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round right away to some high-class jeweller, and fix up the ring `
`
business." `
`
`
`
"I can't," gasped Tuppence. `
`
`
`
"Because of Beresford?" `
`
`
`
"No, no, NO!" `
`
`
`
"Well then?" `
`
`
`
Tuppence merely continued to shake her head violently. `
`
`
`
"You can't reasonably expect more dollars than I've got." `
`
`
`
"Oh, it isn't that," gasped Tuppence with an almost hysterical `
`
laugh. "But thanking you very much, and all that, I think I'd `
`
better say no." `
`
`
`
"I'd be obliged if you'd do me the favour to think it over until `
`
to-morrow." `
`
`
`
"It's no use." `
`
`
`
"Still, I guess we'll leave it like that." `
`
`
`
"Very well," said Tuppence meekly. `
`
`
`
Neither of them spoke again until they reached the Ritz. `
`
`
`
Tuppence went upstairs to her room. She felt morally battered to `
`
the ground after her conflict with Julius's vigorous personality. `
`
Sitting down in front of the glass, she stared at her own `
`
reflection for some minutes. `
`
`
`
"Fool," murmured Tuppence at length, making a grimace. "Little `
`
fool. Everything you want--everything you've ever hoped for, and `
`
you go and bleat out 'no' like an idiotic little sheep. It's your `
`
one chance. Why don't you take it? Grab it? Snatch at it? What `
`
more do you want?" `
`
`
`
As if in answer to her own question, her eyes fell on a small `
`
snapshot of Tommy that stood on her dressing-table in a shabby `
`
frame. For a moment she struggled for self-control, and then `
`
abandoning all presence, she held it to her lips and burst into a `
`
fit of sobbing. `
`
`
`
"Oh, Tommy, Tommy," she cried, "I do love you so--and I may never `
`
see you again...." `
`
`
`
At the end of five minutes Tuppence sat up, blew her nose, and `
`
pushed back her hair. `
`
`
`
"That's that," she observed sternly. "Let's look facts in the `
`
face. I seem to have fallen in love--with an idiot of a boy who `
`
probably doesn't care two straws about me." Here she paused. `
`
"Anyway," she resumed, as though arguing with an unseen opponent, `
`
"I don't KNOW that he does. He'd never have dared to say so. `
`
I've always jumped on sentiment--and here I am being more `
`
sentimental than anybody. What idiots girls are! I've always `
`
thought so. I suppose I shall sleep with his photograph under my `
`
pillow, and dream about him all night. It's dreadful to feel `
`
you've been false to your principles." `
`
`
`
Tuppence shook her head sadly, as she reviewed her backsliding. `
`
`
`
"I don't know what to say to Julius, I'm sure. Oh, what a fool I `
`
feel! I'll have to say SOMETHING--he's so American and thorough, `
`
he'll insist upon having a reason. I wonder if he did find `
`
anything in that safe----" `
`
`
`
Tuppence's meditations went off on another tack. She reviewed `
`
the events of last night carefully and persistently. Somehow, `
`
they seemed bound up with Sir James's enigmatical words.... `
`
`
`
Suddenly she gave a great start--the colour faded out of her `
`
face. Her eyes, fascinated, gazed in front of her, the pupils `
`
dilated. `
`
`
`
"Impossible," she murmured. "Impossible! I must be going mad `
`
even to think of such a thing...." `
`
`
`
Monstrous--yet it explained everything.... `
`
`
`
After a moment's reflection she sat down and wrote a note, `
`
weighing each word as she did so. Finally she nodded her head as `
`
though satisfied, and slipped it into an envelope which she `
`
addressed to Julius. She went down the passage to his `
`
sitting-room and knocked at the door. As she had expected, the `
`
room was empty. She left the note on the table. `
`
`
`
A small page-boy was waiting outside her own door when she `
`
returned to it. `
`
`
`
"Telegram for you, miss." `
`
`
`
Tuppence took it from the salver, and tore it open carelessly. `
`
Then she gave a cry. The telegram was from Tommy! `
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
CHAPTER XVI `
`
`
`
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TOMMY `
`
`
`
FROM a darkness punctuated with throbbing stabs of fire, Tommy `
`
dragged his senses slowly back to life. When he at last opened `
`
his eyes, he was conscious of nothing but an excruciating pain `
`
through his temples. He was vaguely aware of unfamiliar `
`
surroundings. Where was he? What had happened? He blinked `
`
feebly. This was not his bedroom at the Ritz. And what the `
`
devil was the matter with his head? `
`
`
`
"Damn!" said Tommy, and tried to sit up. He had remembered. He `
`
was in that sinister house in Soho. He uttered a groan and fell `
`
back. Through his almost-closed lids he reconnoitred carefully. `
`
`
`
"He is coming to," remarked a voice very near Tommy's ear. He `
`
recognized it at once for that of the bearded and efficient `
`
German, and lay artistically inert. He felt that it would be a `
`
pity to come round too soon; and until the pain in his head `
`
became a little less acute, he felt quite incapable of collecting `
`
his wits. Painfully he tried to puzzle out what had happened. `
`
Obviously somebody must have crept up behind him as he listened `
`
and struck him down with a blow on the head. They knew him now `
`
for a spy, and would in all probability give him short shrift. `
`
Undoubtedly he was in a tight place. Nobody knew where he was, `
`
therefore he need expect no outside assistance, and must depend `
`
solely on his own wits. `
`
`
`
"Well, here goes," murmured Tommy to himself, and repeated his `
`
former remark. `
`
`
`
"Damn!" he observed, and this time succeeded in sitting up. `
`
`
`
In a minute the German stepped forward and placed a glass to his `
`
lips, with the brief command "Drink." Tommy obeyed. The potency `
`
of the draught made him choke, but it cleared his brain in a `
`
marvellous manner. `
`
`
`
He was lying on a couch in the room in which the meeting had been `
`
held. On one side of him was the German, on the other the `
`
villainous-faced doorkeeper who had let him in. The others were `
`
grouped together at a little distance away. But Tommy missed one `
`
face. The man known as Number One was no longer of the company. `
`
`
`
"Feel better?" asked the German, as he removed the empty glass. `
`
`
`
"Yes, thanks," returned Tommy cheerfully. `
`
`
`
"Ah, my young friend, it is lucky for you your skull is so thick. `
`
The good Conrad struck hard." He indicated the evil-faced `
`
doorkeeper by a nod. The man grinned. `
`
`
`
Tommy twisted his head round with an effort. `
`
`
`
"Oh," he said, "so you're Conrad, are you? It strikes me the `
`
thickness of my skull was lucky for you too. When I look at you I `
`
feel it's almost a pity I've enabled you to cheat the hangman." `
`
`
`
The man snarled, and the bearded man said quietly: `
`
`
`
"He would have run no risk of that." `
`
`
`
"Just as you like," replied Tommy. "I know it's the fashion to `
`
run down the police. I rather believe in them myself." `
`
`
`
His manner was nonchalant to the last degree. Tommy Beresford `
`
was one of those young Englishmen not distinguished by any `
`
special intellectual ability, but who are emphatically at their `
`
best in what is known as a "tight place." Their natural `
`
diffidence and caution fall from them like a glove. Tommy `
`
realized perfectly that in his own wits lay the only chance of `
`
escape, and behind his casual manner he was racking his brains `
`
furiously. `
`
`
`
The cold accents of the German took up the conversation: `
`
`
`
"Have you anything to say before you are put to death as a spy?" `
`
`
`
"Simply lots of things," replied Tommy with the same urbanity as `
`
before. `
`
`
`
"Do you deny that you were listening at that door?" `
`
`
`
"I do not. I must really apologize--but your conversation was so `
`
interesting that it overcame my scruples." `
`
`
`
"How did you get in?" `
`
`
`
"Dear old Conrad here." Tommy smiled deprecatingly at him. "I `
`
hesitate to suggest pensioning off a faithful servant, but you `
`
really ought to have a better watchdog." `
`
`
`
Conrad snarled impotently, and said sullenly, as the man with the `
`
beard swung round upon him: `
`
`
`
"He gave the word. How was I to know?" `
`
`
`
"Yes," Tommy chimed in. "How was he to know? Don't blame the `
`
poor fellow. His hasty action has given me the pleasure of seeing `
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