He bit savagely at his black moustache, advanced upon me; then, his gaze set upon the Colt, he stood still again. "... was reported to you by the traitorous Fatimah," I continued evenly; "and, when, on the morrow, I advised you of my new address, the identity of the hitherto unknown Romeo who had raised his eyes to your Juliet became apparent. You doubtless had designed to unpack my boxes for me as you have been in the habit of doing; but green-eyed jealousy suggested how, by the sacrifice of only one consignment of _hashish_, you might wreak my ruin. I disapprove of your morals, Malaglou. My own code may be peculiar, but it does not embrace _hashish_ dealing; therefore, Malaglou, you are about to take a sheet of note-paper--bearing your office heading--and write from my dictation...." "And suppose I refuse? You dare not shoot me!" "You little know my true character, Malaglou. But I should not shoot you, as you say; I should introduce you to a gentleman who is very anxious to make your acquaintance--the venerable Sheikh Ismail." The effect of this remark greatly exceeded my most sanguine expectations. I think I have never seen a man so pitiably frightened. "The Sheikh ... Ismail!" gasped Joseph Malaglou. "He is in Cairo?" "He has generously offered me five thousand pounds for your name and address." "Ah, my God!" whispered Malaglou. "Kernaby, you will not betray me to that fiend? You are an Englishman and you will not soil your hands with such a deed!" To my dismay--for it was a disgusting sight--Malaglou fell trembling upon his knees before me. The threat of shooting had had no such effect as the mere name of the Sheikh Ismail. My respect for that really remarkable old ruffian rose by leaps and bounds. "Get up," I said harshly, "and, if you can, write." He obeyed me; the man was almost hysterical. And, very shakily, this is what he wrote: "I, Joseph Malaglou, also known as _Ahmed Ben Tawwab_, confess that I am a dealer in _hashish_ and spurious antiques, which I have been in the habit of storing at my warehouse in Cairo, and also in my private residence in the Darb el Ahmar. Finding it desirable to enlarge the facilities of the latter, I induced the Hon. Neville Kernaby, who is ignorant of my real business, to lease for me a house which adjoins my own, as I did not desire it to be known that I was the lessee. Subsequently, learning that the suspicions of the authorities had been aroused, I anonymously denounced Kernaby, thus hoping to avert suspicion from myself and cause his arrest as the consignee of the cases which had been delivered at the new premises."