tricks had been solved to
their entire satisfaction, and that Messrs. Hamar, Curtis and Kelson
of the Modern Sorcery Company Ltd. had, without doubt, won the wager.

"Have you anything to say?" Curtis asked, addressing John Martin.

"I acknowledge my defeat, though I do not understand it!" John Martin
said with very white lips. "I shall pay you the ten thousand pounds
to-night."

"Don't worry about that," Hamar interposed; "we don't want to take
your money, all we wanted to do was to prove to you we could perform
the tricks you believed to be insoluble.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he went on, raising his voice, "the Modern
Sorcery Company Ltd. has given you some proof to-night of their
capabilities in the conjuring line, and if you will give us the
pleasure of your company to-morrow night--we invite you all free of
charge for the occasion--we will give you a still further
demonstration of our powers. May we count upon your patronage?"

A terrific storm of clapping was the reply, and as the audience slowly
filed from the hall, John Martin staggered into the wing, reeled past
Gladys ere she could catch him, and sank helplessly on to the floor.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MODERN SORCERY COMPANY LTD. GIVE A GRATIS PERFORMANCE

The days that followed were dark days for Gladys. Her father, whom she
loved--and, until now, had never realized how much she loved--lay
seriously ill. He had had a stroke which, although fortunately slight,
must, as the doctor said, be regarded as a prelude to what would
happen, unless he was kept very quiet. And to keep him quiet was not
an easy thing to do. His mind continually reverted to what had just
taken place, and he was for ever asking Gladys to tell him whether
anything further had occurred in connection with it, whether there was
anything about it in the papers.

Gladys, of course, was obliged to dissemble. She hated anything
approaching dissimulation, but on this occasion there was no help for
it, and what she told John Martin was the reverse of what she knew to
be actually happening. The papers were full to overflowing with
accounts of that fatal night's proceedings, and of the marvellous
gratis exhibition given on the succeeding evening by the Modern
Sorcery Company Ltd.

The _Hooter_, for example, had a full column on the middle page headed
in large type--

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT MARTIN AND DAVENPORT'S
THE GREATEST CONJURING TRICKS IN THE WORLD SOLVED!

Whilst the _