d, cunning Chinese devil!"

"And in all probability now known also to Smith----"

"And he cannot speak! ..."

"_Who_ cannot speak?" demanded a hoarse voice.

I turned in a flash, unable to credit my senses--and there, holding
weakly to the doorpost, stood Nayland Smith!

"Smith!" I cried reproachfully--"you should not have left your room!"

He sank into an arm-chair, assisted by Dr. Hamilton.

"My skull is fortunately thick!" he replied, a ghostly smile playing
around the corners of his mouth--"and it was a physical impossibility
for me to remain inert considering that Dr. Fu-Manchu proposes to
leave England to-night!"

CHAPTER XXXVIII

THE MONK'S PLAN

"My inquiries in the Manuscript Room of the British Museum," said
Nayland Smith, his voice momentarily growing stronger and some of the
old fire creeping back into his eyes, "have proved entirely successful."

Sir Lionel Barton, Dr. Hamilton, and myself hung upon every word; and
often I fond myself glancing at the old-fashioned clock on the
doctor's mantel-piece.

"We had very definite proof," continued Smith, "of the fact that
Fu-Manchu and company were conversant with that elaborate system of
secret rooms and passages which forms a veritable labyrinth, in, about,
and beneath Graywater Park. Some of the passages we explored. That
Sir Lionel should be ignorant of the system was not strange,
considering that he had but recently inherited the property, and that
the former owner, his kinsman, regarded the secret as lost. A
starting-point was discovered, however, in the old work on haunted
manors unearthed in the library, as you remember. There was a
reference, in the chapter dealing with Graywater, so a certain monkish
manuscript said to repose in the national collection and to contain a
plan of these passages and stairways.

"The Keeper of the Manuscripts at the Museum very courteously assisted
me in my inquiries, and the ancient parchment was placed in my hands.
Sure enough, it contained a carefully executed drawing of the hidden
ways of Graywater, the work of a monk in the distant days when
Graywater was a priory. This monk, I may add--a certain Brother Anselm--
afterwards became Abbot of Graywater."

"Very interesting!" cried sir Lionel loudly; "very interesting indeed."

"I copied the plan," resumed Smith, "with elaborate care. That labor,
unfortunately, was wasted, in part, at least. Then, in order to
confirm my suspicions on the point, I ende