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The basement of St Katherine's Dock House is vast in extent and

confusing in its plan Pale shafts of light slant froes Poandered up and down there like an

early Christian refugee in the catacombs; but what little faith he had in

the success of his enterprise was oozing out at his finger-tips At a

dark turn under a gas bracket whose flame was half turned down his self-

confidence abandoned hiether

"I stood there to think a little," he said "A foolish thing to do

because of course I got scared What could you expect? It takes soer with a request for a favour I wished my

namesake Powell had been the devil himself I felt somehoould have

been an easier job You see, I never believed in the devil enough to be

scared of him; but a man can make himself very unpleasant I looked at a

lot of doors, all shut tight, with a growing conviction that I would

never have the pluck to open one of theive up the whole business But I didn't

give up in the end, and I'll tell you what stopped me It was the

recollection of that confounded doorkeeper who had called after me I

felt sure the felloould be on the look-out at the head of the stairs

If he asked ht to do, I