When coffee had been served and the servants had withdrawn, Dr. Nikola rose from the table and went over to the massive sideboard. On it stood a basket of very curious shape and workmanship. This he opened, and as he did so, to the surprise of his guests, an enormous cat, as black as his master's coat, leaped out on to the floor. The reason for the saucer and jug of milk became evident.
Seating himself at the table again, the host followed the example of his guests and lit a cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke luxuriously through his delicately chiselled nostrils. His eyes wandered round the cornice of the room, took in the pictures and decorations, and then came down to meet the faces of his companions. As they did so, the black cat, having finished its meal, sprang on to his shoulder to crouch there, watching the three men through the curling smoke drift with its green, blinking, fiendish eyes.
Dr. Nikola smiled as he noticed the effect upon his guests.
"Now shall we get to business?" he said briskly.
The others almost simultaneously knocked the ashes off their cigars and brought themselves to attention. His dainty, languid manner seemed to drop from him like a cloak, his eyes brightened, and his voice when he spoke was clean cut as chiselled silver.
"You are doubtless anxious to be informed why I summoned you from all parts of the globe to meet me here to-night? And it is very natural you should be. But then from what you know of me you should not be surprised at anything I do."
His voice dropped back into its old tone of gentle languor. He drew in a great breath of smoke and then sent it slowly out from his lips again. His eyes
