er. "If there is a
Chinese end to this crime, nobody knows better than you how to deal with
it. I have had this slip translated. It means 'He brought this trouble
upon himself.'"

"Literally, 'self look for trouble,'" said Tarling. "But there is one
fact which you may not have noticed. If you will look at the slip, you
will see that it is not written but printed."

He passed the little red square across the table, and the Commissioner
examined it.

"That's true," he said in surprise. "I did not notice that. Have you seen
these slips before?"

Tarling nodded.

"A few years ago," he said. "There was a very bad outbreak of crime in
Shanghai, mostly under the leadership of a notorious criminal whom I was
instrumental in getting beheaded. He ran a gang called 'The Cheerful
Hearts'--you know the fantastic titles which these Chinese gangs adopt.
It was their custom to leave on the scene of their depredations the
_Hong_, or sign-manual of the gang. It was worded exactly as this slip,
only it was written. These visiting cards of 'The Cheerful Hearts' were
bought up as curios, and commanded high prices until some enterprising
Chinaman started printing them, so that you could buy them at almost any
stationer's shop in Shanghai--just as you buy picture post-cards."

The Commissioner nodded.

"And this is one of those?"

"This is such a one. How it came here, heaven knows," he said. "It is
certainly the most remarkable discovery."

The Commissioner went to a cupboard, unlocked it and took out a
suit-case, which he placed upon the table and opened.

"Now," said the Commissioner, "look at this, Tarling."

"This" was a stained garment, which Tarling had no difficulty in
recognising as a night-dress. He took it out and examined it. Save for
two sprays of forget-me-nots upon the sleeves it was perfectly plain and
was innocent of lace or embroidery.

"It was found round his body, and here are the handkerchiefs." He pointed
to two tiny squares of linen, so discoloured as to be hardly
recognisable.

Tarling lifted the flimsy garment, with its evidence of the terrible
purpose for which it had been employed, and carried it to the light.

"Are there laundry marks?"

"None whatever," said the Commissioner.

"Or on the handkerchiefs?"

"None," replied Mr. Cresswell.

"The property of a girl who lived alone," said Tarling. "She is not very
well off, but extremely neat, fond of good things, but not extravagant,
eh?"

"Ho