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 standing over me. Several times I thought I caught a malevolent look in his eyes that made me very uncomfortable. He was ugly to an extreme, thin and wizened. He might have been taken for a Jew but he was not. He was, I think, of French extraction, although of his origin I knew little.

"It was distinctly unpleasant to have that soundless prowler living constantly under one's roof. I grew to abhor him, despite the fact that he was very solicitous of my comfort. Things were in a sorry plight. I was very unhappy. Then they grew worse. Davga tried to force his attentions upon me. He was several times my age, but that made no difference to him. His eyes shone like those of a snake whenever he approached me. He sent me flowers, candies and jewels. He wooed me in a hundred subtle ways, but his interest made him only the more repulsive to me. One night, unexpectedly, he took me into his arms and kissed me. It was the final straw. I grew more frightened than ever. There was something menacing about him. I knew that he wished to marry me, not because he cared for me in the slightest, but because he wished to get control of my money forever. I wondered what my chance of continued life would have been if I had yielded to him.

"That night I fled from the house. I sought refuge with old Wing Lo, who had been my faithful servant for years. Davga had discharged all the servants on my father's death. In the entire house there was not one left that I knew. There was only one thing to do, I decided after thinking the matter over calmly. I must marry to get control of my money. But whom to marry was a problem. I had to marry some one I could trust. I wanted it to be an American or an Englishman. Then you came along and I knew you possessed both requisites. To judge from your appearance, if you do not mind frankness, I imagined that you were poor. A bit more money honorably earned might appeal to you. It was thus that I reasoned. Now your work is ended. You are free. When control of the estate passes to me, I will divorce you. You need not give me another thought."

He leaned across the table and seized her hand. "Free?" he repeated. "Free? I shall never be free again. I have gazed into your eyes. I have kissed your lips. Though I live for ages I shall never be free again. But I will go away; I will leave you if you wish. However, do not decide too quickly. You are in danger. At least let me remain until you are safe."

Even as he spoke a shot rang out. It smashed to atoms the tea-cup which he held in his hand. The next moment the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness. The sudden crash surprized Dick despite the fact that his experiences in life led him to expect anything. He sprang back, upsetting a table as he did so. In the room he could hear sounds of scuffling. He called to Dolores but she did not answer. He groped frantically about in the darkness, but to no avail. Then the lights flared on again. The tearoom was deserted. No trace of Dolores could be found. He searched the building from ground to roof but could find no one. It was absolutely deserted. Even the few loiterers had departed. He was quite alone.

At last he rushed from the building. He felt as though his head would burst. What had happened to that lovely girl, the girl who was his wife? The seething lanes of Singapore were crowded with laughing, jabbering, shrieking humanity. Everybody was talking at once. Dogs barked discordantly to add to the O. S.—1