Turning, he crossed to a small mahogany cabinet at the farther end of
the room. Pulling out a glass tray he judicially selected a pair of
dental forceps.

II

"THE BLACK MASS"

Thus far the stranger's appalling story had progressed when that
singular cloak in which hypnotically he had enwrapped me seemed to drop,
and I found myself clutching the edge of the table and staring into the
gray face of the speaker.

I became suddenly aware of the babel of voices about me, of the noisome
smell of Malay Jack's, and of the presence of Jack in person, who was
inquiring if there were any further orders. I was conscious of nausea.

"Excuse me," I said, rising unsteadily, "but I fear the oppressive
atmosphere is affecting me."

"If you prefer to go out," said my acquaintance, in that deep voice
which throughout the dreadful story had rendered me oblivious of my
surroundings, "I should be much favoured if you would accompany me to a
spot not five hundred yards from here."

Seeing me hesitate:

"I have a particular reason for asking," he added.

"Very well," I replied, inclining my head, "if you wish it. But
certainly I must seek the fresh air."

Going up the steps and out through the door above which the blue lantern
burned, we came to the street, turned to the left, to the left again,
and soon were threading that maze of narrow ways which complicates the
map of Pennyfields.

I felt somewhat recovered. Here, in the narrow but familiar highways the
spell of my singular acquaintance lost much of its potency, and already
I found myself doubting the story of Dr. Kreener and Tcheriapin. Indeed,
I began to laugh at myself, conceiving that I had fallen into the hands
of some comedian who was making sport of me; although why such a person
should visit Malay Jack's was not apparent.

I was about to give expression to these new and saner ideas when my
companion paused before a door half hidden in a little alley which
divided the back of a Chinese restaurant from the tawdry-looking
establishment of a cigar merchant. He apparently held the key, for
although I did not actually hear the turning of the lock I saw that he
had opened the door.

"May I request you to follow me?" came his deep voice out of the
darkness. "I will show you something which will repay your trouble."

Again the cloak touched me, but it was without entirely resigning myself
to the compelling influence that I followed my mysterious acquaintance
up