's office," he said. "I saw, first, that
you were not Derwent Conniston. And then it was easy, so easy. Perhaps
you killed Conniston. I am not asking, for I hated Conniston. Some day
I should have killed him, if he had come back. John Keith, from that
first time we met, you were a dead man. Why didn't I turn you over to
the hangman? Why did I warn you in such a way that I knew you would
come to see me? Why did I save your life which was in the hollow of my
hand? Can you guess?"

"Partly," replied Keith. "But go on. I am waiting." Not for an instant
had it enter his mind to deny that he was John Keith. Denial was folly,
a waste of time, and just now he felt that nothing in the world was
more precious to him than time.

Kao's quick mind, scheming and treacherous though it was, caught his
view-point, and he nodded appreciatively. "Good, John Keith. It is
easily guessed. Your life is mine. I can save it. I can destroy it. And
you, in turn, can be of service to me. You help me, and I save you. It
is a profitable arrangement. And we both are happy, for you keep
Derwent Conniston's sister--and I--I get my golden-headed goddess,
Miriam Kirkstone!"

"That much I have guessed," said Keith. "Go on!" For a moment Kao
seemed to hesitate, to study the cold, gray passiveness of the other's
face. "You love Derwent Conniston's sister," he continued in a voice
still lower and softer. "And I--I love my golden-headed goddess. See!
Up there on the dais I have her picture and a tress of her golden hair,
and I worship them."

Colder and grayer was Keith's face as he saw the slumbering passion
burn fiercer in Kao's eyes. It turned him sick. It was a terrible thing
which could not be called love. It was a madness. But Kao, the man
himself, was not mad. He was a monster. And while the eyes burned like
two devils, his voice was still soft and low.

"I know what you are thinking; I see what you are seeing," he said.
"You are thinking yellow, and you are seeing yellow. My skin! My
birthright! My--" He smiled, and his voice was almost caressing.

"John Keith, in Pe-Chi-Li is the great city of Pekin, and Pe-Chi-Li is
the greatest province in all China. And second only to that is the
province of Shantung, which borders Pe-Chi-Li, the home of our Emperors
for more centuries than you have years. And for so many generations
that we cannot remember my forefathers have been rulers of Shantung. My
grandfather was a Mandarin with the insignia of the E