ofa at one side.

His hat, as Madame Alia had said, was there, and he put it on and went to
the hall door. The circle had begun to sing another hymn. Orme got into
the hall, shut the door silently, and hurried down the stairs, the
long-drawn strains of the song following him and dying away as he neared
the street entrance. In the lower hall he removed the felt slippers and
tossed them into a corner.

He was amazed at the loudness of the street noises, and the glare of the
sunlight as he stepped to the sidewalk. He stood there blinking for a
moment, until his eyes became accustomed to the light. The foot-procession
of the city streamed by him.

Suddenly a man turned in toward the doorway, and, with a startled
exclamation, stopped short. Orme found himself looking into the gleaming
eyes of Alcatrante.

CHAPTER XIII

AN OLD MAN OF THE SEA

"Oh, Mr. Orme, you are the man I most wished to see." The minister's
voice carried a note of unrestrained eagerness. He extended his hand.

Orme accepted the salutation, mustering the appearance of a casual
meeting; he must keep Alcatrante out of the building.

"I was sorry that I could not be at your apartment this morning,"
continued Alcatrante, "and I hope you did not wait too long."

"Oh, no," replied Orme. "I waited for a little while, but concluded that
something had called you away. Has Senhor Poritol recovered from his
anxiety?"

"Why, no," said Alcatrante. "But the course of events has changed." He
linked his arm in Orme's and walked along with him toward the center of
the city. "You see," he went on, "my young friend Poritol overestimated
the importance of that marked bill. It did give the clue to the hiding
place of certain papers which were of great value to him. What he failed
to realize was that the papers could be of little importance to others.
And yet, so perturbed is he that he has asked me to offer a considerable
reward for the recovery of these papers."

"Indeed?"

"Yes." Alcatrante sent a slanting glance at Orme. "The sum is
ridiculously large, but he insists on offering one thousand dollars."

"Quite a sum," said Orme calmly. He was interested in the minister's
indirections.

"As for the events of last night"--continued Alcatrante, stopping short,
with a significant glance.

"Well?" said Orme indifferently.

"I trust that you did not think me absurd for sending that detective to
you. That I did so was a result of poor Poritol's frantic i