ill tell
you all I know."

She sat down at a desk and began working out the diagrams, and at
last she handed the paper to Billy, who sat beside her, and pointed
out the rooms and scribbled the words on them for his aid.

"It is very simple," she said. "That first square is for the court,
and the next square is for the garden. The hall of banquets comes
so, between them, and the hall is two stories tall, and across the
top of that, from the _selamlik_ to the harem, runs that little
secret passage. And at the end of it, here, is the little panel into
the rose room where she is, and beside the panel outside in the
passage are the little steps that go up to that tower room, where
they put me on the top. And from that top room I broke out a locked
door on the roof--that is how I got away. I climbed down at the end
of the harem from one roof to another where it is unfinished.... The
rose room is here on the garden, but the windows have bars, and
those bars are too strong for breaking. I have tried it! There is no
way out but the secret way by that passage into the men's wing, or
the other way through the door into the long hall and down the
little stairs into the anteroom below. How Seniha hated me when I
made laughter and noise and talk going up and down those stairs to
my motor car!"

She laughed impishly, pointing out Seniha's rooms, facing on the
street, and contributing several bizarre anecdotes of the palace
life. But Billy was not to be diverted, and went over the plans
again and again, before the diminished number of lights and the
hoverings of the attendant Arabs recalled the lateness of the hour
to his absorption.

But late as they were they were not the only occupants of the lift.
Returning from a masquerade, a domino over his arm, stood Falconer.
Civilly enough he returned Billy's greeting, with no apparent
awareness of the little lady in pongee, but Billy was conscious that
her flaunting caliber had been promptly registered. And to his
annoyance the actress raised big eyes of reproach to him.

"No champagne for me, after all, Mr. Billy!" she sighed. "You are
not very good for a celebration--h'm?... Well, then--good night."

Her parting smile as she left the car adroitly included the tall
aristocratic young Englishman with the little moustache.

Sharply Billy turned to him. "Come up to my room, please. I have
something to say to you."

In silence Falconer followed. Billy flung shut the door, drew a long