nothing that you or I can see, but what he saw I hope we never
shall. I do not know when he died; I suppose in an hour, or
perhaps two, but when I passed down Ashley Street and heard the
closing door, that man no longer belonged to this world; it was
a devil's face I looked upon."

There was an interval of silence in the room when
Villiers ceased speaking. The light was failing, and all the
tumult of an hour ago was quite hushed. Austin had bent his
head at the close of the story, and his hand covered his eyes.

"What can it mean?" he said at length.

"Who knows, Austin, who knows? It's a black business,
but I think we had better keep it to ourselves, for the present
at any rate. I will see if I cannot learn anything about that
house through private channels of information, and if I do light
upon anything I will let you know."




VII

THE ENCOUNTER IN SOHO



Three weeks later Austin received a note from Villiers,
asking him to call either that afternoon or the next. He chose