He went straight to the telephone, and was pleased to hear that Mr. Winter had reached headquarters.  The chief inspector was feeling grateful, and said so.

“It was very thoughtful on your part to deal so promptly with the message received by Mr. Forbes,” he said.  “I meant remaining in Croydon all night.  No one came to the house, of course.  Wong Li Fu’s note explained why.  Callous and calculating demon, isn’t he?”

“Yes.  Even more calculating than you are aware.  He has included me in the count now.  When I reached home ten minutes since, after gormandizing with Mr. Handyside, I found the totem of the tribe awaiting me.”

“The what?”

“An ivory skull.”

“You don’t say!” and there was a genuine thrill in Winter’s voice.  “Anything else?”

“There was no written legend.  I have no doubt the enemy believes that such a work of art speaks for itself.  It does.  I am to be exterminated, I suppose.”

A marked pause ensued.  When Winter spoke again his tone was grave.

“This is a very serious business, Mr. Theydon,” he said.  “The worst part of it is that it seems to be spreading in an ever-widening circle.  If it goes much further we’ll be obliged to run in every Chinaman in London, and sift out the decent ones from the heap until we reach the unpleasant residuum.  Are you worried about things?  If so, I’ll send a man to mount guard tonight.”

“Not at all, thanks.  Bates and I will take care that there isn’t even a joss stick in the flat before we go to bed.  But I say, there’s another matter.  Have you met Miss Beale?”

“Yes.  She came here this morning.  She gave evidence at the inquest, I am told.  What of her?”

“I asked my sister to spend the evening with her, and she was so alarmed at finding a Chinaman as a fellow-guest in her hotel that she is spending the night in my sister’s house.”

“A plague on all Chinamen!” cried Winter wrathfully.  “After this I’m dashed if I don’t drink Indian tea.  However, we’ll look him up.  Sleep soundly.  Your earlier sins of omission are forgiven you, because you have done us several good turns today.  I’ll tell your local police station that if any pigtail or squint eye is found within half a mile of Innesmore Mansions tonight it is to be jugged without the slightest hesitation.  Keep the skull safely.  Furneaux is collecting them.”

“Have you seen him, then’”

“No.  But I’ve heard from him.  He has gone home suffering from opium poisoning.”

“Great Scott!”

“O, that’s only pretty Fanny’s way.  He means that he is sick of the reek of Chinamen.  You know his peculiar views with regard to tobacco.  If he has been prowling around among opium dens in the East End all the evening, I’m sorry for him.  But he’ll turn up all right in the morning, looking like a skinned weasel.  By the way, it’ll interest you to hear that we have cleared up one minor issue.  You remember that Ann Rogers, Mrs. Lester’s maid, was called away by a telegram saying that her father was ill?”