He inspected the inscriptions and read them carefully. Half obliterated as they were, it was no easy task to decipher them by artificial light. Then he put the bangle upon the table. “Your friend has deceived you,” he said quietly. “This is not the famous Shu Shun bracelet. It is not even an imitation. These writings”--he tapped the bangle with his fingers--“are commonplace copybook maxims, as you would call them in this country.” He picked up the ornament again, and read: “An ungrateful son is a disappointed father.” “The father of patience is wisdom, and the source of peace is love.” “You have been fooled, my friend!” he said. De Costa sprang to his feet. “Explain what you mean,” he said. The Chinaman was lighting another cigarette. “It is very simple.” He looked abstractedly at the ceiling, and spoke half to himself: “The girl had the original bracelet, and has returned this. Either she, or one of her friends, has the bangle; and it is our business to get it. Without that”--he lowered his voice--“everything that happened yesterday was in vain.” “Don’t talk about yesterday,” said De Costa hurriedly. “That is a subject which I never wish to discuss; you don’t know how I’m feeling about it, Soo. I never wanted anybody hurt, I swear I didn’t.” The Chinaman interrupted him with a slow smile. “These things are not done by politeness,” he said. “You are going into a big enterprise, and you must take a correspondingly big risk.” “I take no risks,” said De Costa, white of face. “I know nothing whatever about it. Two deaths! My God, they couldn’t----” Soo nodded. “They could indeed,” he said easily. “If anybody hangs for what happened last night, be sure that you hang with them. You have gone into this matter, De Costa, with your eyes open. You saw a chance of obtaining an enormous treasure, and you took all risk. You Westerners,” he went on, “place too high a value upon human life.” He half rose from his chair, leant across to the desk, and picked up the bangle again, examining it with an amused smile. Then, as he replaced it upon the table, he said grimly: “The events of yesterday about which you do not wish to speak, would have been wholly unnecessary had I known in time that this bangle existed.” “But surely,” began De Costa, “the paper you found----” Soo shook his head. He was calmness itself. “I have no papers,” he said simply. De Costa stared at him. “No papers! What do you mean?” “I mean exactly what I say,” said the other. He marked the situation upon the outstretched fingers of his hand. “Three men were sent to secure an envelope from the Chinese Ambassador’s bureau, and one of them was killed. Two made their escape with the papers concerning the matter. I have not seen them since.” “Gone?” said De Costa. “Gone!” repeated the other. “There is another influence at work. I am inclined to associate an old acquaintance of mine--Captain Talham. You probably know him!” De Costa nodded.