“And what do you make of all this?” he asked with a show of bravado. “As far as I can understand,” said Tillizinni, “two men in your pay are responsible for the abstraction of a very important document from the Chinese Embassy. Piecing the story together I understand that you are in agreement with Soo, a scholarly gentleman and a mutual acquaintance.” He bowed ironically. “At the last moment, or possibly long before the last moment, you feared that Soo would play you false, and went behind his back to bribe two hirelings to deliver what was found to you. Possibly you did not see the workings of the Chinese mind, nor foresee the tragedy which must inevitably occur when one member of the party engaged to rob the ambassador happens to be the brother of your defrauded partner.” “The brother!” De Costa was shocked, he was terrified; they read that in his eyes. Tillizinni nodded. “The brother,” he repeated, “of Ts’i Soo was the unfortunate man who was found doubled up in the bureau of the ambassador’s study. As I say, you probably did not foresee this unpleasant ending to the adventure, and went into it with no more idea than of being party to a minor felony. Your men killed the Chinaman who called himself ‘Star above the Yamen’ because they saw no other way of silencing him. They brought the documents straight on to you.” “That is a lie!” said De Costa. “They brought the documents to you,” repeated Tillizinni, “and they have never left you day or night.” He took a step closer to De Costa, and the old man shrunk back. His hands went up to his right breast. “They are probably in an inside pocket of your waistcoat,” said Tillizinni. “May I see?” He reached out his hand, but before he could touch him the old man turned with a snarl, dashed open the door, and swung himself through it, descending the steps at a pace which did credit to his age, but was disastrous to his dignity. Tillizinni laughed. He sat back in his chair and laughed that silent chuckle of his for fully three minutes. “But why--why,” protested Talham, “why not have taken the papers whilst you could? For heaven’s sake, why did you let him go?” Tillizinni shook his head. “I could not take the document from him,” he said with a smile, “because I had already taken it when I was wiping his shirt front,” and he laid on the table a thin folded sheet closely written in Chinese characters. Very slowly Talham read: “Chu, Mi, Tsan Sui, and Tulm, ............ together ............ as brothers, swearing ............ This we say, being mechanical men from divers provinces brought together, because of our great skill, to the shadow of the Emperor’s house (here was something indecipherable) that we shall finish the tomb, fitting bronze doors, also working on a machine which the philosopher made.