"He will not find the girl, but so long as those records remain in his possession the possibility continues to exist. I leave it with you to make the bargain, and if he is not altogether a fool he will be content with his ten thousand dollars, and Nos. 13-15 Barowsky Chambers will be again without a tenant. Otherwise--and it is generally otherwise with these meddlers--there will have to be a new adjustment of averages--what a felicitous phrase!--and this, as usual, I will take upon myself. One way or the other, and, personally, I don't care a straw which it is." The name signed to this curious epistle was David Magnus. "Our Dr. Magnus of the Utinam," explained Indiman, but I hardly heard him. One overwhelming thought obscured everything else--there was a real Lady Allegra, after all. That was it--to find her, and I had the clew. I must go at once. But Indiman restrained me. "Yes, that is precisely what I want you to do, only let us first understand the situation thoroughly. I intend remaining here during the progress of the investigation, and if anything should happen--" "What do you mean?" "Pleasant rooms, aren't they?" and he looked about him approvingly. "And yet three men have been found sitting dead in the particular chair that I am now occupying." I only stared at him. "No marks of violence," continued Indiman. "Nothing to indicate foul play; nothing, mind you. 'Dead by the visitation of God,' according to the coroner, but I should call it an 'adjustment of averages.' That is a felicitous phrase. I got my facts, by-the-way, from the janitor. He is rather proud of the affair Barowsky, as we may call it." "A monster, indeed!" I exclaimed, warmly. "Oh, we mustn't misjudge our good Dr. Magnus," said Indiman, indulgently. "I used the word 'monster' in a purely psychological sense. You can't call such a being immoral; he is simply unmoral." "Not even a criminal lunatic." "Certainly not. But I acknowledge that society would be justified in protecting itself from such a creature. And it will." "But why should you remain here, exposed to danger?" "My dear Thorp, I want to play the game. I'm sure it's one worthy of my best attention." We argued it out for an hour or more, but Indiman was not to be moved from his position. So it came back to his original proposition. I was to take up the search on the outside for the Lady Allegra, and Indiman was to hold the fort at Nos. 13-15 Barowsky Chambers. I rose to go. "You don't need these, do you?" he asked, a little doubtfully, picking up one of the phonographic cylinders. I shook my head. As though I could have forgotten the smallest inflection of that voice! So we parted.