company would like to see some of their tricks."

Savage bowed and departed, like a hero to execution, for by his pallor I
could see that he was in a great fright. When he had gone we set to
work and cleared a space in the middle of the room, in front of which we
arranged chairs for the company to sit on.

"No doubt they are Indian jugglers," said Lord Ragnall, "and will want
a place to grow their mango-tree, as I remember seeing them do in
Kashmir."

As he spoke the door opened and Mr. Savage appeared through it, walking
much faster than was his wont. I noted also that he gripped the pockets
of his swallow-tail coat firmly in his hand.

"Mr. Hare-root and Mr. Mare-root," he announced.

"Hare-root and Mare-root!" repeated Lord Ragnall.

"Harût and Marût, I expect," I said. "I think I have read somewhere
that they were great magicians, whose names these conjurers have taken."
(Since then I have discovered that they are mentioned in the Koran as
masters of the Black Art.)

A moment later two men followed him through the doorway. The first was
a tall, Eastern-looking person with a grave countenance, a long, white
beard, a hooked nose, and flashing, hawk-like eyes. The second was
shorter and rather stout, also much younger. He had a genial, smiling
face, small, beady-black eyes, and was clean-shaven. They were very
light in colour; indeed I have seen Italians who are much darker; and