it was carried through the door and
down the steps to the van which was backed up to the curb. It was
lifted carefully inside, the two men clambered in beside it, the
driver spoke to the horses, and the van rolled slowly away up the
Avenue.

M. Armand watched it for a moment, then mounted into the cab which
was waiting, waved a last farewell to me, and followed after the van.
We watched it until it turned westward at the first cross-street.

"Mr. Godfrey's occupation will be gone," said Parks, with a little
laugh. "He has fairly lived with that cabinet for the past three or
four days. He was here last night for quite a while."

"Last night?" I echoed, surprised. "I was sure he would be here
to-day," I added, reflecting that Godfrey might have decided to have
a final look at the cabinet. "He half-promised to be here, but I
suppose something more important detained him."

The next instant, I was jumping down the steps two at a time, for a
cab in which two men were sitting came down the Avenue, and rolled
slowly around the corner in the direction taken by the van.

And just as it disappeared, one of its occupants turned toward me and
waved his hand--and I recognised Jim Godfrey.

CHAPTER XIX

"LA MORT!"

That my legs, without conscious effort of my own, should carry me up
the Avenue and around the corner after the cab in which I had seen
Godfrey was a foregone conclusion, and yet it was with a certain
vexation of spirit that I found myself racing along, for I realised
that Godfrey had not been entirely frank with me. Certainly he had
dropped no hint of his intention to follow Armand; but, I told
myself, that might very well have been because he deemed such a hint
unnecessary. I might have guessed, in spite of his seeming unconcern,
that he would not allow the cabinet to pass from his sight; if he had
been willing for me to turn it over to Armand, it was only because he
expected developments of some sort to follow that transfer.

And it suddenly dawned upon me that even I did not know the cabinet's
destination! It had not occurred to me to inquire where M. Armand
proposed to take it, and he had volunteered no information.

So, after a moment, I took up the chase more contentedly, telling
myself that Godfrey would not have waved to me if he had not wanted
me along, and I reached the corner in time to see the van turn
northward into Sixth Avenue. As soon as it and the cabs which
followed it were out of s