"Because I strongly suspect that we have to do with none other than
Fu-Manchu's daughter! But go on."
"By heavens, Smith! You may be right! I had no idea that a Chinese woman could possess such features."
"She may not have a Chinese mother; furthermore, there are pretty women in China as well as in other countries; also, there are hair dyes and cosmetics. But for Heaven's sake go on!"
I continued my all but incredible narrative; came to the point where I discovered the straying marmoset and entered the empty house, without provoking any comment from my listener. He stared at me with something very like surprised admiration when I related how I had become an unseen spectator of that singular meeting.
"And I though I had achieved the triumph of my life in gaining admission and smuggling Weymouth and Carter into the roof, armed with hooks and rope-ladders!" he murmured.
Now I came to the moment when, having withdrawn into the empty house, I had heard the police whistle and had heard Smith's voice; I came to the moment when I had found myself face to face with Dr. Fu-Manchu.
Nayland Smith's eyes were on fire now; he literally quivered with excitement, when—
"Ssh! what's that?" he whispered, and grasped my arm. "I heard something move in the sitting-room, Petrie!"
"It was a coal dropping from the grate, perhaps," I said—and rapidly continued my story, telling how, with my pistol to his head, I had forced the Chinese doctor to descend into the hallway of the empty house.
"Yes, yes," snapped Smith. "For God's sake go on, man! What have you done with him? Where is he?"