Meanwhile, Miss Armour, her mild face quite flushed with excitement, was spreading out the cards after Dan had shuffled them. She used only one pack, and Freddy looked on at the disposition of the colored oblongs with the deepest interest. Dan idly took up the unused pack, and the moment he brought them near his eyes to examine them, he became aware that there clung to them the same mysterious scent which Penn had stated came from Sumatra. New as he was to the detective business, he yet had enough sense to suppress his excitement at this discovery. Seeing that the ex-secretary had stated very positively that no one but himself in England possessed the perfume, it was strange indeed, that Dan should come across it in these wilds, and connected with the personal possessions of a harmless old lady, confined to her chair by partial paralysis. In spite of his coolness, he was so thunderstruck that he could scarcely stammer a reply to Miss Armour, when she asked him if his colored-card was clubs or spades. She saw his confusion immediately. "What is the matter?" she demanded sharply, and her face grew pale. "The heat of the room, the scents, make me feel rather faint," said Dan haltingly. "Remove the incense burner to the end of the room, Mr. Laurance," said Miss Armour, and when the young man did so, she turned to Halliday. "Are you, then, so susceptible to scents?" "Yes. I don't like strong perfumes. You do apparently, Miss Armour. Why, even your cards are scented," and he held out the odd pack. The lady took the cards and smelt them, but showed no sign of emotion. "I expect it's some scent Eliza gave me a few weeks ago. I had it on my handkerchief, and it must have got on to the cards. Have you ever smelt a perfume like it before?" she asked suddenly. "No," said Dan, lying promptly, as he thought it best to be on the safe side, "and I hope I shan't again. It's too rich for my taste." "And was for mine," said Miss Armour indifferently. "I only used it once or twice. Strange that you should be so susceptible to scents. However, you feel better now. That's right. And the cards? See! There is great good fortune coming to you." "That's jolly," said Dan, now quite recovered. "In a few weeks," said Miss Armour impressively, "a wonderful chance will be offered to you. If you take it, a large amount of money will be yours within the year. You will marry Miss Moon if you seize this chance. If you do not, she will marry another person," and the fortune-teller gathered her pack. "In that case, I shall take the chance at once," said Dan promptly. Miss Armour looked at him hard. "I advise you to do so," she said briefly. [Illustration: "Why Even your cards are scented!" _Page_ 107.] CHAPTER VIII AVIATION