“Existence,” he said oracularly, “is made up of unsatisfied desires. Nature in the ordering of her plans does not take into account the prejudices----” “Good heavens!” gasped the other. “Captain Talham!” The burglar was silenced momentarily, apparently annoyed too. “I am Captain Talham,” he said with ridiculous pride, and took off his mask; “though why you should know me I fail to understand.” The second man laughed--a low, musical, chuckling laugh. “I know you all right,” he answered. Talham stood for a moment fidgeting by the side of the kitchen table; then: “Let us put our cards on the table, Tillizinni,” he said. It was the second man’s turn to start. “Oh, yes, I know you!” Talham went on. “I always remember people by their hands; and as you probably know, the third knuckle of your left is more prominent than any other.” Tillizinni laughed. “We seem to have made a pretty mess of it between us,” he said; “as I gather, we are both here on the same errand.” Talham nodded. “You can save yourself the trouble of tampering with the safe. I’ve already been to it.” “How did you get in?” asked Talham. The detective shook his head with a smile. “The last thing I can do is to arrange to get out,” he answered evasively. “What did you find?” Talham hesitated. “I found nothing, save that our friend T’si Soo has been here. Some of his cigarette ends were in the fireplace; at least, they are Chinese, and I gather----” Tillizinni nodded. “I didn’t need his cigarette ends to know that,” he said. “I saw him come out.” They left the house together, walking arm in arm, through the front door, leaving the door ajar, and walked away under the very nose of a policeman who stood at the corner of a street a hundred yards from the house. For a long time neither man spoke. Then Tillizinni burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “You amuse me very much,” he said, “although you annoy me. Here is a situation worthy of a comic opera. I go to burgle a house for my own private ends. I meet another burglar, whom it is my duty, as an officer of the law, to arrest.” “Let’s go and talk it over!” said Talham. * * * * * “You’re a curious man,” said Tillizinni, and Captain Talham did not consider it worth while to correct him, though “curious” was an obvious misapplication of a word. A bright, cheerful fire burnt in the big Adams’ fireplace, and the shaded lamp on the table afforded enough light to the room. Outside, day was breaking over the dull silver of the river and slow moving tugs were passing up with the tide, drawing a trail of clumsy barges in their wake. Tillizinni’s rooms in Adelphi Terrace offered the finest view in London, but never was London more attractive than in the early hours of a frosty winter morning.