may or may not be loaded. Perhaps you can tell me.'

He seized the weapon, and impetuously aimed at a heavy Chinese gong
across the room, and pulled the trigger several times. The revolver
spoke noisily, and the gong sounded and swung.

'You see!' he exclaimed. 'Pardon the din. I did it without thinking.'

'Did you call, sir?' asked Simon Shawn, appearing in the doorway.

Hugo extirpated him with a look.

'How cool you are!' he resumed to Camilla, and laid down the revolver.
'No, you aren't! By Jove, you aren't! What is it? What have you been
through? What is this plot? A plot--in my building--and against you!
Tell me everything--everything! I insist.'

'Shall you believe all that I say?' she ventured.

'Yes,' he said, 'all.'

He saw with intense joy that he was going to be friendly with her. It
seemed too good to be true.




CHAPTER V

A STORY AND A DISAPPEARANCE