to furious war with Storri. Mrs. Hanway-Harley would not put the query
for two reasons: Mr. Harley would prevaricate; besides, Mrs.
Hanway-Harley knew. It was as obvious as a pikestaff to that sagacious
gentlewoman; Mr. Harley and Storri had quarreled over stocks. Mr. Harley
had been detected in some effort to swindle Storri; or he had detected
Storri in some effort to swindle him; men were always swindling and
quarreling, according to Mrs. Hanway-Harley. She put no question to Mr.
Harley, and only marveled at a thickness that would sacrifice the
family's chance of possessing a Count over a low, trifling matter of
dollars and cents.

Inspector Val, when the capture of the French shares had removed the
reason of his appearance in Storri's destinies, told Richard that he
would, with his permission, still continue on the trail of that
nobleman.

"Unless my judgment be at fault," explained Inspector Val, "there's
something coming off that I wouldn't miss for anything you can name."

Richard, held fast with sweeter problems, cared not at all for Storri
nor Inspector Val's pursuit of him. If it jumped with the humor of that
scientist of stealth, Inspector Val might follow Storri to the grave.
Richard would be pleased to have him do so, and to pay the costs thereof
as rapidly as they accrued.

Inspector Val, whose trade it was to read men, smiled upon Richard at
this and went his satisfied way. He would stick to Storri; and he would
notify Richard should aught unusual either promise or occur. Inspector
Val saw that in Richard's present mood of beatific imbecility a
conference with him would mean no more than would a conference with the
Monument.

Storri, while easily beaten from any specific enterprise, was ever ready
with a fresh one. During those days when, like a convalescing wolf, he
lay hiding with his wounds from the sight and search of men, his
disorderly and, one might say, his criminal, imagination busied itself
in sketching a giant scheme. It was as unique as had been the fallen
Credit Magellan without owning to a shadow of Credit Magellan's
legitimacy. This time Storri would have no partners; there would be no
Mr. Harleys and no osprey pools to sell him out. Before all was done he
might require men; but of the sort one controls like slaves.

There was one need that must be supplied, however; Storri must have
money. Stimulated with the necessities that pricked him, Storri
bethought himself of the Chinese Con