er than yourself, have ever
seen anything here but a bedroom." He waved his hand toward the retorts,
the racks of test tubes, the hundred and one articles that strewed the
laboratory bench. "As for this, its purpose is twofold. We, as well,
as the police, have often need of analysis. We make it. If we require a
drug, a poison, say, we compound it from its various ingredients, or,
as the case may be, distil it, perhaps--it is, you will agree, somewhat
more difficult to trace to its source if procured that way. And speaking
of poisons"--he stepped forward, and lifted a glass-stoppered bottle
containing a colourless liquid from a shelf--"in a modest way we have
even done some original research work here. This, for instance, is
as Utopian from our standpoint as the formation, and personnel of the
organisation I have briefly outlined to you. It possesses very essential
qualities. It is almost instantaneous in its action, requires a very
small quantity, and defies detection even by autopsy." He uncorked the
bottle, and dipped in a long glass rod. "Will you watch the experiment?"
he invited, with a sort of ghastly pleasantry. "I do not want you to
accept anything on trust."

With a start, Jimmie Dale swung around. He had heard no sound, but
another man was at his elbow now--and, struggling in the man's hand, was
a little white rabbit.

It was over in an instant. A single drop in the rabbit's mouth, and the
animal had stiffened out, a lifeless thing.

"It is quite as effective on the human organism," continued the other,
"only, instead of one drop, three are required. If I make it ten"--he
was carefully measuring the liquid into two wineglasses--"it is only
that even you may be satisfied that the quantity is fatal." He filled up
the glasses with what was apparently wine of some description, which he
poured from a decanter, and held out the glasses in front of him.

And again Jimmie Dale started, again he had heard no one enter, and yet
two men had stepped forward from behind him and had taken the glasses
from their leader's hands. He glanced around him, counting quickly--they
were surely the two who had entered with him from the corridor. No!
Including the leader, there were now six men, all in evening dress, all
masked, in the room with him.

A wave of the leader's hand, and the two men holding the glasses left
the room. The man turned to Jimmie Dale again.

"Shall we proceed to the second room, Mr. Dale?" he asked polit