ment at the end. The
room was a large one and lighted by one big square window which was
protected by steel bars. In the grate which was broad and high a huge
fire was burning and the temperature of the room was unpleasantly close
despite the coldness of the day.

"That is one of the eccentricities which you, as an Englishman, will
never excuse in me," said Kara.

Near the foot of the bed, let into, and flush with, the wall, was a big
green door of the safe.

"Here you are, Mr. Meredith," said Kara. "All the precious secrets of
Remington Kara are yours for the seeking."

"I am afraid I've had my trouble for nothing," said T. X., making no
attempt to use the key.

"That is an opinion which I share," said Kara, with a smile.

"Curiously enough," said T. X. "I mean just what you mean."

He handed the key to Kara.

"Won't you open it?" asked the Greek.

T. X. shook his head.

"The safe as far as I can see is a Magnus, the key which you have been
kind enough to give me is legibly inscribed upon the handle 'Chubb.' My
experience as a police officer has taught me that Chubb keys very rarely
open Magnus safes."

Kara uttered an exclamation of annoyance.

"How stupid of me!" he said, "yet now I remember, I sent the key to my
bankers, before I went out of town--I only came back this morning, you
know. I will send for it at once."

"Pray don't trouble," murmured T. X. politely. He took from his pocket
a little flat leather case and opened it. It contained a number of steel
implements of curious shape which were held in position by a leather
loop along the centre of the case. From one of these loops he extracted
a handle, and deftly fitted something that looked like a steel awl
to the socket in the handle. Looking in wonder, and with no little
apprehension, Kara saw that the awl was bent at the head.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, a little alarmed.

"I'll show you," said T. X. pleasantly.

Very gingerly he inserted the instrument in the small keyhole and turned
it cautiously first one way and then the other. There was a sharp click
followed by another. He turned the handle and the door of the safe swung
open.

"Simple, isn't it!" he asked politely.

In that second of time Kara's face had undergone a transformation. The
eyes which met T. X. Meredith's blazed with an almost insane fury. With
a quick stride Kara placed himself before the open safe.

"I think this has gone far enough, Mr. Meredith," he