The voice ceased.  Larry began to chat about topics of the day, about invented friends and engagements, well knowing that his stream of talk was not being heard unless Central was “listening in”; and knowing also that, to any one looking into the glass door of his booth, he was giving a most unsuspicious appearance of a busy man.  And while he talked, his wonder grew.  What was about to happen?  What was this Benvenuto Cellini business all about?

He had been talking for fifteen minutes or more when the glass door of the booth was opened from without and a man’s voice remarked: 

“When you are through, sir, we will be going.”

The voice was the same he had heard over the wire.  Larry hung up and followed the man out the side door, noting only that he had a lean, respectful face.  At the curb stood a limousine, the door of which was opened by the man for Larry.  Larry stepped in.

“Are you followed, sir?” inquired the man.

“I don’t know.”

“We’d better make certain.  If you are, we’ll lose them, sir.  We’ll stop somewhere and change our license plates again.”

Instead of getting into the unlighted body with him, as Larry had expected, the man closed the door, mounted to the seat beside the chauffeur, and the car shot west and turned up Riverside Drive.

One may break the speed laws in New York if one has the speed, and if one has the ability to get away with it.  This car had both.  Never before had Larry driven so rapidly within New York City limits; he knew this, that any trailing taxicab would be lost behind.  At Two-Hundred-and-Forty-Fifth Street the car swung into Van Cortland Park, and switched off all lights.  Two minutes later they halted in a dark stretch of one of the by-roads of the Park.

“We’ll be stopping only a minute, sir, to put on our right number plates,” the man opened the door to explain.

Within the minute they were away again, now proceeding more leisurely, in the easy manner of a private car going about its private business—­ though the interior of the car was discreetly dark and Larry huddled discreetly into a corner.  Thus they drove over the Grand Boulevards and recrossed the Harlem River and presently drew up in front of a great apartment house in Park Avenue.

The man opened the door.  “Walk right in, sir, as though you belong here.  The doorman and the elevatorman are prepared.”

They might be prepared, but Larry certainly was not; and he shot up the elevator to the top floor with mounting bewilderment.  The man unlocked the door of an apartment, ushered Larry in, took his wet hat, then ushered the dazed Larry through the corner of a dim-lit drawing-room and through another door.

“You are to wait here, sir,” said the man, and quietly withdrew.

Larry looked about him.  He took in but a few details, but he knew enough about the better fittings of life to realize that he was in the presence of both money and the best of taste.  He noted the log fire in the broad fireplace, comfortable chairs, the imported rugs on the gleaming floor, the shelves of books which climbed to the ceiling, a quaint writing-desk in one corner which seemed to belong to another country and another century, but which was perfectly at home in this room.