But almost immediately he recovered himself and with his mouth drawn
into a grim straight line, looked again at M. Max, who continued:
"I do not think that this abduction was planned by the group; I think it
was an accident and that they were forced, in self-protection, to detain
your daughter, who unwisely--morbleu! how unwisely!--forced herself into
their secrets. To arrest Gianapolis (even if that were possible) would
be to close their doors to us permanently; and as we do not even know
the situation of those doors, that would be to ruin everything. Whether
Miss Cumberly is confined in the establishment of Ho-Pin or somewhere
else, I cannot say; whether she is a captive of Gianapolis or of
Mr. King, I do not know. But I know that the usual conduct of the
establishment is not being interrupted at present; for only half-an-hour
ago I telephoned to Mr. Gianapolis!"
"At Globe Road?" snapped Dunbar, with a flash of the tawny eyes.
"At Globe Road--yes (oh! they would not detain her there!). Mr.
Gianapolis was present to speak to me. He met me very agreeably in the
matter of occupying my old room in the delightful Chinese hotel of Mr.
Ho-Pin. Therefore"--he swept his left hand around forensically, as if to
include the whole of the company--"to-morrow night at eleven o'clock I
shall be meeting Mr.
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