o one of my
immediate neighbours has ever seen me or my once extensive following
enter this house." He selected an empty test-tube. "No one shall see
me leave."

The unreality of it all threatened to swamp Stuart's mind again, but
he forced himself to speak calmly.

"Your own escape is just possible, if some vessel awaits you; but do
you imagine for a moment that you can carry me to China and elude
pursuit?"

Fo-Hi, again consulting the huge book with its yellow faded characters,
answered him absently.

"Do you recall the death of the Grand Duke Ivan?" he said. "Does your
memory retain the name of Van Rembold and has your Scotland Yard yet
satisfied itself that Sir Frank Narcombe died from 'natural causes'?
Then, there was Ericksen, the most brilliant European electrical
expert of the century, who died quite suddenly last year. I honor
you, Dr. Stuart, by inviting you to join a company so distinguished."

"You are raving! What have these men in common with me?"

Stuart found himself holding his breath as he awaited a reply--for he
knew that he was on the verge of learning that which poor Gaston Max
had given his life to learn. A moment Fo-Hi hesitated--and in that
moment his captive recognised, and shuddered to recognise, that he
won this secret too late. Then:

"The Grand Duke is a tactician who, had he remained in Europe, might
well have readjusted the frontiers of his country. Van Rembold, as a
mining engineer, stands alone, as does Henrik Ericksen in the
electrical world. As for Sir Frank Narcombe, he is beyond doubt the
most brilliant surgeon of today, and I, a judge of men, count you his
peer in the realm of pure therapeutics. Whilst your studies in
snake-poisons (which were narrowly watched for us in India) give you
an unique place in toxicology. These great men will be some of your
companions in China."

"In China!"

"In China, Dr. Stuart, where I hope you will join them. You
misapprehend the purpose of my mission. It is not destructive,
although neither I nor my enlightened predecessor have ever scrupled
to remove any obstacle from the path of that world-change which no
human power can check or hinder; it is primarily constructive. No
state or group of states can hope to resist the progress of a movement
guided and upheld by a monopoly of the world's genius. The Sublime
Order, of which I am an unworthy member, stands for such a movement."

"Rest assured it will be crushed."

"Van Rembold is prep