er. He must have fallen into an
uneasy sleep for he began to dream. He dreamt he was in China again and
had fallen into the hands of that baneful society, the "Cheerful Hearts."
He was in a temple, lying on a great black slab of stone, bound hand and
foot, and above him he saw the leader of the gang, knife in hand, peering
down into his face with a malicious grin--and it was the face of Odette
Rider! He saw the knife raised and woke sweating.

The church clock was booming three and a deep silence lay on the world.
But there was somebody in his room. He knew that and lay motionless,
peering out of half-closed eyes from one corner to the other. There was
nobody to be seen, nothing to be heard, but his sixth sense told him that
somebody was present. He reached out his hand carefully and silently to
the table and searched for the wallet. It was gone!

Then he heard the creak of a board and it came from the direction of the
door leading to the sitting-room. With one bound he was out of bed in
time to see the door flung open and a figure slip through. He was after
it in a second. The burglar might have escaped, but unexpectedly there
was a crash and a cry. He had fallen over a chair and before he could
rise Tarling was on him and had flung him back. He leapt to the door, it
was open. He banged it close and turned the key.

"Now, let's have a look at you," said Tarling grimly and switched on the
light.

He fell back against the door, his mouth open in amazement, for the
intruder was Odette Rider, and in her hand she held the stolen wallet.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE CONFESSION OF ODETTE RIDER

He could only gaze in stupified silence.

"You!" he said wonderingly.

The girl was pale and her eyes never left his face.

She nodded.

"Yes, it is I," she said in a low voice.

"You!" he said again and walked towards her.

He held out his hand and she gave him the wallet without a word.

"Sit down," he said kindly.

He thought she was going to faint.

"I hope I didn't hurt you? I hadn't the slightest idea----"

She shook her head.

"Oh, I'm not hurt," she said wearily, "not hurt in the way you mean."

She drew a chair to the table and dropped her face upon her hands and he
stood by, embarrassed, almost terrified, by this unexpected development.

"So you were the visitor on the bicycle," he said at last. "I didn't
suspect----"

It struck him at that moment that it was not an offence for Odette Rider
to go up t