His hat, as Madame Alia had said, was there, and he put it on and went to the hall door. The circle had begun to sing another hymn. Orme got into the hall, shut the door silently, and hurried down the stairs, the long-drawn strains of the song following him and dying away as he neared the street entrance. In the lower hall he removed the felt slippers and tossed them into a corner. He was amazed at the loudness of the street noises, and the glare of the sunlight as he stepped to the sidewalk. He stood there blinking for a moment, until his eyes became accustomed to the light. The foot-procession of the city streamed by him. Suddenly a man turned in toward the doorway, and, with a startled exclamation, stopped short. Orme found himself looking into the gleaming eyes of Alcatrante. CHAPTER XIII AN OLD MAN OF THE SEA "Oh, Mr. Orme, you are the man I most wished to see." The minister's voice carried a note of unrestrained eagerness. He extended his hand. Orme accepted the salutation, mustering the appearance of a casual meeting; he must keep Alcatrante out of the building. "I was sorry that I could not be at your apartment this morning," continued Alcatrante, "and I hope you did not wait too long." "Oh, no," replied Orme. "I waited for a little while, but concluded that something had called you away. Has Senhor Poritol recovered from his anxiety?" "Why, no," said Alcatrante. "But the course of events has changed." He linked his arm in Orme's and walked along with him toward the center of the city. "You see," he went on, "my young friend Poritol overestimated the importance of that marked bill. It did give the clue to the hiding place of certain papers which were of great value to him. What he failed to realize was that the papers could be of little importance to others. And yet, so perturbed is he that he has asked me to offer a considerable reward for the recovery of these papers." "Indeed?" "Yes." Alcatrante sent a slanting glance at Orme. "The sum is ridiculously large, but he insists on offering one thousand dollars." "Quite a sum," said Orme calmly. He was interested in the minister's indirections. "As for the events of last night"--continued Alcatrante, stopping short, with a significant glance. "Well?" said Orme indifferently. "I trust that you did not think me absurd for sending that detective to you. That I did so was a result of poor Poritol's frantic insistence." "Indeed?" "My young friend was so afraid that you would be robbed." "I was robbed," laughed Orme, trying to make light of the situation. "Why, how was that?" Alcatrante's surprise was well assumed. "Oh, after I said good-night to you, the two Japanese caught me while I was going through the tunnel to the courtyard." "My dear Mr. Orme!" "They are clever, those Japanese." "And afterward you went out again?" "What makes you think that?" Alcatrante bit his lip. "Why," he stammered, "the detective reported that you were absent when he arrived."