I shall be back to lunch."

"They may want you to lunch at the Foreign Office," Chloe suggested.

"Then I shan't," Lord Arglay said firmly. "We must talk the whole thing over. O and this?" He picked up the Stone. "I think this shall go in my private safe upstairs. Good-bye. You might sort out the notes for the next chapter of Organic Law. "

Chloe did her best, but even the thesis of law as a growing and developing habit of the human mind, with its corollary of the distinction between organic consciousness expressed in law and inorganic rules imposed from without, failed to hold her. It might be true that the whole body of criminal law was by its nature, inorganic, which was the point the Chief Justice had reached, though whether in agreement or opposition she had no idea, but she could not keep her mind away from what seemed an organism of unexpected power. "It must be alive," she found herself saying, and went on to ask herself, "But then does it know? Does it know what it does and what we do to it? Who ever heard of a living stone?" She went on, nevertheless, thinking along that road. "Does it know what Mr. Montague is doing with it? What else can it do? and can it do anything to us?"

The maid came in. "A gentleman from the Embassy is downstairs, Miss Burnett," she said. "Lord Arglay told me to show him up. Will that be all right?"

"Certainly," Chloe said nervously, "yes,please bringhimin." In a minute the maid announced "Mr. Ibrahim", and vanished. A little old gentleman, in Western dress but for his green turban, walked placidly into the room.

"Do sit down," Chloe said, mastering her agitation. "Probably the maid told you that Lord Arglay was so sorry he had had to go out, but he hoped you would be good enough to leave any message with me. If possible."

Haiji Ibrahim bowed and sat down. "You know, I think, what I have come about?" he said.

"I'm sorry, but Lord Arglay didn't tell me—-only that it might be rather important," Chloe answered.

The Hajji smiled slightly. "I believe that Lord Arglay did not tell you," he said, "but I think you must have seen something last nightwhen you wentwith him to Sir Giles Tumulty's house."

"If you know that," Chloe answered, disagreeably surprised, "you will know that I left before Lord Arglay and wasn't with him there-not for long."

"Long enough," the Hajji nodded. "Do not let us dispute on that, Miss Burnett-it was Miss Burnett your servant said? —or we shall waste our time and our spirit. You know what it is we are seeking, though you may not know all that it means. It is the End of Desire."

"The end of desire?" Chloe repeated. s

"It is called the White Stone and the Stone of Suleiman ben Daood (on whom be the Peace!)," the Hajji went on, "and it has other names also. But that is its best name, as that is its best work. Now that it is at large in the world it may bring much sorrow. I think Lord Arglay would be wise to do what he can to bring it back. No," he added as he saw Chloe about to make another effort at denial, "You are acting in good faith but it is quite useless. I can see that you know the thing if not the work.

"If you have any definite message," Chloe said, "I shall be most careful to give it to Lord Arglay."

"I think you have a premonition of the message," Hajji Ibrahim answered. "Tell me, have you not seen certain of the marvels of the Stone and are you not afraid in your heart? Else why should you be so shaken at speaking with me?"

"I am not shaken," Chloe said indignantly.

The other smiled.