But first he withdrew from the box a little object, and placed it on the table.

It was an ivory skull, and the very presence of such a sinister token brought some hint of the charnel-house into the cozy and sunlit room.
Furneaux, a creature oddly constituted either of all nerves or of no nerves, disregarded the skull.

He had eyes only for the few words typed on a single sheet of note-paper.

They ran: "James Creighton Forbes: If you are willing to come to terms, announce the fact by advertisement in Thursday's Times.

Address your reply to Y.
M., and sign it 'J.