"I expect so, sir," agreed Beedel, "but, of course, my instructions don't come from that quarter. What appeals to _us_ is that it would be a feather in our caps--they're still a little sore up at the Yard about Hans the Piper." "Naturally," assented Carrados. "Well, I'll see what I can do if there is real occasion. Let me know anything, and, if you see your chance yourself, come round for a talk if you like on--to-day's Wednesday?--I shall be in at any rate on Friday evening." Without being a precisian, the blind man was usually exact in such matters. There are those who hold that an engagement must be kept at all hazard: men who would miss a death-bed message in order to keep literal faith with a beggar. Carrados took lower, if more substantial, ground. "My word," he sometimes had occasion to remark, "is subject to contingencies, like everything else about me. If I make a promise it is conditional on nothing which seems more important arising to counteract it. That, among men of sense, is understood." And, as it happened, something did occur on this occasion. He was summoned to the telephone just before dinner on Friday evening to receive a message personally. Greatorex, his secretary, had taken the call, but came in to say that the caller would give him nothing beyond his name--Brebner. The name was unknown to Carrados, but such incidents were not uncommon, and he proceeded to comply. "Yes," he responded; "I am Max Carrados speaking. What is it?" "Oh, it is you, sir, is it? Mr Brickwill told me to get to you direct." "Well, you are all right. Brickwill? Are you the British Museum?" "Yes. I am Brebner in the Chaldean Art Department. They are in a great stew here. We have just found out that someone has managed to get access to the Second Inner Greek Room and looted some of the cabinets there. It is all a mystery as yet." "What is missing?" asked Carrados. "So far we can only definitely speak of about six trays of Greek coins--a hundred to a hundred and twenty, roughly." "Important?" The line conveyed a caustic bark of tragic amusement. "Why, yes, I should say so. The beggar seems to have known his business. All fine specimens of the best period. Syracuse--Messana--Croton-- Amphipolis. Eumenes--Evainetos--Kimons. The chief quite wept." Carrados groaned. There was not a piece among them that he had not handled lovingly. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Mr Brickwill has been to Scotland Yard, and, on advice, we are not making it public as yet. We don't want a hint of it to be dropped anywhere, if you don't mind, sir." "That will be all right."