. X., springing up. He heard a familiar footstep
on the flagged corridor, and sprung out of the room to meet the
newcomer.

For a moment he stood wringing the hand of this grave man, his heart too
full for words.

"My dear chap!" he said at last, "you don't know how glad I am to see
you."

John Lexman said nothing, then,

"I am sorry to bring you into this business, T. X.," he said quietly.

"Nonsense," said the other, "come in and see the Chief."

He took John by the arm and led him into the Superintendent's room.

There was a change in John Lexman. A subtle shifting of balance which
was not readily discoverable. His face was older, the mobile mouth a
little more grimly set, the eyes more deeply lined. He was in evening
dress and looked, as T. X. thought, a typical, clean, English gentleman,
such an one as any self-respecting valet would be proud to say he had
"turned out."

T. X. looking at him carefully could see no great change, save that down
one side of his smooth shaven cheek ran the scar of an old wound; which
could not have been much more than superficial.

"I must apologize for this kit," said John, taking off his overcoat and
laying it across the back of a chair, "but the fact is I was so bored
this evening that I had to do something to pass the time away, so I
dressed and went to the theatre--and was more bored than ever."

T. X. noticed that he did not smile and that when he spoke it was slowly
and carefully, as though he were weighing the value of every word.

"Now," he went on, "I have come to deliver myself into your hands."

"I suppose you have not seen Kara?" said T. X.

"I have no desire to see Kara," was the short reply.

"Well, Mr. Lexman," broke in the Chief, "I don't think you are going to
have any difficulty about your escape. By the way, I suppose it was by
aeroplane?"

Lexman nodded.

"And you had an assistant?"

Again Lexman nodded.

"Unless you press me I would rather not discuss the matter for some
little time, Sir George," he said, "there is much that will happen
before the full story of my escape is made known."

Sir George nodded.

"We will leave it at that," he said cheerily, "and now I hope you have
come back to delight us all with one of your wonderful plots."

"For the time being I have done with wonderful plots," said John Lexman
in that even, deliberate tone of his. "I hope to leave London next week
for New York and take up such of the threads of life as r