d stop him, little Poritol, with some vague hope of
making amends, had snatched up the torn envelope and taken it to her. He
returned to the range of Orme's vision with an air of virtuous
importance.

"The contents," said the girl--"where are the papers?"

Alcatrante and the Japanese looked at each other. It was as if they said,
"In view of our failure we might as well make a clean breast of it." But
Alcatrante was too cunning to take the initiative in confession. He left
that to the Japanese, who spoke unhesitatingly.

"The only papers in the envelope were these." He picked up the torn
prospectuses from the floor and held them extended in his hand. "Our
surprise is as great as yours."

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

"Whether you believe it or not, my dear young lady, it is true."

There was a moment of silence, then the Japanese continued: "We have
reason to think that the envelope was for a time last night in the
possession of an American, and that he substituted these circulars for
whatever the envelope may have held."

Orme's impulse to declare himself was almost irresistible. A man whose
instincts were less cautious would have thrown the table over and ranged
himself beside the girl. Orme was not fearful, but he knew that the
chances of a successful outcome would be lessened by exposure. Even if he
and the girl got safely from the room, there would be a pursuit, and the
risk of losing the papers would be great.

As for the girl, she clearly was in no danger. These men would not harm
her.

But would the assertion of the Japanese lead her to doubt Orme? Would she
believe that he had actually recovered the papers the night before and
kept them for his own purposes? He remembered that he had given her only
the scantiest account of his adventure at the tree, for he had wished to
spare her the details of an incident that meant her disappointment as
well as his own. She might now readily attribute his reticence to a
desire to conceal something.

And then came her voice. Her first words brought a glow to Orme's heart:
"I know that you are mistaken. No American has those papers." Orme
breathed his relief. Then she added the dubious word--"Unless----"

So she did doubt him after all. Well, he could not blame her. The scene
in the room--the frankness of the Japanese, which could only be
attributed to discomfiture; the empty envelope; the torn prospectuses on
the floor, all these conditions pointed to the tr