I am having
the neighborhood scoured pretty thoroughly, and I think it is merely a
question of time, now, for us to hem in the wanted man--"

"And the wanted woman!" I added.

We were interrupted by a knock at the study door, and Coates came in
with the evening mail.

"Excuse me, Gatton," I said--for I had observed that one of the
letters was from Isobel.

Eagerly I tore open the envelope ... and what I read struck a sudden
chill to my heart. Looking up:

"Gatton!" I cried--"Miss Merlin has received, by post, a small
statuette of Bast!"

"What!"

"From her brief description I am almost tempted to believe that it is
the one which was stolen from here! She is dreadfully frightened,
naturally."

The Inspector stood up.

"We must see it," he said rapidly, "at once; and we must see the
wrapping it came in and the postmark. It is maddening," he burst out
angrily, "to think that Dr. Damar Greefe may be somewhere within less
than half a mile of us as we sit here now, that we could ring him up
if we knew his number; but that even with all the resources of the
Criminal Investigation Department at work we may yet be unable to find
him! Even an outside suburb like this is a very big place to search
and the job is something like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

My own frame of mind was one of horrible doubt and indecision. I knew
not what to do for the best; and Gatton had begun to pace up and down
like a caged wild beast. Therefore:

"Fill your pipe," I said wearily. "A lot may depend upon our next
move. To make a false one would perhaps be fatal."

Gatton stared at me almost savagely, then threw himself back into the
armchair from which he had arisen, and was just reaching out for the
tobacco-jar which I had pushed before him, when a bell rang. I heard
Coates opening the front door, and wondering whom this late visitor
could be, I stared questioningly at the Inspector.

Came a tap upon the door.

"Come in," I cried.

Coates entered, and standing stiffly in the doorway:

"_Dr. Damar Greefe_!" he announced.

Unmoved, he stood aside; and whilst Gatton and I slowly rose from our
chairs in a state of utter stupefaction, the Eurasian doctor entered,
and stood, a tall, gaunt figure, towering over the burly form of
Coates in the doorway!

His hawk eyes blazed feverishly and his face was drawn and haggard,
whilst I observed with a sort of horrified wonder that he seemed to be
almost too weak to stand. For, as