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need money； were it sacrifice that I might offer you it were
the samemy friendship must always be yours； because our
tastes are similar； and I admire you。 That I cannot command；
but the money I can and shall。〃
〃Well；〃 laughed Tarzan； 〃we shall not quarrel over the money。
I must live； and so I must have it； but I shall be more
contented with something to do。 You cannot show me your
friendship in a more convincing manner than to find
employment for meI shall die of inactivity in a short while。
As for my birthrightit is in good hands。 Clayton is not
guilty of robbing me of it。 He truly believes that he
is the real Lord Greystoke； and the chances are that he will
make a better English lord than a man who was born and
raised in an African jungle。 You know that I am but half
civilized even now。 Let me see red in anger but for a moment；
and all the instincts of the savage beast that I really
am； submerge what little I possess of the milder ways of
culture and refinement。
〃And then again； had I declared myself I should have
robbed the woman I love of the wealth and position that
her marriage to Clayton will now insure to her。 I could
not have done thatcould I； Paul？
〃Nor is the matter of birth of great importance to me；〃
he went on； without waiting for a reply。 〃Raised as I have
been； I see no worth in man or beast that is not theirs by
virtue of their own mental or physical prowess。 And so I
am as happy to think of Kala as my mother as I would be
to try to picture the poor； unhappy little English girl who
passed away a year after she bore me。 Kala was always kind
to me in her fierce and savage way。 I must have nursed at
her hairy breast from the time that my own mother died。
She fought for me against the wild denizens of the forest；
and against the savage members of our tribe； with the
ferocity of real mother love。
〃And I； on my part； loved her； Paul。 I did not realize
how much until after the cruel spear and the poisoned arrow
of Mbonga's black warrior had stolen her away from me。 I
was still a child when that occurred； and I threw myself
upon her dead body and wept out my anguish as a child
might for his own mother。 To you； my friend； she would
have appeared a hideous and ugly creature； but to me she
was beautifulso gloriously does love transfigure its object。
And so I am perfectly content to remain forever the son of
Kala； the she…ape。〃
〃I do not admire you the less for your loyalty；〃 said
D'Arnot； 〃but the time will come when you will be glad
to claim your own。 Remember what I say； and let us hope
that it will be as easy then as it is now。 You must bear in
mind that Professor Porter and Mr。 Philander are the only
people in the world who can swear that the little skeleton
found in the cabin with those of your father and mother was
that of an infant anthropoid ape； and not the offspring of
Lord and Lady Greystoke。 That evidence is most important。
They are both old men。 They may not live many years longer。
And then； did it not occur to you that once Miss Porter
knew the truth she would break her engagement with Clayton？
You might easily have your title； your estates； and the
woman you love； Tarzan。 Had you not thought of that？〃
Tarzan shook his head。 〃You do not know her；〃 he said。
〃Nothing could bind her closer to her bargain than some
misfortune to Clayton。 She is from an old southern family in
America； and southerners pride themselves upon their loyalty。〃
Tarzan spent the two following weeks renewing his former
brief acquaintance with Paris。 In the daytime he haunted
the libraries and picture galleries。 He had become an
omnivorous reader； and the world of possibilities that were
opened to him in this seat of culture and learning fairly
appalled him when he contemplated the very infinitesimal
crumb of the sum total of human knowledge that a single
individual might hope to acquire even after a lifetime of
study and research； but he learned what he could by day；
and threw himself into a search for relaxation and amusement
at night。 Nor did he find Paris a whit less fertile field
for his nocturnal avocation。
If he smoked too many cigarettes and drank too much
absinth it was because he took civilization as he found it；
and did the things that he found his civilized brothers
doing。 The life was a new and alluring one； and in addition
he had a sorrow in his breast and a great longing which he
knew could never be fulfilled； and so he sought in study and
in dissipationthe two extremesto forget the past and
inhibit contemplation of the future。
He was sitting in a music hall one evening； sipping his
absinth and admiring the art of a certain famous Russian
dancer； when he caught a passing glimpse of a pair of evil
black eyes upon him。 The man turned and was lost in the
crowd at the exit before Tarzan could catch a good look at
him； but he was confident that he had seen those eyes before
and that they had been fastened on him this evening
through no passing accident。 He had had the uncanny feeling
for some time that he was being watched； and it was in
response to this animal instinct that was strong within him
that he had turned suddenly and surprised the eyes in the
very act of watching him。
Before he left the music hall the matter had been forgotten；
nor did he notice the swarthy individual who stepped
deeper into the shadows of an opposite doorway as Tarzan
emerged from the brilliantly lighted amusement hall。
Had Tarzan but known it； he had been followed many times
from this and other places of amusement； but seldom if
ever had he been alone。 Tonight D'Arnot had had another
engagement； and Tarzan had come by himself。
As he turned in the direction he was accustomed to taking
from this part of Paris to his apartments； the watcher across
the street ran from his hiding…place and hurried on ahead
at a rapid pace。
Tarzan had been wont to traverse the Rue Maule on his
way home at night。 Because it was very quiet and very
dark it reminded him more of his beloved African jungle
than did the noisy and garish streets surrounding it。
If you are familiar with your Paris you will recall the
narrow； forbidding precincts of the Rue Maule。 If you are
not； you need but ask the police about it to learn that in
all Paris there is no street to which you should give a
wider berth after dark。
On this night Tarzan had proceeded some two squares through
the dense shadows of the squalid old tenements which line
this dismal way when he was attracted by screams and cries
for help from the third floor of an opposite building。
The voice was a woman's。 Before the echoes of her first
cries had died Tarzan was bounding up the stairs and
through the dark corridors to her rescue。
At the end of the corridor on the third landing a door
stood slightly ajar； and from within Tarzan heard again the
same appeal that had lured hi