She rose from the table, gathered up her belongings and allowed him to arrange her cloak about her shoulders. 'Except that I retract that possible alternative,' she said calmly. 'I shall deal with Ossendorf myself.' 'But I don't understand,' he persisted. 'How should you?' she answered, smiling. 'By the by, where are we going? We spoke of a music hall, didn't we?' 'I have a box at the Empire,' he told her. She was stepping by him into the taxi when she suddenly paused. Her frame seemed to become rigid. 'The Empire,' he told the driver. She turned suddenly around. 'Your rooms,' she directed. 'Tell him to drive at once to your rooms.' He was startled, but he obeyed her without hesitation. A moment later he took his place by her side. 'That valet of yours!' she exclaimed. 'What about him?' 'I told you that I knew his face. I have just remembered.' 'Well?' 'A year ago he was an attaché at the Japanese Embassy. His name is Baron Komashi.' Lavendale was mystified. 'Are you sure?' he asked incredulously. 'Perfectly certain,' she insisted. 'But why on earth should he be a friend of Perkins and willing to act as my valet?' 'It's the eternal game,' she declared, 'and they are clever at it, too, the Japs. Tell me, have you any papers of special value about just now?' 'Yes, in my safe,' he admitted, 'but no one else has an idea of the combination.' 'Combination!' she scoffed. 'Niko Komashi, too! Tell me, are these papers political which you have inside that safe?' 'In a measure, yes!' he assented. They had reached the street in which his rooms were situated. 'There is no light in my room,' he said, as they ascended the stairs. 'Niko must have done his work and gone home.' 'Yes,' she murmured, 'he has done his work, without a doubt. He has a knack of doing that.' Lavendale produced his latch-key. The rooms appeared to be empty and in darkness. In the sitting-room he unlocked his safe and peered in. One by one he examined his papers. Everything was in perfect order. He turned back to his companion. 'Nothing has been disturbed,' he announced confidently. She came over towards him, put her head for a moment inside the safe and immediately withdrew it. 'Niko has been through these papers during your absence,' she declared. 'If everything is there, it is because he had no need to steal. He has examined or made copies of what he chose.' 'How do you know this?' he asked incredulously. 'It is quite simple,' she explained. 'Even the cleverest man in the world seems always to forget one thing. Niko forgot that his clothes and fingers, even his breath, have always that peculiar Oriental perfume. What is it like--half almond-blossom, half sandalwood?' 'I remember I noticed it when he came in,' Lavendale agreed quickly. 'Put your head inside that safe again,' she directed. He obeyed at once. When he emerged, his face was troubled. He locked the door mechanically. 'You are right,' he said.