e booty in instalments to his lodgings. Then he would
lock the gate and vanish. In a few days the police would break into my
house and find my body; and Mr. Piragoff, in his hotel at, say
Amsterdam, would read an account of the inquest. It was delightfully
simple and effective, but it failed to take into account the player on
the opposite side of the board.

"The interval between Wednesday and Saturday was a time of anxious
thought and considerable excitement. I went out every night, and had
the pleasure of discovering that I was honored by the attendance--at a
little distance--of Mr. Piragoff. One evening only I eluded him, and
watched him drive off furiously in a hansom in pursuit of another hansom
which was supposed to contain me. On that night I visited the museum.
Not that I had anything special to do. My very complete and even
elaborate arrangements had been made some time before and I now had only
to look them over and see that they were in going order; to test, for
instance, the brass handle that was connected with the electric main,
and see that the well-oiled blocks of a couple of purchase tackles ran
smoothly and silently. Everything was in working trim, even to the
concussor, stowed out of sight, but within easy reach, in its narrow
basket.

"Saturday night arrived in due course. I shut up the shop at nine, put
on evening clothes, took the newly-purchased Gladstone and hailed a
hansom. I drove, in the first place, to the Criterion Restaurant and
dined delicately but substantially, carefully avoiding indigestible
dishes. From the restaurant I drove to the museum, where I loitered,
making a final inspection of my arrangements, until twenty-five minutes
past twelve. Then I came forth and walked quietly to Upper Bedford
Place.

"As I turned the corner and looked down the wide thoroughfare the long
stretch of pavement contained but a single figure; a dim, dark blot on
the gray of the summer night. It moved towards me, and, resolving itself
into a definite shape, showed me Piragoff in evening dress, enveloped in
a voluminous overcoat and carrying a small hand-bag.

"'You are punctual, Vosper,' he said graciously. 'Shall we make our
visit now? Is the house quiet yet? These are not, you see.' He nodded at
the boarding-houses that we were passing, several of which still showed
lights in the windows.

"'Our house has settled down,' I answered. 'The collector is an early
bird. I have just been past it to see that