Fire-Tongue

or nothing to the multitude and which might have been pronounced without perceptible effect at any public meeting in the land. But Mr. Brinn, impassive though his express

llowing a short silence. "For God's

e fixed his gaze intently upon the sallow face of t

ncing this name he could not detect the slight

d Brinn; "and in what way is

. "It was spoken by Sir Charle

rapidly. "Before he died! Then Sir Cha

ed were 'Fire-Tongue'-" He paused, never for a mom

prompted

Nicol

ul Harley's intense scrutiny. A silence charged with drama was finally broken by the American. "Mr. Har

y grate. His pose was that of a man who is suddenly called upon to review the course of his life an

ght from the beginning." He looked up. "Do you

e the touch of an icy finger, that warni

ued Brinn. "You have op

re the hearth, gave him a plain account of the case, omitting all reference to

a warning, he had yet to learn. And by this apparent frankness he hoped to achieve his object. That the celebrated American was in any way concerned in the mena

ered?" said Brinn in h

definite opinion.

this present moment I am the most hopelessly

" asked Harl

pinion respecting the death of Sir Charles Abingdon. When I tell you all I know of him you wi

e his visitor, who now was standing be

r and the sidewalk just as I stepped down, and I knew nothing further until I woke up in a drug store close by, feeling very dazed and with my

ow I met him, and as there was nothing seriously wrong with me I saw him no more professio

word of honour," he said, "that's al

point, Mr. Brinn," he acknowledged. "I can well understand that you must be badly p

urious room in an oddly apprehensive manner.

ey, deliberately, "that the cause of yo

hin in his hand, staring

orseless voice, "you can explai

t with one foot he was slowly

ake from now onward has to be considered carefully, for any step might be my last. And that's not the worst of the matter. I will risk one of those steps here and now. You ask me to explain the significance of Fire-To

ou that so long a

di

n did he give f

replied. "I recognize that you must regard my reticence as peculiar, Mr. H

whose figure was as familiar in remote cities of the world as it was familiar in New York, in Paris, and in London, could not conceivably be associated with any criminal organization. Yet his hesitancy was indee

ich had befallen him in India,"

ask you to recoun

d Brinn, suddenly st

can

han you might believe to know that Abingdo

die from natural causes. You are repressing valuable evidence. Allow me to remind you that if anything should come to light necessitatin

" said Brin

nt I possess to see 'paid' put to the bill of a certain person. Listen. You don't think I was in any way concerned in the death of Sir

d Harley. "Yet y

now you've met me. You know my place in the world. Do you believe me when I say that from this moment onward I don't trust my own servants?

on't altogether

e h

und the cutting for which he was looking. "This was said," he explained, handing the slip to Harley, "at the Players' Club in New York, after

ed the cutting and

N'S SECRET

PORTSMAN WHO

AG

d his heart to members of the Players' Club last night. Our promine

ling, and I've prayed to be wrecked on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe to see if I am man enough to live it out. I want to stand my trial for murder and defend my own case, and I want to be found by the eunuchs

murmured Harley, laying th

I'm a glutton for danger, Mr. Harley, and I'm going to

In

nshine out of life. At the time I didn't know all it meant. I've learned

prehendingly. "More than e

done all that time had done. I'm a man that has been down into hell. I bought myself out. I thought I knew where the pit was located. I thought I was well away from it, Mr. Harley, and

azy exploits were notorious had looked out. Persistently the note of danger came to Paul Harley. Those luxurious Piccadilly chambers were a focus upon which

r Charles Abingdon was done to death has become a conviction. That a like fate threatens yourself and possibly myself I begin to believe." He l

and resumed that unseeing stare into the op

. For your own part-be cautious. You witnessed the death of Sir Charles Abingdon. You don't think and perhaps I don't think that it was natural; but whatever steps you may have taken to confirm your

ndous nervous energy which underlay his impassive manner. "Good God!" he said,

d stood with his elbow resting

ey. "Is it consistent with your mysterious

answered, "you would know all you want to know. But neither you

n a state of almost stupefied mystification. Muffled to a soothing murmur the sounds of Piccadilly penetrated to that curtain

upon a windowpane-once-twice. Ther

oical Nicol Brinn turned rapid

that?" ask

ered Brinn. "We sometimes get

ul Harley that his face, dimly illuminated by the upcast light