kindly face.

"You are better, I trust, sir?" Prince Maiyo said.

"I am better," Inspector Jacks muttered. "I don't know--I can't imagine
what happened to me."

"You were not feeling quite well, perhaps, this morning," the Prince
said soothingly. "A little run down, no doubt. Your profession--I gather
from your card that you come from Scotland Yard--is an arduous one.
I came into the room and found you lying upon your back, gasping for
breath."

Inspector Jacks was making a swift recovery. He noticed that the glass
which the man-servant was holding was empty. He had a dim recollection
of something having been forced through his lips. Already he was
beginning to feel himself again.

"I was absolutely and entirely well," he declared stoutly, "both when I
left home this morning and when I entered that room to wait for you. I
don't know what it was that came over me," he continued doubtfully, "but
the atmosphere seemed suddenly to become unbearable."

Prince Maiyo nodded understandingly.

"People often complain," he admitted. "So many of my hangings in the
room have been wrapped in spices to preserve them, and my people burn
dead blossoms there occasionally. Some of us, too," he concluded, "are
very susceptible to strange odors. I should imagine, perhaps, that you
are one of them."

Inspector Jacks shook his head.

"I call myself a strong man," he said, "and I couldn't have believed
that anything of the sort would have happened to me."

"I shouldn't worry about it," the Prince said gently. "Go and see your
doctor, if you like, but I have known many people, perfectly healthy,
affected in the same way. I understood that you wished to have a word
with me. Do you feel well enough to enter upon your business now, or
would you prefer to make another appointment?"

"I am feeling quite well again, thank you," the Inspector said slowly.
"If you could spare me a few minutes, I should be glad to explain the
matter which brought me here."

The Prince merely glanced at his servant, who bowed and glided
noiselessly from the room. Then he drew an easy chair to the side of the
couch where Mr. Jacks was still sitting.

"I am very much interested to meet you, Mr. Inspector Jacks," he
remarked, with a glance at the card which he was still holding in his
fingers. "I have studied very many of your English institutions during
my stay over here with much interest, but it has not been my good
fortune to have come into touch at all