"How very kind you are, Colonel Deacon," she said, "to a rival
collector!"
"Now that the menace is removed," said Colonel Deacon with
laboured humour, "I will show you my most treasured possession."
"So! I am greatly interested."
"Not even this rascal Rene," said the Colonel, stopping before a
safe set in the wall, "has seen what I am about to show you!"
Rene started slightly and watched with intense interest the
unlocking of the safe.
"If I am not superstitious about the ivory Buddha," continued the
Colonel, "I must plead guilty in the case of the Key of the
Temple of Heaven!"
"The Key of the Temple of Heaven!" murmured a lady standing
immediately behind Madame de Medici. "And what is the Key of the
Temple of Heaven?"
The Colonel, having unlocked the safe, straightened himself, and
while everyone was waiting to see what he had to show, began to
speak again pompously:
"The Temple of Heaven stands in the outer or Chinese City of
Pekin, and is fabulously wealthy. No European, I can swear, had
ever entered its secret chambers until last year. One of its
most famous treasures was this Key. It was used only to open the
special entrance reserved for the Emperor when he came to worship
after his succession to the throne--that was, of course, before
China became a Republic.
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