7 11 STR AN D

polis ; but at the bottom of the cu/ was a wall, and bevond that again an ancient burial - place, where the dust of many

cenerations ol men reposed. The wall Was overtopped by the branches of a few stunted trees that were rooted e the graveyard ; and these trees looked monrntul aml mulcm— cholv, with therr blackened bravches and soot-darkened leaves.

TThe house to which § traced Ronald Oxctell was the last one o the oo/ on the left-hand =1de, and conscguently it abutted on the gravevard. It was the one housce not utihsed as oflhices, and | ascertained that it waz 1 the occupation ol a club censisting ol Angclo-Tndians. But what they did, o tl"n\ mict, no enc sceoened able to tell, The premises were in charge of a Uindoo and his wife, and the members of vhe club met on an average hve nights aweek. Al this was so much more mystery, but 1t was precisely in accord with the theory 1 had been working out m my own mind.

The nest alternoon 1 went to the house, and the door was openad to my knock by the Hindoo woman, who was a mild- &\L(l sad-lookimg httle umluu [ azked her she could give me some particulars of the club that was held there, and she miformed me that it was known as ““The Indian Drcamers’ Club.” But bevond that scrap of mformation she did not scem disposed Lo go.

“You had better come when my hus- band 1s here,” she said, thereby giving me to understand that her husband was absun But as [ deemed it probable that she night prove more susceptible to my persuasive influences than her husband, 1 asked her it she would allow me to sece over the premises. She dechined to do this until | displayed before her greedy cyes certain oold coins of the realm, which proved too much for her cupidity, and she consented to let me go inside. The entrance-hall was carpeted with a thick, massive carpet, that deadened cvery footfall, and the walls were hung with black velvet. 2\ broad flight of stairs Ted up from the end ol the p: 1ssa(m,but they were masked by heavy curtains. The 0]()()11] the place were most depressing, and a strange, sickening odour pervaded the air, Led b\ the dUsl\\ woman | passcd through a curtained door way, and found muself m a4 Mmost extensive apartment, that ran the whole depth of the building. Irom this apartment all daylight wuas excluded, the

light being obtained frem a lar oC of

and sombreness of

J/AG A2 N T

blood-coloured ~lass, and which depended from the centre of the cetlime. There was also a niche at cach end of the room, where a lamp of the old Roman pattcm burnt. TThe walls of the room were hunge with purple velvet curtams, and the Lu]mg was also draped with the same material, while the floor was covered with a rich Indian carpet mto which the feet sank. In the centre of the room was a table also covered with velvet, and all round the room werce most — laxurious couches, with velvet cushions and costly Indian rugs. The same sickly odouwr that 1 had aluad_\' noticed pervaded this remarkable chamber, which was like a tomb 1 its stlence s for no cound reached one from the busy world without.

Although all the Lunps were highted it took me some time to accustom my cyes (o the gloom and to obscerve all the details ol the extraordinary apartment. Then | noted that on the velvet on one side ol the room was mscribed in letters of gold, that were strikingly conspicuous cgainst the sombre backeround, this sentence

PO DREEANM IS TO

FOR TO

LIVE D DREANM ON, AWAKEN IS TO D"

The dim light and the sombre upholster- ine of the room gave it a most werrd and uncanny appearance, and T could not assoctatine with the Indian Dreamers’ Club, rites and ceremonies that were far from orthodox 1 while the sentence on the velvet, and which T took to be the club's motto, was hke the handwriting on the wall at Belshazzar's feast. It was pregnant with a terrible meamng.

While T was still encaged 1 ccamining the room a bell rang, and instantly the [Tindoo woman became greatly excited, for she sard 1t was her llusbm(l, and that he would be so hereely angry 1if he found me there that she would not be responsible for the consequences. She thercfore thrust me mto o recess where a statue had for- merly stood, but the statue had been re- moved, and @ velvet curtain hung before the recess. Nothine could have ]]u])})LIlC(l more 1 accord with my desire than this, IFor T was resolved, whatever the consc- quences were, to remain inomy place of concealment until T had solved the mystery

of the club. There was an outer and an mner door, both of them bemmg thickly

padded with felt and covered with velvet. When the woman had retired and closed these doors the silence was absolute. Not a sound caume to my cars. The atmosphere