or Rembold, and now that I know the facts respecting
Page le Roi, I can find it in my heart to thank God that I did not
see . . . whatever came out of that sarcophagus."

Nayland Smith stared him hard in the face. "I am glad you did not, Sir
Lionel," he said; "for whatever the priest Mekara has to do with the
matter, by means of his sarcophagus, Dr. Fu-Manchu has made his first
attempt upon your life. He has failed, but I hope you will accompany
me from here to a hotel. He will not fail twice."

CHAPTER XII

IT was the night following that of the double tragedy at Rowan House.
Nayland Smith, with Inspector Weymouth, was engaged in some mysterious
inquiry at the docks, and I had remained at home to resume my strange
chronicle. And--why should I not confess it?--my memories had
frightened me.

I was arranging my notes respecting the case of Sir Lionel Barton.
They were hopelessly incomplete. For instance, I had jotted down the
following queries:--(1) Did any true parallel exist between the death
of M. Page le Roi and the death of Kwee, the Chinaman, and of Strozza?
(2) What had become of the mummy of Mekara? (3) How had the murderer
escaped from a locked room? (4) What was the purpose of the rubber
stopper? (5) Why was Kwee hiding in the conservatory? (6) Was the
green mist a mere subjective hallucination--a figment of Croxted's
imagination--or had he actually seen it?

Until these questions were satisfactorily answered, further progress
was impossible. Nayland Smith frankly admitted that he was out of his
depth. "It looks, on the face of it, more like a case for the
Psychical Research people than for a plain Civil Servant, lately of
Mandalay," he had said only that morning.

"Sir Lionel Barton really believes that supernatural agencies were
brought into operation by the opening of the high priest's coffin. For
my part, even if I believed the same, I should still maintain that Dr.
Fu-Manchu controlled those manifestations. But reason it out for
yourself and see if we arrive at any common center. Don't work so much
upon the datum of the green mist, but keep to the FACTS which are
established."

I commenced to knock out my pipe in the ash-tray; then paused, pipe in
hand. The house was quite still, for my landlady and all the small
household were out.

Above the noise of the passing tramcar I thought I had heard the hall
door open. In the ensuing silence I sat and listened.

Not a sound. St