Then her father came back from the other car and they got into the police-car. It headed back for 80 Hosain.

In the room on the second floor, Ghalil was painstakingly pulling down plaster. He had not touched the wall on which the wet spot showed. That remained as Coghlan had left it. But there had been places on the other walls where bits of plaster had fallen away. Dim colors showed through. It was becoming clear, from Ghalil's work, that the original plaster of the room had been elaborately decorated, with encaustic, most likely--wax colors laid on the wall and melted into the plaster. He had already uncovered a fragment of what must have been a most spirited mural. It appeared to deal with nymphs and satyrs, from the irregular space so far disclosed. Duval was agitatedly examining each new portion of the scene as the removal of the overlying plaster showed it. But Ghalil stopped his labor when Coghlan and the others arrived. He'd met Mannard the night before, of course.

"Ah, Mr. Mannard!" he said cordially. "We perform archaeological research!"

Mannard bristled at him.

"I've been trying to reach you to tell you about an attempt on my life today! At Police Headquarters they said they'd try to find you. They implied that all my affairs were in your lap!"

Ghalil glanced at Coghlan.

"Your affairs have at least been on my mind," he admitted. "Did not Mr. Coghlan explain the measures I took?"

"No," said Coghlan dryly. "I didn't. I'm going to work on this refrigeration affair. You tell it."

He went over to the incredible patch of moisture on the wall. Laurie went with him. Behind them, Ghalil's voice droned as Coghlan opened the suitcase of apparatus, began to fit together the induction balance. Suddenly Mannard said explosively: "What? _You_ shot the cup out of my hand?"

Laurie reared up in amazement.

"Go listen," commanded Coghlan. "I'm going to work here."

Laurie went away.

Coghlan got busy with the induction balance. There was, he soon discovered, no metal behind the wet spot on the wall. Nor above it. Nor below or on either side. There were no wires running to the place that had stayed cold "since always." There was no metal of any sort in the wall. Coghlan sweated a little. There 

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