The Seven Conundrums

"So!" she whispered. "They will know
from whom that rose comes"	[Frontispiece]


	PAGE
There were shrieks from the women, and some of
the men, amongst them myself, hurried towards
the staircase	[65]


"Don't be a fool," I answered. "There's a
submerged rock right across here"	[191]


There seemed to be an almost universal gasp of
astonishment	[216]

INTRODUCTION

THE COMPACT

The wind, storming up from the sea, beat against the frail little wooden building till every rafter creaked and groaned. The canvas sides flapped and strained madly at the imprisoning ropes. Those hanging lamps which were not already extinguished swung in perilous arcs. In the auditorium of the frail little temporary theatre, only one man lingered near the entrance, and he, as we well knew, with sinister purpose. In the little make-up room behind the stage, we three performers, shorn of our mummer's disguise, presented perhaps the most melancholy spectacle of all. The worst of it was that Leonard and I were all broken up with trying to make the best of the situation for Rose's sake, yet prevented by circumstances from altogether ignoring it.

"Seems to me we're in rather a tightish corner, Leonard," I ventured, watching that grim figure in the doorway through a hole in the curtain.

"First turn to the left off Queer Street," Leonard admitted gloomily.