"Thank God! Now aid me with this suit, for I must be wearing it when I
return to the automobile waiting for me."
His eyes narrowed as I shook out the horrible masquerade and prepared
to don it.
"This shows, as always, the touch of the master hand. You were
doubtless instructed to leave marks of your hands, encased in those
hideous gauntlets?"
"Yes--though I have no idea why."
"I think I have--the Master is famed for leaving no real clues to mark
his crimes--a great ape escaped from a neighboring zoo earlier in the
evening and it seems too obvious for mere chance, in the light of this
disguise. The ape would have gotten the blame of Sir Haldred's death."
The thing was easily gotten into and the illusion of reality it created
was so perfect as to draw a shudder from me as I viewed myself in a
mirror.
"It is now two o'clock," said Gordon. "Allowing for the time it will
take you to get back to Limehouse and the time it will take me to get
my men stationed, I promise you that at half-past four the house will
be closely surrounded. Give me a start--wait here until I have left
this house, so I will arrive at least as soon as you."
"Good!" I impulsively grasped his hand. "There will doubtless be a girl
there who is in no way implicated with the Master's evil doings, but
only a victim of circumstances such as I have been. Deal gently with
her."
"It shall be done. What signal shall I look for?"
"I have no way of signaling you and I doubt if any sound in the house
could be heard on the street. Let your men make their raid on the
stroke of five."