Mr。Fentolinheldhishandinfrontofhiseyes，asthoughtoshutoutsomeunwelcomevision。
“Dearme，“heexclaimed，“howunpleasantWhyshouldyouforcemetodisclosemyplans？Becontent，dearMr。Dunster，withtheknowledgeofthisonefact:wecannotpartwithyou。Ihavethoughtitoverfromeverypointofview，andIhavecometothatconclusion；
alwayspresuming，“hewenton，“thattheknowledgeofthatlittlewordofwhichwehavespokenremainsinitssecretchamberofyourmemory。“
Mr。Dunstersmokedinsilenceforafewminutes。
“Iamverycomfortablehere，“heremarked。
“Youdelightme，“Mr。Fentolinmurmured。
“Yourcook，“Mr。Dunstercontinued，“haswonmyheartfeltappreciation。Yourcigarsandwinesarefitforanynobleman。
Perhaps，afterall，thislittlerestisgoodforme。“
Mr。Fentolinlistenedattentively。
“Donotforget，“hesaid，“thatthereisalwaysalimitfixed，whetheritbeoneday，twodays，orthreedays。“
“Alimittoyourcomplacence，Ipresume？“
Mr。Fentolinassented。
“Obviously，then，“Mr。Dunsterconcluded，“youwishthosewhosentmetobelievethatmymessagehasbeendelivered。YetthereImustconfessthatyoupuzzleme。WhatIcannotseeis，toputitbluntly，whereyoucomein。Anyoneofthecountriesrepresentedatthislittleconferencewouldonlybethegainersbythemiscarriageofmymessage，whichis，withoutdoubt，sofarastheyareconcerned，ofadistastefulnature。Yourowncountryalonecouldbethesufferer。Nowwhatinterestintheworld，then，isthereleft-whatinterestintheworldcanyoupossiblyrepresent-whichcanbethegainerbyyourpresentaction？“
Mr。Fentolin’seyesgrewsuddenlyalittlebrighter。Therewasalightuponhisfacestrangetowitness，“Thepowerwhichistobethegainer，“hesaidquietly，“isthepowerencompassedbythesewalls，“
Hetouchedhischest；hislong，slimfingerswerefoldeduponit。
“WhenImeetamanwhomIlike，“hecontinuedsoftly，“Itakehimintomyconfidence。Pictureme，ifyouwill，asakindofPuck。
Haven’tyouheardthatwiththedecayofthebodycomessometimesamalignantgrowthinthebrain；aCaliban-likedesireforeviltofallupontheworld；adesiretoescapefromthelonelinessofsuffering，theisolationofblackmisery？“
Mr。JohnP。Dunsterlethiscigarburnout。Helookedsteadfastlyatthisstrangelittlefigurewhosechairhadimperceptiblymovedalittlenearertohis。
“Youknowwhatthewithholdingofthismessageyoucarrymaymean，“
Mr。Fentolinproceeded。“Youcomehere，bearingtoEuropethewordofagreatpeople，apeoplewhosevoiceispowerfulenougheventostillthegatheringfuries。Ihavereadyourcipheredmessage。ItiswhatIfeared。Itismywill，mine-MilesFentolin’s-thatthatmessagebenotdelivered。“
“Iwonder，“Mr。Dunstermutteredunderhisbreath，“whetheryouareinearnest。“
“Inyourheart，“Mr。Fentolintoldhim，“youknowthatIam。Icanseethetruthinyourface。Now，forthefirsttime，youbegintounderstand。“
“Toacertainextent，“Mr。Dunsteradmitted。“WhereIamstillinthedark，however，iswhyyoushouldexpectthatIshouldbecomeyourconfederate。Itistruethatbyholdingmeupandobstructingmymessage，youmaybringabouttheevilyouseek，butunlessthatwordiscabledbacktoNewYork，andmysendersbelievethatmymessagehasbeendelivered，therecanbenocertainty。Whathasbeentrustedtomeasthesafestmeansoftransmission，might，inanemergency，becommittedtoacable。“
“Excellentreasoning，“Fentolinagreed。“Fortheveryreasonsyounamethatwordwillbegiven。“
Mr。Dunster’sfacewasmomentarilytroubled。Therewassomethinginthestill，coldemphasisofthisman’svoicewhichmadehimshiver。
“Doyouthink，“Mr。Fentolinwenton，“thatIspendagreatfortunebuyingthesecretsoftheworld，thatIlivefromdaytodaywiththeriskofignominiousdetectionalwayshoveringaboutme-doyouthinkthatIdothisandamyetunpreparedtorunthefinalrisksoflifeanddeath？Haveyouevertalkedwithamurderer，Mr。Dunster？
HascuriosityevertakenyouwithinthewallsofSingSing？Haveyousatwithinthecellofadoomedmanandfeltthethrillofhistouch，ofhisclosepresence？Well，Iwillnotaskyouthosequestions。I
willsimplytellyouthatyouaretalkingtoonenow。“
Mr。Dunsterhadforgottenhisextinctcigar。HefounditdifficulttoremovehiseyesfromMr。Fentolin’sface。Hewashalffascinated，halfstirredwithavague，mysteriousfear。Underneaththesewildwordsranalwaysthathardnoteoftruth。
“Youseemtobeinearnest，“hemuttered。
“Iam，“Mr。Fentolinassuredhimquietly。“Ihavemorethanoncebeeninstrumentalinbringingaboutthedeathofthosewhohavecrossedmypurposes。IpleadguiltytotheweaknessofNero。
Sufferinganddeatharethingsofjoytome。There！“
“Iamnotsure，“Mr。Dunstersaidslowly，“thatIoughtnottowringyourneck。“
Mr。Fentolinsmiled。Hischairrecededaninchortwo。Therewasneveratimewhenhisexpressionhadseemedmoreseraphic。
“Thereisnoemergencyofthatsort，“heremarked，“forwhichIamnotprepared。“
Hislittlerevolvergleamedforaminutebeneathhiscuff。Hebackedhischairslowlyandwithwonderfulskilltowardsthedoor。
“Wewillfixtheperiodofyourprobation，Mr。Dunster，at-say，twenty-fourhours，“hedecided。“Pleasemakeyourselfuntilthenentirelyathome。Mycook，mycellar，mycigarcabinets，areatyourdisposal。Ifsomehappyimpulse，“heconcluded，“shouldshowyoutheonlyreasonablecoursebydinnertime，itwouldgivemetheutmostpleasuretohaveyoujoinusatthatmeal。Icanpromiseyouachequebeneathyourplatewhichevenyoumightthinkworthconsidering，wineinyourglasswhichkingsmightsighfor，cigarsbyyoursidewhichevenyourMr。PierpontMorgancouldnotbuy。
Aurevoir！“
Thedooropenedandclosed。Mr。Dunstersatstaringintotheopenspacelikeamanstillalittledazed。
ThebeautifulbutsomewhatausterefrontofSt。David’sHallseemed，inasense，transformed，asHamelandhiscompanionclimbedtheworngreystepswhichledontothebroadsweepofterrace。Evidentlyvisitorshadrecentlyarrived。Adark，rathergood-lookingwoman，withpleasantroundfaceandaceaselessflowofconversation，waschatteringawaytoMr。Fentolin。ByhersidestoodanotherwomanwhowasastrangertoHamel-thin，stillelegant，withtired，wornface，andtheshadowofsomethinginhereyeswhichremindedhimatonceofEsther。SheworealargepicturehatandcarriedalittlePomeraniandogunderherarm。Inthebackground，aninsignificant-lookingmanwithgreyside-whiskersandspectacleswasbeaminguponeverybody。
Mr。FentolinwavedhishandandbeckonedtoHamelandEstherastheysomewhathesitatinglyapproached。
“Thisisoneofmyfortunatemornings，yousee，Esther！“heexclaimed，smiling。“LadySaxthorpehasbroughtherhusbandovertolunch。LadySaxthorpe，“headded，turningtothewomanathisside，“letmepresenttoyouthesonofoneofthefirstmentorealisetheelusivebeautyofourcoast。ThisisMr。Hamel，sonofPeterHamel，R。A-theCountessofSaxthorpe。“
LadySaxthorpe，whohadbeenengagedingreetingEsther，heldoutherhandandsmiledgood-humour-
edlyatHamel。
“Iknowyourfather’sworkquitewell，“shedeclared，“andIdon’twonderthatyouhavemadeapilgrimagehere。Theytellmethathepaintednineteenpictures-picturesofimportance，thatistosay-withinthislittleareaoftenmiles。Doyoupaint，Mr。Hamel？“
“Notatall，“Hamelanswered。
“OurfriendHamel，“Mr。Fentolinintervened，“woosotherandsternermuses。Hefightsnatureindistantcountries，spanshergorgeswithironbridges，stemsthefuryofherrivers，andcarriestotheboundaryoftheworldthatlittletwinlineofmetalwhichbringsmenlikeantstothework-heapsoftheuniverse。MydearFlorence，“
headded，suddenlyturningtothewomanathisotherside，“forthemomentIhadforgotten。Youhavenotmetourguestyet。Hamel，thisismysister-in-law，Mrs。SeymourFentolin。“
Sheheldoutherhandtohim，unnaturallythinandwhite，coveredwithjewels。Againhesawsomethinginhereyeswhichstirredhimvaguely。
“Itissonicethatyouareabletospendafewdays:withus，Mr。
Hamel，“shesaidquietly。“IamsorrythatIhavebeentooindisposedtomakeyouracquaintanceearlier。“
“And，Mr。Fentolincontinued，“youmustknowmyyoungfriendhere，too。Mr。Hamel-LordSaxthorpe。“
