Rupert looked puzzled. "Forge? What do you mean?" "Oh, this is part of my confession of trickery," said the Major rubbing his bald head. "You see Ainsleigh, I held my tongue when you read out about the fan, but I knew where it was all the time." "And where was it?" asked the young man staring. "Forge has it--or rather Forge had it," said the Major, and he related his interview with the doctor when Rupert had departed. "So you see," added the Major sadly "I'm punished for my wrong-doing. I'm very sorry, as I like you, Ainsleigh, and after all I'd be glad to see you make the money, though I'm not so well off myself as people think, and five thousand pounds would help me a lot. However, I hope you will think I have made amends for my momentary lapse from squareness by thus confessing." "Oh that's all right Tidman. But treat me openly for the future. How did you know that Forge had had the fan?" Rupert did not tell what he had heard from Olivia for the moment. He first wished to hear all that the Major had to say. Tidman had certainly acted wrongly, as he should not have taken advantage of Rupert's confidence, but now he apparently wished to behave properly and Ainsleigh put the Major's temporary deceit out of his mind. "I gave Forge the fan," blurted out the Major. "The deuce you did," said Ainsleigh looking puzzled. "And where did you get it?" "In Canton seven years ago," confessed Tidman, "I was travelling there for my health, and I had an adventure." "What was that?" But Tidman did not seem inclined to speak out. "I'll tell you on another occasion," he said with a shudder, "it was not a very pleasant adventure, and Forge, who was in Canton at the time, got me out of it. I stuck to the fan though." "Oh, so the fan was the cause of the adventure?" "Partly" admitted Tidman reluctantly. "I'll tell you later as I say," he wiped his forehead, "I can't tell you now, it's too awful. I got the fan though and Forge took a fancy to it. He asked me for it in Canton and I refused. He asked again in England and I gave it to him. He's had it all these seven years, locked up in that black japan cabinet with the gold figures--" "I know. Its in that Chinese room of his. Well?" "After you went away the other day I asked him to give me the fan back, as I wanted to get the money from Tung-yu. Forge refused, as he said the fan has something to do with a secret--" "Whose secret?" "Lo-Keong's secret. He is the real owner of the fan you know. Forge seems to hate Lo-Keong, and said the fan would get him into trouble." "But how--how?" asked Ainsleigh impatiently. The Major wiped his face again, "I don't know--I can't say. But Forge said there was a secret connected with the fan--" "You said that before," cried Rupert becoming exasperated.