a minute description of the
Bearded One, together with the signal of the spilling of salt, made an
undoubted effect. It was known to the police that such a signal did
indeed exist among certain societies, and its usage on the present
occasion was of evident weight. Lessing was assured that immediate
steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the oil tanks. He had the
satisfaction of hearing telephonic messages dispatched to various police
centres, giving instructions for largely increased guard. There was
nothing more to be done. He