Page:The Master of Mysteries (1912).djvu/351

 not particularly to Mrs. Landor's interest for the public to know that she has sold her jewels and wears paste."

"I begin dimly to comprehend now," Valeska mused. "You will emulate the Mikado of Japan, and 'let the punishment fit the crime'?"

Astro replied, "My dear, in the mutual interaction of telepathic vibrations, one neutralizes the other. Two loud sounds can be made to produce a silence. Selah. 'Tara ak khaldah maha tara. Abracadabra, maha tara.

"Boom-de-ay!" Valeska added gaily.

"Precisely. And, speaking of nonsense, I didn't ask you to get me a pair of white duck trousers and a yellow-striped blazer and an old woman's wig and a green umbrella and a white top hat, did I?" He looked thoughtfully at his finger nails.

"No, you didn't," she replied briskly; "nor a bottle of soothing syrup nor a tombstone."

"Nevertheless, you will do this to-morrow morning, and have them sent to number 573 Eighth Avenue."

"I agree, if you'll only let me add some rubber boots."

"Well, as a special favor, yes. Now run along and I'll get to work. Oh, Tim was arrested to-day, on suspicion of having stolen the Landor jewels. Too bad, isn't it?"

He sat down, thereupon, to write a letter as follows:

"Commesso sbaglio gravissimo. Lei è in un gran pericolo. Venga a trovarmi martedi a mezzanotte sulla porta del no. 573 Eighth Avenue. Venga solo.