ing of
the house in which Mr. Moole lies," he smiled, "works on the principle
of a huge elevator. The secret of the Secret House is really the secret
of perfectly arranged lifts; that is to say," he went on, "I can take my
room to the first floor and I can transport it to the fourth floor with
greater ease than you can carry a chair from a basement to an attic."

"I guessed that much," said T. B. "Do you realize that you might have
made a fortune as a practical electrician?"

Farrington smiled.

"I very much doubt it," he said coolly; "but my career and my wasted
opportunities are of less interest to me at the moment than my future
and yours. What are you going to do?"

T. B. smiled.

"I am going to do nothing," he said cheerfully, "unless it be that I am
going to die, for I can imagine no circumstance or danger that
threatens me or those I love best which would induce me to loose upon
the world such dangerous criminals as yourself and your
fellow-murderers. Your time has come, Farrington. Whether my time comes
a little sooner or later does not alter the fact that you are within a
month of your own death, whether you kill me or whether you let me go."

"You are a bold man to tell me that," said Farrington between his teeth.

T. B. saw from a glance at the blanched faces of the men that his words
had struck home.

"If you imagine you can escape," T. B. went on unconcernedly, "why, I
think you are wasting valuable time which might be better utilized, for
every moment of delay is a moment nearer to the gallows for both of
you."

"My friend, you are urging your own death," said Fall.

"As to that," said T. B., shrugging his shoulders, "I have no means of
foretelling, because I cannot look into the future any more than you,
and if it is the will of Providence that I should die in the execution
of my duty, I am as content to do so as any soldier upon the
battle-field, for it seems to me," he continued half to himself, "that
the arrayed enemies of society are more terrible, more formidable, and
more dangerous than the massed enemies that a soldier is called upon to
confront. They are only enemies for a period; for a time of madness
which is called 'war'; but you in your lives are enemies to society for
all time."

Fall exchanged glances with his superior, and Farrington nodded.

The doctor leant down and picked up the leather helmet, and placed it
with the same tender care that he had displayed before over the h