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THE DEVIL'S AMBASSADOR 125
any way supervised by the authorities. Many
of them are licensed by the Government to
sell spirits, and in nine cases out of ten the
spirits are manufactured on the premises. If
a death takes place within the Babylonian
walls a certificate is given by a registered
Chinese or Hindoo doctor. Murders, robberies,
and seductions take place weekly in Malay
Street, but the police aver that there is the
greatest difficulty in pecting such atrocities.
Madame V.'s house
and she keeps what
getting evidence res-
was in Malay Street,
is called " house
the best
"
in Singapore. Madame V. herself
is a stout, fair, and much-befringed lady
who showed little outward sign of the weary
life she led. She had been perhaps for the
last twenty years ploughing the fields of
death and pestilence ; but she was still alert,
her face was pleasant, and her grey eyes
keen but not unkind. Her hair was dyed
a bright auburn
" ginger," as it is generally
called her face was painted and powdered,
her eye-brows were pencilled altogether, she
was very much " got up." She was extremely
well dressed and looked very neat and clean.
She had no jewels except a wedding ring.
She spoke with a pretty accent, smiled
very pleasantly, and gave herself quite important
airs as she invited us to sit down
and make ourselves at home.
Her house was sumptuously furnished. A
Chinese waiter presently brought in champagne
on a silver salver; the glasses were