oss.

And now a curious thing happened.

That evening Charlie, knowing himself under suspicion of stealing the
jewels, had an intuition that it would be better if Peggy did not
visit him at Bennett Street. Therefore at about half-past five, when
darkness had fallen, he went along to Mount Street, and there watched
outside Sir Polworth's house.

After a little while an empty taxi which had evidently been summoned
by telephone, stopped at the door, and Peggy, very plainly dressed,
got into it and drove away. Another taxi happened to be near,
therefore her lover, unable to shout and stop her, got into it and
followed her.

They went along Piccadilly, and passing Arlington Street, which led
into Bennett Street, continued away to the Strand and across the City
eastward, until Otley was seized with curiosity as to the girl's
destination.

Past Aldgate went the taxi and down Commercial Road East, that broad
long thoroughfare that leads to the East India Docks. At Limehouse
Church the taxi stopped, and Peggy alighted and paid the man.

Almost immediately a young man, the cut of whose overcoat and the
angle of whose hat at once marked him as a Spaniard, approached her.
Otley, full of wonder, had alighted from his taxi at some distance
away and was eagerly watching.

Peggy and the stranger exchanged a few words, whereupon he started off
along a narrow and rather ill-lit road called Three Colt Street, past
Limehouse Causeway. Suddenly it occurred to the young man that they
were in the center of London's Chinatown! He recollected the escaping
Chinaman from Lord Teesdale's house! But why was Peggy there? Surely
she was not a drug-taker! The very thought caused him to shudder.

Silently he followed the pair before him, and saw them turn into a
narrow by-street and halt at a small house. Her conductor knocked on
the door four times. And then repeated the summons.

The door opened slowly and they entered. Then, when the door was
closed again, Peggy's lover crept along and listened at the shutter
outside.

Why was she there? He stood bewildered. She had promised to call upon
him at his rooms, and yet she was there in that low-class house--a
veritable den it seemed!

The window was closely shuttered, as were all in that mysterious
silent thoroughfare--one into which the police would hardly venture to
penetrate alone.

The young man listened, his ears strained to catch any sound.

Suddenly he heard Peggy shriek. He liste