Speaking humbly for myself, I desire with unlimited yearning to look behind that curtain of which you speak.”

“That is the curse of our business, Sergeant,” Sir Frederic replied. “No matter what our record of successes, there must always remain those curtains behind which we long with unlimited yearning to look - and never do.”

Barry Kirk paid the check, and they rose from the table. In the lobby, during the course of the good-bye, the party broke up momentarily into two groups. Rankin, Kirk and the girl went to the door, and after a hurried expression of thanks, the reporter dashed out to the street.

“Mr. Kirk - it was wonderful,” Miss Morrow said. “Why are all Englishmen so fascinating? Tell me that.”

“Oh - are they?” He shrugged. “You tell me. You girls always fall for them, I notice.”

“Well - they have an air about them. An atmosphere. They’re not provincial, like a Rotarian who wants to tell you about the water-works. He took us traveling, didn’t he? London and Peshawar - I could listen to him for hours. Sorry I have to run.”

“Wait. You can do something for me.”

“After what you’ve done for me,” she smiled, “anything you ask.”

“Good. This Chinese - Chan - he strikes me as a gentleman, and a mighty interesting one. I believe he would go big at my dinner tonight. I’d like to ask him, but that would throw my table out of gear. I need another woman. How about it? Will old man Blackstone let you off for the evening?”

“He might.”

“Just a small party - my grandmother, and some people Sir Frederic has asked me to invite. And since you find Englishmen so fascinating, there’ll be Colonel John Beetham, the famous Asiatic explorer. He’s going to show us some movies he took in Tibet - which is the first intimation I’ve had that anything ever moved in Tibet.”

“That will be splendid. I’ve seen Colonel Beetham’s picture in the papers.”

“I know - the women are all crazy about him, too. Even poor grandmother - she’s thinking of putting up money for his next expedition to the Gobi Desert. You’ll come then? Seven thirty.”

“I’d love to - but it does seem presumptuous. After what you said about lawyers -“

“Yes - that was careless of me. I’ll have to live it down. Give me a chance. My bungalow - you know where it is -“

She laughed. “Thanks. I’ll come. Good-by - until tonight.”

Meanwhile Sir Frederic Bruce had led Charlie Chan to a sofa in the lobby.