Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie before find and replace process using process a concodancer. =
THE SECRET
ADVERSARY
AGATHA CHRISTIE
TO ALL THOSE WHO LEAD
MONOTONOUS LIVES
IN THE HOPE THAT THEY MAY EXPERIENCE
AT SECOND HAND
THE DELIGHTS AND DANGERS OF
ADVENTURE
CONTENTS
Prologue
I &n=
bsp;
The Young Adventurers, Ltd.
II
Mr. Whittington's Offer
III A
Set Back
IV
Who Is Jane Finn=
?
V &n=
bsp;
Mr. Julius P. Hersheimmer
VI
A Plan of Campaign
VII The House in
VIII
IX
Tuppence Enters Domestic Service
X &n=
bsp;
Enter Sir James Peel Edgerton
XI
Julius Tells a Story
XII A
Friend in Need
XIII
XIV A
Consultation
XV
Tuppence Receives a Proposal
XVI
Further Adventures of Tommy
XVII Ann=
ette
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>XVIII&=
nbsp;
The Telegram=
XIX Jane
Finn
XX
Too Late
XXI
Tommy Makes a Discovery
XXII
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>XXIII&=
nbsp;
A Race Again=
st
Time
XXIV Jul=
ius
Takes a Hand
XXV
Jane's Story
XXVI Mr.=
Brown
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>XXVII&=
nbsp;
A Supper Par=
ty at
the
XXVIII And After
PROLOGUE
IT was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7, 1915. The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>been struck by two torpedoes in succession and was sinking
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rapidly, while the boats were being launched with all possible
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>speed. The women and children were being lined up awaiting their<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>turn. Some still clung desperately to husbands and fathers;
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>others clutched their children closely to their breasts. One girl<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>stood alone, slightly apart from the rest. She was quite young
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>not more than eighteen.
She did not seem afraid, and her grave,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>steadfast eyes looked straight ahead.
"I
beg your pardon."
A man's voice beside her made her start and turn. She had
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>noticed the speaker more than once amongst the first-class
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>passengers. There had been a hint of mystery abou=
t him
which had
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>appealed to her imagination.
He spoke to no one. If anyone spoke
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to him he was quick to rebuff the overture. Also he had a nerv=
ous
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>way of looking over his shoulder with a swift, suspicious glanc=
e.
She noticed now that he was greatly agitated. There were beads
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of perspiration on his brow.&=
nbsp;
He was evidently in a state of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>overmastering fear. And yet he did not strike her as=
the
kind of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>man who would be afraid to meet death
"Yes?" Her grave
eyes met his inquiringly.
He stood looking at her with a kind of desperate irresolutio=
n.
"It
must be!" he muttered to himself. "Yes--it is the only way."=
;
Then aloud he said abruptly: "You are an American?"
"Yes."=
;
"A
patriotic one?"
The girl flushed.
"I
guess you've no right to ask such a thing!=
Of course I am
"Don't
be offended. You wouldn't be =
if you
knew how much there
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was at stake. But I've got to trust some one--and it must be a<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>woman=
."
"Why?"=
;
"Because
of 'women and children first.' " He looked round and<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>lowered his voice.
"I'm carrying papers--vitally important
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>papers. They may make all the difference to the Allies in the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>war. You understand?
These papers have GOT to be saved! They've
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>more chance with you than with me. Will you take them=
?"
The girl held out her hand.
"Wait--I
must warn you. There may be a
risk--if I've been
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>followed. I don't think I have, but one never knows. If so,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there will be danger. Have you the nerve to go through with it
The girl smiled.
"I'll
go through with it all right. And
I'm real proud to be <=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>chosen
"Watch
the newspapers! I'll advertis=
e in
the personal column of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the Times, beginning 'Shipmate.' At the end of three days if
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there's nothing--well, you'll know I'm down and out. Then take
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the packet to the American Embassy, and deliver it into the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Ambassador's own hands. Is that clear?"
"Quite
clear."
"Then
be ready--I'm going to say good-bye." He to=
ok her
hand in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his. "Good-bye. Good luck to you," he said in a louder
tone.
Her hand closed on the oilskin packet that had lain in his p=
alm.
The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>answer to a quick command, the girl went forward to take her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>place in the boat.
CHAPTER I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>THE YOUNG ADVENTURERS, LTD.
"TOMMY,
old thing!"
"Tuppence, old bean!"
The two young people greeted each other affectionately, and<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>momentarily blocked the Dover Street Tube exit in =
doing
so. The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>adjective "old" was misleading. Their united ages would
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>certainly not have totalled=
forty-five.
"Not
seen you for simply centuries," continued the young man.
"Where
are you off to? Come and chew=
a bun
with me. We're
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>getting a bit unpopular here--blocking the gangway as it were.
Let's get out of it."
The girl assenting, they started walking down
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>towards Piccadilly.
"Now
then," said Tommy, "where shall we go?"
The very faint anxiety which underlay his tone did not escape
the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>astute ears of Miss Prudence Cowley, known to her intimate
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>friends for some mysterious reason as "Tu=
ppence." She pounced at
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>once=
.
"Tommy,
you're stony!"
"Not
a bit of it," declared Tommy unconvincingly. "Rolling in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cash=
."
"You
always were a shocking liar," said Tuppence
severely,
"though
you did once persuade Sister Greenbank that the
doctor
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>had ordered you beer as a tonic, but forgotten to write it on t=
he
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>chart. Do you remember?"
Tommy chuckled.
"I
should think I did! Wasn't th=
e old
cat in a rage when she
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>found out? Not that she was a bad sort really, old Mother
=
Greenbank!
Good old hospital--demobbed like everyth=
ing
else, I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>suppose=
?"
=
Tuppence sighed<=
span
dir=3DRTL>.
"Yes. You too?"
Tommy nodded.
"Two
months ago."
"Gratuity?" hinted Tuppence.
"Spent."=
;
"Oh,
Tommy!"
"No,
old thing, not in riotous dissipation.&nbs=
p;
No such luck! The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cost of living--ordinary plain, or garden living nowadays is, I<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>assure you, if you do not know----"
"My
dear child," interrupted Tuppence, "t=
here
is nothing I do NOT
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know about the cost of living.&=
nbsp;
Here we are at Lyons', and we
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>will each of us pay for our own. That's it!" And Tuppence
led
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the way upstairs.
The place was full, and they wandered about looking for a ta=
ble,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>catching odds and ends of conversation as they did so.
"And--do
you know, she sat down and CRIED when I told her she
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>couldn't have the flat after all." "It was simply a BARGAIN, my<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>dear! Just like the one Mabel Lewis brought from
"Funny
scraps one does overhear," murmured Tommy. "I passed two
Johnnies in the street to-day talking about some one called =
Jane
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Finn. Did you ever =
hear
such a name?"
But at that moment two elderly ladies rose and collected par=
cels,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and Tuppence deftly ensconced herse=
lf in
one of the vacant seats=
.
Tommy ordered tea and buns.=
Tuppence ordered tea and buttered
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>toast=
.
"And
mind the tea comes in separate teapots," she added severely.
Tommy sat down opposite her. His bared head revealed a shock of=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>exquisitely slicked-back red hair. His face was pleasantly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>ugly--nondescript, yet unmistakably the face of a gentleman and =
a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>sportsman. His brown suit was well cut, but peri=
lously
near the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>end of its tether.
They were an essentially modern-looking couple as they sat t=
here.
=
Tuppence had no claim to beauty, but there was character and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>charm in the elfin lines of her little face, with its determined<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>chin and large, wide-apart grey eyes that looked mistily out fro=
m
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>under straight, black brows.&nbs=
p;
She wore a small bright green toque
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>over her black bobbed hair, and her extremely short and rather
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shabby skirt revealed a pair of uncommonly dainty ankles. Her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>appearance presented a valiant attempt at smartne=
ss.
The tea came at last, and Tuppence,
rousing herself from a fit of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>meditation, poured it out<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>.
"Now
then," said Tommy, taking a large bite of bun, "let's get
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>up-to-date. Remember, I haven't seen you since th=
at
time in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hospital in 1916=
."
"Very
well." Tuppence helped herself liberally to buttered<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>toast. "Abridged biography of Miss Prudence Cowley, fifth
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>daughter of Archdeacon Cowley of Little Missend=
ell,
Miss Cowley left the delights (and drudgeries) of her home l=
ife
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>early in the war and came up to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>officers' hospital. First month:&nb=
sp;
Washed up six hundred and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>forty-eight plates every day. Second month: Promoted to drying
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>aforesaid plates. Third month: Promoted to peeling potatoes.
Fourth month: Promoted to cutting bread and butter. Fifth month=
:
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Promoted one floor up to duties of wardmaid with mop and pail.
Sixth month:
Promoted to waiting at table.
Seventh month
Pleasing appearance and nice manners so striking that am
promoted
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to waiting on the Sisters!&nb=
sp;
Eighth month: Slight check in career.
Sister Bond ate Sister Westhaven's
egg! Grand row! Wardmaid
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>clearly to blame!
Inattention in such important matters cannot
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>be too highly censured. Mop and pail again! How are the mighty
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>fallen! Ninth month:
Promoted to sweeping out wards, where I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>found a friend of my childhood in Lieutenant Thomas Beresford
(bow,
Tommy!), whom I had not seen for five long years. The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>meeting was affecting! Tenth month: Reproved by matron for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>visiting the pictures in company with one of the patients,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>namely: the aforemen=
tioned
Lieutenant Thomas Beresford.
Eleventh and twelfth months: Parlourmai=
d
duties resumed with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>entire success. At t=
he end
of the year left hospital in a blaze
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of glory. After =
that,
the talented Miss Cowley drove
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>successively a trade delivery van, a motor-lorry an=
d a
general=
!"
The last was the pleasantest. He was quite a young general
"What
brighter was that?" inquired Tommy. "Perfectly sickening
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the way those brass hats drove from the War Office to the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and from the
"I've
forgotten his name now," confessed Tuppence. "To resume,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that was in a way the apex of my career. I next entered a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Government office. We had several very enjoyable tea
parties. I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>had intended to become a land girl, a post=
woman,
and a bus
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>conductress by way of rounding off my career--but =
the
Armistice
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>intervened!
I clung to the office with the true limpet touch for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>many long months, but, alas, I was combed out at last. Since the=
n
I've been looking for a job. Now then--your=
turn."=
;
"There's
not so much promotion in mine," said Tommy regretfully=
,
"and
a great deal less variety. I =
went
out to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you know. Then th=
ey
sent me to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for the second time, and went into hospital out there. Then I g=
ot
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>stuck in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>some time longer, and, as I told you, finally got demobbed. And,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for ten long, weary months I've been job hunting! There aren't
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>any jobs! And, if=
there
were, they wouldn't give 'em to me. What
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>good am I? What do=
I
know about business? Nothing
=
Tuppence nodded gloomily.
"What
about the colonies?" she suggested.
Tommy shook his head.
"I
shouldn't like the colonies--and I'm perfectly certain they
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>wouldn't like me=
!"
"Rich
relations?"
Again Tommy shook his head.
"Oh,
Tommy, not even a great-aunt?"
"I've
got an old uncle who's more or less rolling, but he's no
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>good=
."
"Why
not?"
"Wanted
to adopt me once. I refused
"I
think I remember hearing about it," said Tuppence=
slowly. "You
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>refused because of your mother----"
Tommy flushed.
"Yes,
it would have been a bit rough on the mater. As you know=
,
I was all she had.
Old boy hated her--wanted to get me away from
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her. Just a bit of spite."
"Your
mother's dead, isn't she?" said Tuppence gently.
Tommy nodded.
Tuppence's large grey eyes looked misty.
"You're
a good sort, Tommy. I always =
knew
it."
"Rot!" said Tommy hastily. "Well, that's my position. I'=
m just
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>about desperate."
"So
am I! I've hung out as long a=
s I
could. I've touted round.
I've answered advertisements. I've tried every mortal blessed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thing. I've screwed and saved and pinched! But it's no good. I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shall have to go home!"
"Don't
you want to?"
"Of
course I don't want to! What'=
s the
good of being
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>sentimental? Father's a dear--I'm awfully fond of
him--but you've
<= span style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>no idea how I worry him! He has that delightful early Victorian<= o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>view that short skirts and smoking are immoral. You can imagine<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>what a thorn in the flesh I am to him! He just heaved a sigh of<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>relief when the war took me off. You see, there are seven of us
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>at home. It's
awful! All housework and moth=
ers'
meetings! I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>have always been the changeling. I don't want to go back,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>but--oh, Tommy, what else is there to do=
?"
Tommy shook his head sadly.=
There was a silence, and then
=
Tuppence burst out:
"Money,
money, money! I think about m=
oney
morning, noon and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>night! I dare say it's mercenary of me, but there it is!"
"Same
here," agreed Tommy with feeling.
"I've
thought over every imaginable way of getting it too<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>,"
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>continued Tuppence.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> "There are only three! To be left it, to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>marry it, or to make it.
First is ruled out. I haven't got any
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rich elderly relatives.
Any relatives I have are in homes for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>decayed gentlewomen! I
always help old ladies over crossings,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and pick up parcels for old gentlemen, in case they should turn=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>out to be eccentric millionaires. But not one of them has ever<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>asked me my name--and quite a lot never said 'Thank you.'
"
There was a pause.
"Of
course," resumed Tuppence, "marriage =
is my
best chance. I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>made up my mind to marry money when I was quite young. Any
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thinking girl would! I=
'm not
sentimental, you know." She paused.
"Come
now, you can't say I'm sentimental," she added sharply=
.
"Certainly
not," agreed Tommy hastily.
"No one would ever think
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of sentiment in connection with you."
"That's
not very polite," replied Tuppence. "But I dare say you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mean it all right. Well,
there it is! I'm ready and willing--but
I never meet any rich men! All the boys I know are about as =
hard
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>up as I am=
."
"What
about the general?" inquired Tommy.
"I
fancy he keeps a bicycle shop in time of peace," explained
=
Tuppence.
"No, there it is! Now
you could marry a rich girl."
"I'm
like you. I don't know any
"That
doesn't matter. You can alway=
s get
to know one. Now, if I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>see a man in a fur coat come out of the Ritz I can't rush up to=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>him and say: 'Look
here, you're rich. I'd like to know you.'
"
"Do
you suggest that I should do that to a similarly garbed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>female=
?"
"Don't
be silly. You tread on her fo=
ot, or
pick up her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>handkerchief, or something like that. If she thinks you want to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know her she's flattered, and will manage it for you somehow."=
;
"You
overrate my manly charms," murmured Tommy.
"On
the other hand," proceeded Tuppence, "=
;my
millionaire would
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>probably run for his life!
No--marriage is fraught with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>difficulties.
Remains--to MAKE money
"We've
tried that, and failed," Tommy reminded her.
"We've
tried all the orthodox ways, yes.
But suppose we try the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unorthodox. Tommy, let's be adventurers!"
"Certainly,"
replied Tommy cheerfully. &qu=
ot;How
do we begin?"
"That's
the difficulty. If we could m=
ake
ourselves known, people
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>might hire us to commit crimes for them
"Delightful,"
commented Tommy. "Especi=
ally
coming from a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>clergyman's daughter!"
"The
moral guilt," Tuppence pointed out, "=
would
be theirs--not
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mine. You must admit that there's a difference between stealing =
a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>diamond necklace for yourself and being hired to steal it."
"There
wouldn't be the least difference if you were caught<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>!"
"Perhaps
not. But I shouldn't be
caught. I'm so clever."
"Modesty
always was your besetting sin," remarked Tommy<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>.
"Don't
rag. Look here, Tommy, shall =
we
really? Shall we form a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>business partnership?"
"Form
a company for the stealing of diamond necklaces?"
"That
was only an illustration. Let=
's
have a--what do you call
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>it in book-keeping?"
"Don't
know. Never did any."
"I
have--but I always got mixed up, and used to put credit
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>entries on the debit side, and vice versa--so they fired me out.
Oh, I know--a joint venture! It struck me as such a romantic
<= span style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>phrase to come across in the middle of musty old figures. It's<= o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>got an Elizabethan flavour about
it--makes one think of galleons
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and doubloons. A joint venture!"
"Trading
under the name of the Young Adventurers, Ltd.? Is that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>your idea, Tuppence<=
/span>?"
"It's
all very well to laugh, but I feel there might be something
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in it
"How
do you propose to get in touch with your would-be
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>employers=
=
?"
"Advertisement,"
replied Tuppence promptly. "Have you got a bit
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of paper and a pencil?
Men usually seem to have. Just like we
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>have hairpins and powder-puffs."
Tommy handed over a rather shabby green notebook, and Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>began writing busily.
"Shall
we begin: 'Young officer, twi=
ce
wounded in the war
"Certainly
not."
"Oh,
very well, my dear boy. But I=
can
assure you that that sort
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of thing might touch the heart of an elderly spinster, and she=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>might adopt you, and then there would be no need for you to be a<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>young adventurer at all."
"I
don't want to be adopted."
"I
forgot you had a prejudice against it.&nbs=
p;
I was only ragging
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you! The papers are full up to the brim with that type of thing=
.
Now listen--how's this?&nbs=
p;
'Two young adventurers for hire. Willing<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to do anything, go anywhere.&=
nbsp;
Pay must be good.' (We might as
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>well make that clear from the start.) Then we might add: 'No
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>reasonable offer refused'--like flats and furnitu=
re."=
;
"I
should think any offer we get in answer to that would be a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pretty UNreasonable one!"
"Tommy! You're a genius! That's ever so much more chic. 'No=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unreasonable offer refused--if pay is good.' How's that?"=
;
"I
shouldn't mention pay again. =
It
looks rather eager
"It
couldn't look as eager as I feel!
But perhaps you are right.
Now I'll read it straight through. 'Two young adventurers for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hire. Willing to do anything, go anywhere. Pay must be good. No
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unreasonable offer refused.' How would that strike you if you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>read it
"It
would strike me as either being a hoax, or else written by a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>lunatic=
."
"It's
not half so insane as a thing I read this morning beginning
'Petunia'
and signed 'Best Boy.' " She tore out the l=
eaf
and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>handed it to Tommy.
"There you are. T=
imes,
I think. Reply to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Box so-and-so. I expect it will be about five shillin=
gs. Here's
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>half a crown for my share."
Tommy was holding the paper thoughtfully. His faced burned a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>deeper red
"Shall
we really try it?" he said at last. "Shall we, Tuppence?
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Just for the fun of the thing?"<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>
"Tommy,
you're a sport! I knew you wo=
uld
be! Let's drink to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>success." She poured some cold dregs of tea into the two cups<=
span
dir=3DRTL>.
"Here's
to our joint venture, and may it prosper!"
"The
Young Adventurers, Ltd.!" responded Tommy.
They put down the cups and laughed rather uncertainly. Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rose=
.
"I
must return to my palatial suite at the hostel."
"Perhaps
it is time I strolled round to the Ritz," agreed Tommy
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with a grin. "=
;Where
shall we meet? And when?"=
;
"Twelve
o'clock to-morrow. Piccadilly Tube station. Will=
that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>suit you
"My
time is my own," replied Mr. Beresford magnificent=
ly.
"So
long, then."
"Good-bye,
old thing."
The two young people went off in opposite directions. Tuppence's
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hostel was situated in what was charitably called Southern
She was half-way across St. James's Park, when a man's voice=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>behind her made her start.
"Excuse
me," it said. "But =
may I
speak to you for a moment?"
CHAPTER II
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>MR. WHITTINGTON'S=
OFFER
TUPPENCE turned sharply, but the words hovering on the tip of
her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>tongue remained unspoken, for the man's appearance and manner did<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>not bear out her first and most natural assumption. She
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hesitated. As if he read her thoughts, the man s=
aid
quickly=
:
"I
can assure you I mean no disrespect."
=
Tuppence believed him.
Although she disliked and distrusted him
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>instinctively, she was inclined to acquit him of the
particular
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>motive which she had at first attributed to him. She looked him
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>up and down. He =
was a
big man, clean shaven, with a heavy jowl.
His eyes were small and cunning, and shifted their glance un=
der
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her direct gaze.
"Well,
what is it?" she asked.
The man smiled.
"I
happened to overhear part of your conversation with the young
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>gentleman in
"Well--what
of it?"
"Nothing--except
that I think I may be of some use to you."
Another inference forced itself into Tuppence's mind:
"You
followed me here?"
"I
took that liberty."
"And
in what way do you think you could be of use to me
The man took a card from his pocket and handed it to her wit=
h a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>bow=
.
=
Tuppence took it and scrutinized it carefully. It bore the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>inscription, "Mr. Edward Whittington."
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>words "Esthonia Glassware Co.,&q=
uot; and
the address of a city office.
Mr. Whittington spoke again:
"If
you will call upon me to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock, I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>will lay the details of my proposition before you."
"At
eleven o'clock?" said =
Tuppence
doubtfully.
"At
eleven o'clock."
=
Tuppence made up her mind.
"Very
well. I'll be there."
"Thank
you. Good evening."
He raised his hat with a flourish, and walked away. Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>remained for some minutes gazing after him. Then she gave a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>curious movement of her shoulders, rather as a terrier shakes
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>himself=
.
"The
adventures have begun," she murmured to herself. "What does
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>he want me to do, I wonder?&n=
bsp;
There's something about you, Mr.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Whittington, that I don't like at all. But, on the other=
hand,
I'm not the least bit afraid of you. And as I've said before,
and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shall doubtless say again, little Tuppence
can look after
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>herself, thank you!"
And with a short, sharp nod of her head she walked briskly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>onward. As a result of further meditations, however, she turned
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>aside from the direct route and entered a post office. There she<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pondered for some moments, a telegraph form in her hand. The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thought of a possible five shillings spent unnecessarily spurred
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her to action, and she decided to risk the waste of ninepence.
Disdaining the spiky pen and thick, black treacle which a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>beneficent Government had provided, Tuppence
drew out Tommy's
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pencil which she had retained and wrote rapidly: "Don't put in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>advertisement. Will explain
to-morrow." She addressed it to Tommy
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>at his club, from which in one short month he would have to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>resign, unless a kindly fortune permitted him to renew his
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>subscription=
.
"It
may catch him," she murmured.
"Anyway, it's worth trying."
After handing it over the counter she set out briskly for ho=
me,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>stopping at a baker's to buy three penny-worth of new buns.
Later, in her tiny cubicle at the top of the house she munch=
ed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>buns and reflected on the future. What was the =
Esthonia
Glassware Co., and what earthly n=
eed
could it have for her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>services? A pleasurable thrill of excitement made Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>tingle. At any rate,=
the
country vicarage had retreated into the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>background again. The morrow held possibilities
It was a long time before Tuppence
went to sleep that night, and,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>when at length she did, she dreamed that Mr. Whittington had set=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her to washing up a pile of Esthonia
Glassware, which bore an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unaccountable resemblance to hospital plates!
It wanted some five minutes to eleven when Tuppence
reached the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>block of buildings in which the offices of the Esthonia
Glassware
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>over-eager. So Tuppence
decided to walk to the end of the street
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and back again. She did so.&nb=
sp;
On the stroke of eleven she plunged
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>into the recesses of the building. The Esthonia Glassware Co.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was on the top floor. There was a lift, but Tuppence
chose to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>walk up
Slightly out of breath, she came to a halt outside the groun=
d
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>glass door with the legend painted across it "Esthonia Glassware
=
Tuppence knocked. In
response to a voice from within, she turned
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the handle and walked into a small rather dirty outer office
A middle-aged clerk got down from a high stool at a desk near
the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>window and came towards her inquiringly.
"I
have an appointment with Mr. Whittington," said T=
uppence.
"Will
you come this way, please." He crossed to a partition d=
oor
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with "Private" on it, knocked, then opened the door and
stood
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>aside to let her pass in.
Mr. Whittington was seated behind a large desk covered with<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>papers. Tuppence felt her previous jud=
gment
confirmed. There was
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>something wrong about Mr. Whittington. The combination of his
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>sleek prosperity and his shifty eye was not attractive.
He looked up and nodded.
"So
you've turned up all right? T=
hat's
good. Sit down, will
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you=
?"
=
Tuppence sat down on the chair facing him. She looked
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>particularly small and demure this morning. She sat there meekly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with downcast eyes whilst Mr. Whittington sorted and rustled
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>amongst his papers. Finally he pushed them away, and leaned over
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the desk
"Now,
my dear young lady, let us come to business." His large
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>face broadened into a smile.&nb=
sp;
"You want work? W=
ell, I
have work
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to offer you. What should you say now to L100 down, and all
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>expenses paid?" Mr. Whittington leaned back in his chair, and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thrust his thumbs into the arm-holes of his waistcoat.
=
Tuppence eyed him warily.
"And
the nature of the work?" she demanded.
"Nominal--purely
nominal. A pleasant trip, tha=
t is
all."
"Where
to?"
Mr. Whittington smiled again.
"Paris."=
;
"Oh!" said Tuppence
thoughtfully. To herself she =
said:
"Of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>course, if father heard that he would have a fit! But somehow I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>don't see Mr. Whittington in the role of the gay deceiver."=
;
"Yes,"
continued Whittington. "=
What
could be more delightful? To
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>put the clock back a few years--a very few, I am sure--and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>re-enter one of those charming pensionnats de jeunes filles with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>which
=
Tuppence interrupted him.
"A
pensionnat?"
"Exactly. Madame Colomb=
ier's
in the Avenue de Neuilly=
."
=
Tuppence knew the name well.
Nothing could have been more
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>select. She had had several American friends there. She was more
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>than ever puzzled.
"You
want me to go to Madame Colombier's? For how long?"
"That
depends. Possibly three month=
s."=
;
"And
that is all? There are no oth=
er
conditions?"
"None
whatever. You would, of cours=
e, go
in the character of my
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>ward, and you would hold no communication with your friends. I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>should have to request absolute secrecy for the time being. By
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the way, you are English, are you not
"Yes."=
;
"Yet
you speak with a slight American accent?"
"My
great pal in hospital was a little American girl. I dare say
I picked it up from her.&nb=
sp;
I can soon get out of it again."
"On
the contrary, it might be simpler for you to pass as an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>American.
Details about your past life in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>difficult to sustain. Yes, I think that would be decided=
ly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>better. Then----"
"One
moment, Mr. Whittington! You =
seem
to be taking my consent
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for granted=
."
Whittington looked surprised.
"Surely
you are not thinking of refusing? I
can assure you that Madame Colombier's is a most
high-class and orthodox <=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>establishment
"Exactly,"
said Tuppence.=
"That's just it. =
The
terms are almost
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>too liberal, Mr. Whittington.&=
nbsp;
I cannot see any way in which I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>can be worth that amount of money to you=
."
"No?" said Whittington softly. "Well, I will tell you. I cou=
ld
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>doubtless obtain some one else for very much les=
s.
What I am
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>willing to pay for is a young lady with sufficient intelligence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and presence of mind to sustain her part well, and also one who=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>will have sufficient discretion not to ask too many questions
=
Tuppence smiled a little.
She felt that Whittington had scored.
"There's
another thing. So far there h=
as
been no mention of Mr
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Beresford.
Where does he come in?"
"Mr.
Beresford?"
"My
partner," said Tuppence with dignity. "You saw us together
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>yesterday=
=
."
"Ah,
yes. But I'm afraid we shan't
require his services
"Then
it's off!" =
Tuppence rose.
"It's both or neither.
Sorry--but that's how it is. Good morning, Mr. Whittington."=
;
"Wait
a minute. Let us see if somet=
hing
can't be managed. Sit
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>down again, Miss----" He paused interrogatively.
Tuppence's conscience gave her a passing twinge as she
remembered
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the archdeacon. S=
he
seized hurriedly on the first name that came
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>into her head.
"Jane
Finn," she said hastily; and then paused open-mouthed at
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the effect of those two simple words.
All the geniality had faded out of Whittington's face. It wa=
s
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>purple with rage, and the veins stood out on the forehead. And
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>behind it all there lurked a sort of incredulous dismay. He
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>leaned forward and hissed savagely:
"So
that's your little game, is it?"
=
Tuppence, though utterly taken aback, nevertheless kept her head.
She had not the faintest comprehension of his meaning, but s=
he
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was naturally quick-witted, and felt it imperative to "keep
her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>end up" as she phrased it.
Whittington went on:
"Been
playing with me, have you, all the time, like a cat and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mouse? Knew all the time what I wanted you for, but kept up the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>comedy. Is that it, eh?"&nbs=
p;
He was cooling down. T=
he red
colour
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was ebbing out of his face.&nb=
sp;
He eyed her keenly.
"Who's been
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>blabbing? Rita?"
=
Tuppence shook her head. She
was doubtful as to how long she
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>could sustain this illusion, but she realized the importance of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>not dragging an unknown Rita into it.
"No,"
she replied with perfect truth.
"Rita knows nothing about
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>me=
=
."
His eyes still bored into her like gimlets.
"How
much do you know?" he shot out.
"Very
little indeed," answered Tuppence, and was
pleased to note
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that Whittington's uneasiness was augmented instead of allayed
To have boasted that she knew a lot might have raised doubts=
in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his mind
"Anyway,"
snarled Whittington, "you knew enough to come in here
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and plump out that name."
"It
might be my own name," Tuppence pointed ou=
t.
"It's
likely, isn't it, then there would be two girls with a name
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>like that
"Or
I might just have hit upon it by chance," continued Tuppence,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>intoxicated with the success of truthfulness.
Mr. Whittington brought his fist down upon the desk with a b=
ang.
"Quit
fooling! How much do you know=
? And how much do you want?"
The last five words took Tuppence's fancy mightily, especial=
ly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>after a meagre breakfast and a supper=
of
buns the night before
Her present part was of the adventuress rather than the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>adventurous order, but she did not deny its
possibilities. She
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>sat up and smiled with the air of one who has the situation
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thoroughly well in hand
"My
dear Mr. Whittington," she said, "let us by all means lay our
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cards upon the table. And
pray do not be so angry. You heard me
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>say yesterday that I proposed to live by my wits. It seems to m=
e
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that I have now proved I have some wits to live by! I admit I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>have knowledge of a certain name, but perhaps my knowledge ends<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there=
."
"Yes--and
perhaps it doesn't," snarled Whittington.
"You
insist on misjudging me," said Tuppence, a=
nd
sighed gently.
"As
I said once before," said Whittington angrily, "quit fooling,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and come to the point.
You can't play the innocent with me. You
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know a great deal more than you're willing to admit."
=
Tuppence paused a moment to admire her own ingenuity, and then
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>said softly<=
span
dir=3DRTL>:
"I
shouldn't like to contradict you, Mr. Whittington
"So
we come to the usual question--how much?"
=
Tuppence was in a dilemma.
So far she had fooled Whittington
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with complete success, but to mention a palpably impossible sum<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>might awaken his suspicions.&nbs=
p;
An idea flashed across her brain.
"Suppose
we say a little something down, and a fuller discussion
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of the matter later?"
Whittington gave her an ugly glance
"Blackmail,
eh?"
=
Tuppence smiled sweetly.
"Oh
no! Shall we say payment of
services in advance
Whittington grunted.
"You
see," explained Tuppence still sweetly,
"I'm so very fond of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>money=
!"
"You're
about the limit, that's what you are," growled
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Whittington, with a sort of unwilling
admiration. "You took me
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in all right. Thought you were quite a meek little kid with ju=
st
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>enough brains for my purpose."
"Life,"
moralized Tuppence, "is full of surprises<=
span
dir=3DRTL>."=
;
"All
the same," continued Whittington, "some one's been talking.
You say it isn't Rita.
Was it----? Oh, come in."
The clerk followed his discreet knock into the room, and lai=
d a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>paper at his master's elbow.
"Telephone
message just come for you, sir."
Whittington snatched it up and read it. A frown gathered on his
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>brow=
.
"That'll
do, Brown. You can go."
The clerk withdrew, closing the door behind him. Whittington=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>turned to Tuppence.
"Come
to-morrow at the same time. I=
'm
busy now. Here's fifty to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>go on with=
."
He rapidly sorted out some notes, and pushed them across the=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>table to Tuppence, then stood up, obv=
iously
impatient for her to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>go=
=
.
The girl counted the notes in a businesslike manner, secured
them
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in her handbag, and rose.
"Good
morning, Mr. Whittington," she said politely. "At least, au
=
revoir, I should say
"Exactly. Au revoir!" Whittington looked almost genial a=
gain,
a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>reversion that aroused in T=
uppence
a faint misgiving. "Au revoir,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>my clever and charming young lady."
=
Tuppence sped lightly down the stairs. A wild elation possessed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her. A neighbouring clock showed th=
e time
to be five minutes to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>twelve=
.
"Let's
give Tommy a surprise!" murmured Tuppence, and hailed a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>taxi=
.
The cab drew up outside the tube station. Tommy was just within
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the entrance. His=
eyes
opened to their fullest extent as he
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hurried forward to assist Tuppence to
alight. She smiled at him
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>affectionately, and remarked in a slightly affected v=
oice:
"Pay
the thing, will you, old bean? I've
got nothing smaller <=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>than
CHAPTER III
A SET BACK
THE moment was not quite so trium=
phant
as it ought to have been.
To begin with, the resources of Tommy's pockets were somewha=
t
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>limited. In the end the fare was managed, the lady recollecting a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>plebeian twopence, and the driver, still
holding the varied
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>assortment of coins in his hand, was prevailed up=
on to
move on=
,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>which he did after one last hoarse demand as to what the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>gentleman thought he was giving him?
"I
think you've given him too much, Tommy," said Tup=
pence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>innocently. "I fancy he wants to give some o=
f it
back."
It was possibly this remark which induced the driver to move=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>away=
.
"Well,"
said Mr. Beresford, at length able to relieve his
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>feelings, "what the--dickens, did you want to take a taxi for
"I
was afraid I might be late and keep you waiting," said
=
Tuppence gently.
"Afraid--you--might--be--late! Oh, Lord, I give it up!" said=
Mr.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Beresford.
"And
really and truly," continued Tuppence, ope=
ning
her eyes very
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>wide, "I haven't got anything smaller than a five-pound not=
e."=
;
"You
did that part of it very well, old bean, but all the same
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the fellow wasn't taken in--not for a moment!"
"No,"
said Tuppence thoughtfully, "he didn't bel=
ieve
it. That's
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the curious part about speaking the truth. No one does believe<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>it. I found that=
out
this morning. Now let's go to lunch.
How
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>about the
Tommy grinned.
"How
about the Ritz?"
"On
second thoughts, I prefer the Piccadilly.&=
nbsp;
It's nearer. We
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shan't have to take another taxi.=
Come along."
"Is
this a new brand of humour? Or is your brain really
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unhinged?" inquired Tommy.
"Your
last supposition is the correct one.
I have come into
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>money, and the shock has been too much for me! For that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>particular form of mental trouble an eminent phys=
ician
recommends
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unlimited Hors d'oeuvre, Lobster a l'americane,
Chicken Newberg,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and Peche Melba! Let's go and get them!"
"Tuppence, old girl, what has really come over you?"
"Oh,
unbelieving one!"=
Tuppence wrenched open her bag.
"Look
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>here, and here, and here!"
"Great
Jehosaphat!&nb=
sp;
My dear girl, don't wave Fishers aloft like
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that=
!"
"They're
not Fishers. They're five tim=
es
better than Fishers
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and this one's ten times better!"
Tommy groaned.
"I
must have been drinking unawares!
Am I dreaming, Tuppence, or
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>do I really behold a large quantity of five-pound notes being<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>waved about in a dangerous fashion?"
"Even
so, O King! Now, will you com=
e and
have lunch?"
"I'll
come anywhere. But what have =
you
been doing? Holding up a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>bank=
?"
"All
in good time. What an awful p=
lace
There's a huge bus bearing down on us. It would be too terrible
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>if they killed the five-pound notes!"
"Grill
room?" inquired Tommy, as they reached the
opposite
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pavement in safety.
"The
other's more expensive," demurred Tuppence=
.
"That's
mere wicked wanton extravagance.
Come on below
"Are
you sure I can get all the things I want there?"
"That
extremely unwholesome menu you were outlining just now? Of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>course you can--or as much as is good for you, anyway."
"And
now tell me," said Tommy, unable to restrain his pent-up
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>curiosity any longer, as they sat in state surro=
unded
by the many
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hors d'oeuvre of Tuppence's dreams.
Miss Cowley told him.
"And
the curious part of it is," she ended, "that I really did
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>invent the name of Jane Finn!&nbs=
p;
I didn't want to give my own
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>because of poor father--in case I should get mixed up in anything
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shady=
."
"Perhaps
that's so," said Tommy slowly.
"But you didn't invent
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>it=
=
."
"What?"=
;
"No.
I told it to you. Don't you
remember, I said yesterday I'd
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>overheard two people talking about a female call=
ed
Jane Finn?
That's what brought the name into your mind so pat."
"So
you did. I remember now. How extraordinary----" Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>tailed off into silence.
Suddenly she aroused herself.
"Tommy
"Yes?"=
;
"What
were they like, the two men you passed?"
Tommy frowned in an effort at remembrance.
"One
was a big fat sort of chap. C=
lean
shaven, I think--and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>dark=
."
"That's
him," cried Tuppence, in an ungrammatical
squeal. "That's
Whittington! W=
hat
was the other man like<=
span
dir=3DRTL>?"
"I
can't remember. I didn't noti=
ce him
particularly. It was
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>really the outlandish name that caught my attention."
"And people say that coincidences don't happen!" Tuppence tackled<= o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her Peche Melba happily.
But Tommy had become serious.
"Look
here, Tuppence, old girl, what is this going to=
lead
to?"
"More
money," replied his companion.
"I
know that. You've only got on=
e idea
in your head. What I mean
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>is, what about the next step?=
How are you going to keep the game
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>up=
=
?"
"Oh!" Tuppence laid down her spoon. "You're right, Tommy, it is
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
bit of a poser."
"After
all, you know, you can't bluff him forever. You're sure to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>slip up sooner or later.
And, anyway, I'm not at all sure that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>it isn't actionable--blackmail, you know."
"Nonsense. Blackmail is saying you'll tell un=
less you
are given
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>money. Now, there's nothing I could tell, because I don't really<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know anything."
"Hm," said Tommy doubtfully. "Well, anyway, what ARE we go=
ing to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>do? Whittington was in a hurry to get rid of you this morning<=
span
dir=3DRTL>,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>but next time he'll want to know something more before he parts=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with his money. He'll want to know how much YOU know, and where<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you got your information from, and a lot of other things that y=
ou
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>can't cope with. What are you going to do about it?"
=
Tuppence frowned severely.
"We
must think. Order some Turkish
coffee, Tommy. Stimulating
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to the brain. Oh, dear, what a lot I have eaten!"
"You
have made rather a hog of yourself!
So have I for that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>matter, but I flatter myself that my choice of dishes was more
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>judicious than yours. Two co=
ffees." (This was to the waiter.)
"One
Turkish, one French
=
Tuppence sipped her coffee with a deeply reflective air, and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>snubbed Tommy when he spoke to her.
"Be
quiet. I'm thinking."
"Shades
of Pelmanism!" said
Tommy, and relapsed into silence.
"There!" said Tuppence at la=
st. "I've got a plan. Obviously w=
hat
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>we've got to do is to find out more about it all<=
/span>."
Tommy applauded.
"Don't
jeer. We can only find out th=
rough
Whittington. We must
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>discover where he lives, what he does--sleuth him, in fact! Now I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>can't do it, because he knows me, but he only saw you for a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>minute or two in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>all, one young man is much like another<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>."
"I
repudiate that remark utterly. I'm
sure my pleasing features
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and distinguished appearance would single me out from any crowd=
."=
;
"My
plan is this," Tuppence went on calmly,
"I'll go alone
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to-morrow. I'll put him off again like I did to-=
day.
It doesn't
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>matter if I don't get any more money at once. Fifty pounds ought
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to last us a few days."
"Or
even longer!"
"You'll
hang about outside. When I co=
me out
I shan't speak to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you in case he's watching.&nbs=
p;
But I'll take up my stand somewhere
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>near, and when he comes out of the building I'll drop a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>handkerchief or something, and off you go!"
"Off
I go where?"
"Follow
him, of course, silly! What d=
o you
think of the idea?"
"Sort
of thing one reads about in books.
I somehow feel that in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>real life one will feel a bit of an ass standing in the street
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for hours with nothing to do.&=
nbsp;
People will wonder what I'm up
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to=
=
."
"Not
in the city. Every one's in s=
uch a
hurry. Probably no one
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>will even notice you at all."
"That's
the second time you've made that sort of remark. Never
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mind, I forgive you.
Anyway, it will be rather a lark. What are
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you doing this afternoon?"
"Well,"
said Tuppence meditatively. "I HAD thought of hats! Or
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>perhaps silk stockings! Or
perhaps=
----"
"Hold
hard," admonished Tommy.
"There's a limit to fifty pounds!
But let's do dinner and a show to-night at all events."=
;
"Rather."=
;
The day passed pleasantly.&=
nbsp;
The evening even more so. Two of the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>five-pound notes were now irretrievably dead.
They met by arrangement the following morning and proceeded<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
=
citywards. Tommy remained on the opposite side o=
f the
road while
=
Tuppence plunged into the building.
Tommy strolled slowly down to the end of the street, then ba=
ck
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>again. Just as he came abreast of the building, Tuppence
darted
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>across the road.
"Tommy!"=
;
"Yes. What's up
"The
place is shut. I can't make a=
nyone
hear."
"That's
odd."
"Isn't
it? Come up with me, and let'=
s try
again."
Tommy followed her.
As they passed the third floor landing a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>young clerk came out of an office. He hesitated a moment, then
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>addressed himself to Tuppen=
ce.
"Were
you wanting the Esthonia Glassware?"
"Yes,
please<=
/span>."
"It's
closed down. Since
yesterday afternoon. C=
ompany
being
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>wound up, they say. Not
that I've ever heard of it myself. But
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>anyway the office is to let."
"Th--thank you," faltered Tuppence. "I suppose you don't know
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Mr. Whittington's address?"<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>
"Afraid
I don't. They left rather suddenly."
"Thank
you very much," said Tommy.
"Come on, Tuppence<=
/span>."
They descended to the street again where they gazed at one
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>another blankly=
.
"That's
torn it," said Tommy at length.
"And
I never suspected it," wailed Tuppence.
"Cheer
up, old thing, it can't be helped."
"Can't
it, though!"
Tuppence's little chin shot out defiantly.
"Do
you think this is the end? If=
so,
you're wrong. It's just
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the beginning!"
"The
beginning of what?"
"Of
our adventure! Tommy, don't y=
ou see, if they are scared
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>enough to run away like this, it shows that there must be a lot
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in this Jane Finn business!&n=
bsp;
Well, we'll get to the bottom of it.
We'll run them down!
We'll be sleuths in earnest!"
"Yes,
but there's no one left to sleuth."
"No,
that's why we'll have to start all over again. Lend me that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>bit of pencil.
Thanks. Wait a minute-=
-don't
interrupt. There!"
=
Tuppence handed back the pencil, and surveyed the piece of paper
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>on which she had written with a satisfied eye<=
/span>:
"What's
that?"
"Advertisement."=
;
"You're
not going to put that thing in after all?"
"No,
it's a different one." She handed him the slip of =
paper.
Tommy read the words on it aloud:
"WANTED,
any information respecting Jane Finn.
Apply Y.A."
CHAPTER IV
WHO IS JANE FINN?
THE next day passed slowly.=
It was necessary to curtail
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>expenditure. Carefully husbanded, forty pounds wil=
l last
a long
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>time. Luckily the weather was fine, and "walking is cheap
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>dictated Tuppence. An outlying picture house provided=
them
with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>recreation for the evening=
.
The day of disillusionment had been a Wednesday. On Thursday the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>advertisement had duly appeared. On Friday letters might be
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>expected to arrive at Tommy's rooms.
He had been bound by an honourable
promise not to open any such
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>letters if they did arrive, but to repair to the National
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Gallery, where his colleague would meet=
him
at ten o'clock.
=
Tuppence was first at the rendezvous. She ensconced herself on a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>red velvet seat, and gazed at the Turners with unseeing eyes
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>until she saw the familiar figure enter the room<=
/span>.
"Well?"=
;
"Well,"
returned Mr. Beresford provokingly. "Which is your
=
favourite picture?"
"Don't
be a wretch. Aren't there ANY
answers=
?"
Tommy shook his head with a deep and somewhat overacted
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>melancholy=
.
"I
didn't want to disappoint you, old thing, by telling you right
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>off. It's too bad. Good
money wasted." He sighed=
. "Still=
,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there it is. The advertisement has appeared, and--there are only<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>two answers=
!"
"Tommy,
you devil!" almost screamed Tuppence. "Give them to me.
How could you be so mean=
!"
"Your
language, Tuppence, your language! They're very particular
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>at the National Gallery.
Government show, you know. And do
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>remember, as I have pointed out to you before, that as a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>clergyman's daughter----"
"I
ought to be on the stage!" finished Tuppence with a snap.
"That
is not what I intended to say. But
if you are sure that <=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with which I have kindly provided you free of charge, let us get=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>down to our mail, as the saying goes."
=
Tuppence snatched the two precious envelopes from him
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unceremoniously, and scrutinized them carefully.
"Thick
paper, this one. It looks
rich. We'll keep it to the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>last and open the other first."
"Right
you are. One, two, three, go<=
span
dir=3DRTL>!"=
;
Tuppence's little thumb ripped open the envelope, and she
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>extracted the contents
"DEAR
SIR,
"Referring
to your advertisement in this morning's paper, I may
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>be able to be of some use to you. Perhaps you could call and see
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>me at the above address at eleven o'clock to-morrow morning
"Yours truly
"A. CARTER.
"27 Carshalton Gardens," said Tuppence=
,
referring to the address.
"That's
Gloucester Road way. Plenty o=
f time
to get there if we
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>tube=
."
"The
following," said Tommy, "is the plan of campaign. It is my
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>turn to assume the offensive.&n=
bsp;
Ushered into the presence of Mr.
Carter, he and I wish each other good morning as is customar=
y.
He
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>then says: 'Please=
take
a seat, Mr.--er?' To which I reply
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>promptly and significantly:
'Edward Whittington!' whereupon Mr.
Carter turns purple in the face and gasps out: 'How much?'
Pocketing the usual fee of fifty pounds, I rejoin you in the
road
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>outside, and we proceed to the next address and repeat the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>performance=
."
"Don't
be absurd, Tommy. Now for the other letter. Oh, this is
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>from the Ritz!"
"A
hundred pounds instead of fifty!"
"I'll
read it=
:
"DEAR
SIR,
"Re
your advertisement, I should be glad if you would call round
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>somewhere about lunch-time. =
=
"Yours truly
=
"JULIUS P.
"Ha!" said Tommy.&nb=
sp;
"Do I smell a Boche? Or only an American
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>millionaire of unfortunate ancestry? At all events we'll call at
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>lunch-time. It's a good time--frequently leads to=
free
food for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>two=
."
=
Tuppence nodded assent.
"Now
for Carter. We'll have to hur=
ry."=
;
Carshalton Terrace proved to be an unimpeachable row of what=
=
Tuppence called "ladylike looking houses." They rang the b=
ell
at
No. 27, and a neat maid answered =
the
door. She looked so
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>respectable that Tuppence's heart sank. Upon Tommy=
's
request for
Mr. Carter, she showed them into a small study on the ground=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>floor where she left them. Hardly a minute elapsed, however,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>before the door opened, and a tall man with a lean hawklike
face
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and a tired manner entered the room.
"Mr.
Y. A.?" he said, and smiled.
His smile was distinctly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>attractive. "Do sit down=
, both
of you<=
/span>."
They obeyed. He
himself took a chair opposite to Tuppence and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>smiled at her encouragingly.
There was something in the quality
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of his smile that made the girl's usual readiness desert her
As he did not seem inclined to open the conversation, Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was forced to begin.
"We
wanted to know--that is, would you be so kind as to tell us
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>anything you know about Jane Finn?"
"Jane
Finn? Ah!" Mr. Carter appeared to reflect.
"Well, the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>question is, what do you know about her?"
=
Tuppence drew herself up.
"I
don't see that that's got anything to do with it."
"No? But it has, you know, really it
has." He smiled again in=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his tired way, and continued reflectively. "So that brings us
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>down to it again. What do you know about Jane Finn?
"Come
now," he continued, as Tuppence remained s=
ilent.
"You must
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know SOMETHING to have advertised as you did?" He leaned forward
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
little, his weary voice held a hint of persuasiveness. "Suppose
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you tell me=
. . ."
There was something very magnetic about Mr. Carter's persona=
lity.
=
Tuppence seemed to shake herself free of it with an effort, as
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>she said
"We
couldn't do that, could we, Tommy?"
But to her surprise, her companion did not back her up. His =
eyes
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>were fixed on Mr. Carter, and his tone when he spoke held an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>unusual note of deference.
"I
dare say the little we know won't be any good to you, sir. But
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>such as it is, you're welcome to it."
"Tommy!" cried out Tuppence =
in
surprise.
Mr. Carter slewed round in his chair. His eyes asked a question.
Tommy nodded.
"Yes,
sir, I recognized you at once. Saw
you in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was with the Intelligence.&nbs=
p;
As soon as you came into the room, I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>knew=
----"
Mr. Carter held up his hand.
"No
names, please. I'm known as M=
r.
Carter here. It's my
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cousin's house, by the way.
She's willing to lend it to me
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>sometimes when it's a case of working on strictly
unofficial
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>lines. Well,
now"--he looked from one to the other--"who's going
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to tell me the story?"
"Fire
ahead, Tuppence," directed Tommy. "It's your yarn."
"Yes,
little lady, out with it."
And obediently Tuppence did out =
with
it, telling the whole story
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>from the forming of the Young Adventurers, Ltd., downwards.
Mr. Carter listened in silence with a resumption of his tire=
d
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>manner. Now and then he passed his hand across his lips as though<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to hide a smile. When she had finished he nodded gravely.
"Not
much. But=
suggestive. Quite suggesti=
ve.
If you'll excuse
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>my saying so, you're a curious young couple. I don't know--you=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>might succeed where others have failed . . . I believe in luck
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you know--always have...."
He paused a moment, and then went on<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>.
"Well,
how about it? You're out for
adventure. How would you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>like to work for me? All
quite unofficial, you know. Expenses
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>paid, and a moderate screw?"
=
Tuppence gazed at him, her lips parted, her eyes growing wider
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and wider
"What
should we have to do?" she breathed.
Mr. Carter smiled.
"Just
go on with what you're doing now. FIND JANE FINN."
"Yes,
but--who IS Jane Finn
Mr. Carter nodded gravely.
"Yes,
you're entitled to know that, I think."
He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, brought the t=
ips
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of his fingers together, and began in a low monotone:
"Secret
diplomacy (which, by the way, is nearly always bad
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>policy!) does not concern you. It will be sufficient to say that<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in the early days of 1915 a certain document came into being. =
It
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was the draft of a secret agreement--treaty--call it what you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>like. It was drawn up ready for signature by the various
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>representatives, and drawn up in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>country. It was dispatched to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>selected for that purpose, a young fellow called
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hoped that the whole affair had been kept so secret that nothing<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>would have leaked out.
That kind of hope is usually
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>disappointed. Somebody always talks=
!
"Danvers
sailed for England on the Lusitania. He carried the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>precious papers in an oilskin packet which he wore next his skin.
It was on that particular voyage that the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and sunk.
Eventually his body was washed ashore, and identified beyond=
any
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>possible doubt. But the oilskin packet was missing!
"The
question was, had it been taken from him, or had he himself
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>passed it on into another's keeping? There were a few incidents
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that strengthened the possibility of the latter theory. After th=
e
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>torpedo struck the ship, in the few moments during the launching
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of the boats,
No one actually saw him pass anything to her, but he might h=
ave
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>done so. It seems to me quite likely that he entrusted the paper=
s
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to this girl, believing that she, as a woman, had a greater
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>chance of bringing them safely to shore.
"But
if so, where was the girl, and what had she done with the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>papers? By later advice from
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>in league with his enemies? Or had she, in her turn, been
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shadowed and either tricked or forced into handing over the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>precious packet<=
span
dir=3DRTL>?
"We
set to work to trace her out. It
proved unexpectedly <=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>difficult
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>list of the survivors, but the girl herself seemed to have
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>vanished completely. Inquiries into her antecedents did little to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>help us. She was an
orphan, and had been what we should call
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>over here a pupil teacher in a small school out West. Her
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>passport had been made out for
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the staff of a hospital.
She had offered her services
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>voluntarily, and after some correspondence they ha=
d been
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>accepted. Having seen her name in the list of the saved from the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>surprised at her not arriving to take up her bil=
let,
and at not
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hearing from her in any way.
"Well,
every effort was made to trace the young lady--but all in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>vain. We tracked her across
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of her after she set foot in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>draft treaty--as might very easily have been done--and we
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>therefore came to the conclusion that
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>destroyed it. The war entered on another phase, =
the
diplomatic
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>aspect changed accordingly, and the treaty was never redrafted.
=
Rumours as to its existence were emphatically denied. The
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>disappearance of Jane Finn was forgotten and the who=
le
affair was
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>lost in oblivion."
Mr. Carter paused, and Tuppence =
broke
in impatiently:
"But
why has it all cropped up again?
The war's over
A hint of alertness came into Mr. Carter's manner.
"Because
it seems that the papers were not destroyed after all,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and that they might be resurrected to-day with a new and deadly=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>significance=
."
=
Tuppence stared. Mr. C=
arter
nodded<=
/span>.
"Yes,
five years ago, that draft treaty was a weapon in our
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hands; to-day it is a weapon against us. It was a gigantic
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>blunder. If its terms were made public, it would mean
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>disaster.... It might possibly bring about another war--not with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>believe in its likelihood myself, but that document undoubtedly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>implicates a number of our statesmen whom we cann=
ot
afford to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>have discredited in any way at the present moment. As a party
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cry for Labour it would be irresist=
ible,
and a Labour Government
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>at this juncture would, in my opinion, be a grave disability f=
or
British trade, but that is a mere nothing to the REAL danger=
."=
;
He paused, and then said quietly:
"You
may perhaps have heard or read that there is Bolshevist
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>influence at work behind the present Labour unrest?"
=
Tuppence nodded<=
span
dir=3DRTL>.
"That
is the truth. Bolshevist gold=
is
pouring into this country
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for the specific purpose of procuring a Revolution. And there is
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
certain man, a man whose real name is unknown to us, who is
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>working in the dark for his own ends. The Bolshevists are behind
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the Labour unrest--but this man is =
BEHIND
THE BOLSHEVISTS. Who
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>is he? We do not=
know.
He is always spoken of by the unassuming
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>title of 'Mr. Brown.' But
one thing is certain, he is the master
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>criminal of this age. He controls a marvellous<=
/span>
organization.
Most of the Peace propaganda during the war was originated a=
nd
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>financed by him. His spies are everywhere."
"A
naturalized German?" asked Tommy.
"On
the contrary, I have every reason to believe he is an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Englishman.
He was pro-German, as he would have been pro-Boer.
What he seeks to attain we do not know--probably supreme pow=
er
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for himself, of a kind unique in history. We have no clue as to=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his real personality.
It is reported that even his own follower=
s
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>are ignorant of it.
Where we have come across his tracks, he has
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>always played a secondary part.&n=
bsp;
Somebody else assumes the chief
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>role. But afterwards we always find that there has been some
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>nonentity, a servant or a clerk, who has remaine=
d in
the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>background unnoticed, and that the elusive Mr. Br=
own
has escaped
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>us once more."
"Oh!" Tuppence jumped. "I wonder----"
"Yes?"=
;
"I
remember in Mr. Whittington's office. The clerk--he called
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>him Brown. You do=
n't
think----"
Carter nodded thoughtfully.
"Very
likely. A curious point is th=
at the
name is usually
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mentioned. An idiosyncrasy of
genius. Can you descri=
be him
at
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>all=
?"
"I
really didn't notice. He was =
quite
ordinary--just like anyone
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>else=
."
Mr. Carter sighed in his tired manner=
.
"That
is the invariable description of Mr. Brown! Brought a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>telephone message to the man Whittington, did he?
Notice a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>telephone in the outer office?"
=
Tuppence thought=
.
"No,
I don't think I did
"Exactly. That 'message' was Mr. Brown's way=
of
giving an order
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to his subordinate. He
overheard the whole conversation of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>course. Was it after that that Whittington handed you over the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>money, and told you to come the following day?"
=
Tuppence nodded<=
span
dir=3DRTL>.
"Yes,
undoubtedly the hand of Mr. Brown!" Mr. Carter paused<=
/span>.
"Well,
there it is, you see what you are pitting yourselves
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>against? Possibly the finest criminal brain of =
the
age. I don't
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>quite like it, you know.
You're such young things, both of you.
I shouldn't like anything to happen to you."
"It
won't," Tuppence assured him positively
"I'll
look after her, sir," said Tommy.
"And
I'll look after YOU," retorted Tuppence,
resenting the manly
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>assertion=
=
.
"Well,
then, look after each other," said Mr. Carter, smi=
ling.
"Now
let's get back to business. T=
here's
something mysterious
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>about this draft treaty that we haven't fathomed yet. We've been<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>threatened with it--in plain and unmistakable ter=
ms.
The
Revolutionary element as good as declare that it's in their<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hands, and that they intend to produce it at a given moment. On
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the other hand, they are clearly at fault about many of its
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>provisions. The Government consider it as mere bl=
uff on
their
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>part, and, rightly or wrongly, have stuck to the policy of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>absolute denial. I'm not so sure.&n=
bsp;
There have been hints,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>indiscreet allusions, that seem to indicate that =
the
menace is a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>real one. The posi=
tion
is much as though they had got hold of an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>incriminating document, but couldn't read it because=
it
was in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cipher--but we know that the draft treaty wasn't in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>cipher--couldn't be in the nature of things--so that won't wash
But there's SOMETHING.
Of course, Jane Finn may be dead for all
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>we know--but I don't think so. The curious thing is that THEY'=
RE
TRYING TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE GIRL FROM US"
"What?"=
;
"Yes. One or two little things have crop=
ped
up. And your story,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>little lady, confirms my idea.&nb=
sp;
They know we're looking for Jane
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Finn. Well, they'll
produce a Jane Finn of their own--say at a
=
pensionnat in
"No
one knows in the least what she looks like, so that's all
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>right. She's primed with a trumped-up tale, and her real business=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>is to get as much information as possible out of us. See the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>idea=
?"
"Then
you think"--Tuppence paused to grasp the
supposition
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>fully--"that it WAS as Jane Finn that they wanted me to go t=
o
Mr. Carter smiled more wearily than ever.
"I
believe in coincidences, you know," he said.
CHAPTER V
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>MR. JULIUS P.
HERSHEIMMER
"WELL,"
said Tuppence, recovering herself, "it rea=
lly
seems as
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>though it were meant to be."
Carter nodded.
"I
know what you mean. I'm
superstitious myself. Luck, and all
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that sort of thing. Fate
seems to have chosen you out to be
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mixed up in this."
Tommy indulged in a chuckle.
"My
word! I don't wonder Whitting=
ton
got the wind up when
=
Tuppence plumped out that name!&nbs=
p;
I should have myself. But look
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>here, sir, we're taking up an awful lot of your time. Have you
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>any tips to give us before we clear out<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>?"
"I
think not. My experts, workin=
g in
stereotyped ways, have
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>failed. You will bring imagination and an open mind to the task
Don't be discouraged if that too does not succeed. For one t=
hing
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there is a likelihood of the pace being forced."
=
Tuppence frowned uncomprehendingly.
"When
you had that interview with Whittington, they had time
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>before them. I have information that the big coup was planned for<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>early in the new year. But the Government is contemplating
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>legislative action which will deal effectually wit=
h the
strike
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>menace. They'll get =
wind
of it soon, if they haven't already,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and it's possible that that may bring things to a head. I hope =
it
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>will myself. The l=
ess
time they have to mature their plans the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>better. I'm just war=
ning you
that you haven't much time before
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>you, and that you needn't be cast down if you fail. It's not an
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>easy proposition anyway.
That's all."
=
Tuppence rose
"I
think we ought to be businesslike.
What exactly can we count
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>upon you for, Mr. Carter?"=
Mr. Carter's lips twitched slightly,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>but he replied succinctly:&nbs=
p;
"Funds within reason, detailed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>information on any point, and NO OFFICIAL
RECOGNITION. I mean
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>that if you get yourselves into trouble with the police, I can't=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>officially help you out of it. You're on your own=
."=
;
=
Tuppence nodded sagely.
"I
quite understand that. I'll w=
rite
out a list of the things I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>want to know when I've had time to think. Now--about money----"
"Yes,
Miss Tuppence.=
Do you want to say how much?"
"Not
exactly. We've got plenty to =
go
with for the present, but
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>when we want more----"
"It
will be waiting for you=
."
"Yes,
but--I'm sure I don't want to be rude about the Government
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>if you've got anything to do with it, but you know one really =
has
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the devil of a time getting anything out of it! And if we have =
to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>fill up a blue form and send it in, and then, after three months=
,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>they send us a green one, and so on--well, that won't be much
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>use, will it?"
Mr. Carter laughed outright.
"Don't
worry, Miss Tuppence. You will send a personal demand to=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>me here, and the money, in notes, shall be sent by return of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>post. As to salary, shall we say at the rate of three hundred a<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>year? And an equal sum for Mr. Beresford, of course."
=
Tuppence beamed upon him.
"How
lovely. You are kind. I do love money! I'll keep
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>beautiful accounts of our expenses all debit and
credit, and the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>balance on the right side, and red line drawn sideways with the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>totals the same at the bottom. I really know how to do it when I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>think=
."
"I'm
sure you do. Well,
good-bye, and good luck to you both."
He shook hands with them, and in another minute they were
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>descending the steps of 27 Carshalton Terrace with
their heads in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
whirl.
"Tommy! Tell me at once, who is 'Mr. Carte=
r'?&quo=
t;
Tommy murmured a name in her ear.
"Oh!" said Tuppence, impr=
essed.
"And
I can tell you, old bean, he's IT!"
"Oh!" said Tuppence again=
. Then she added reflectively,
"I
like him, don't you? He looks=
so
awfully tired and bored, and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>yet you feel that underneath he's just like steel, all keen and=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>flashing. Oh!"
I can't believe it's real!"
Mr. Beresford obliged.
"Ow! That's
enough! Yes, we're not
dreaming. We've got a job!"=
;
"And
what a job! The joint venture=
has
really begun."
"It's
more respectable than I thought it would be," said Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thoughtfully=
.
"Luckily
I haven't got your craving for crime!
What time is it<=
span
dir=3DRTL>?
Let's have lunch--oh!"
The same thought sprang to the minds of each. Tommy voiced it
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>first=
.
"Julius
P. Hersheimmer!"
"We
never told Mr. Carter about hearing from him."
"Well,
there wasn't much to tell--not till we've seen him. Come
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>on, we'd better take a taxi."
"Now
who's being extravagant=
?"
"All
expenses paid, remember. Hop =
in."=
;
"At
any rate, we shall make a better effect arriving this way,"
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>said Tuppence, leaning back
luxuriously. "I'm sure
blackmailers
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>never arrive in buses!"
"We've
ceased being blackmailers," Tommy pointed out
"I'm
not sure I have," said Tuppence darkly.
On inquiring for Mr. Hersheimmer=
, they
were at once taken up to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his suite. An impatient voice cried "Come in" in answ=
er
to the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>page-boy's knock, and the lad stood aside to let =
them
pass in=
.
Mr. Julius P. Hersheimmer was a =
great
deal younger than either
Tommy or Tuppence had pictured
him. The girl put him down as=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>thirty-five. He was of middle height, and squarely built to match
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>his jaw. His face=
was
pugnacious but pleasant. No one could have
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mistaken him for anything but an American, though he spoke with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>very little accent.
"Get
my note? Sit down and tell me=
right
away all you know about
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>my cousin<=
span
dir=3DRTL>."
"Your
cousin<=
/span>?"
"Sure
thing. Jane Finn."
"Is
she your cousin?"
"My
father and her mother were brother and sister," explained Mr.
=
Hersheimmer<=
/span> meticulously.
"Oh!" cried Tuppence. "Then you know where she is
"No!" Mr. Hersheimmer brought down his fist with a bang on the<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>table. "I'm darned if I do!=
Don't you?"
"We
advertised to receive information, not to give it," said
=
Tuppence severely.
"I
guess I know that. I can read=
. But I thought maybe it was
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>her back history you were after, and that you'd know where she<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>was now
"Well,
we wouldn't mind hearing her back history," said =
Tuppence
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>guardedly=
=
.
But Mr. Hersheimmer seemed to gr=
ow
suddenly suspicious
"See
here," he declared. &quo=
t;This
isn't
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>ransom or threatening to crop her ears if I refuse. These are the<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for that beautiful big British policeman I see out there in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Piccadilly."<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>
Tommy hastened to explain.
"We
haven't kidnapped your cousin. On
the contrary, we're trying
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to find her. We'=
re
employed to do so."
Mr. Hersheimmer leant back in his
chair.
"Put
me wise," he said succinctly.
Tommy fell in with this demand in so far as he gave him a
guarded
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>version of the disappearance of Jane Finn, and of the possibility
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>of her having been mixed up unawares in "some political
show." He
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>alluded to Tuppence and himself as
"private inquiry agents"
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>commissioned to find her, and added that they would
therefore be
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>glad of any details Mr. Hersheimmer =
could
give them.
That gentleman nodded approval.
"I
guess that's all right. I was=
just
a mite hasty. But
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>gets my goat! I on=
ly
know little old
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>your questions and I'll answer."
For the moment this paralysed the
Young Adventurers, but
=
Tuppence, recovering herself, plunged bol=
dly
into the breach with
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
reminiscence culled from detective fiction.
"When
did you last see the dece--your cousin, I mean<=
span
dir=3DRTL>?"=
;
"Never
seen her," responded Mr. Hers=
heimmer.
"What?" demanded Tommy, astonished.
=
Hersheimmer turned to him
"No,
sir. As I said before, my fat=
her
and her mother were
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>brother and sister, just as you might be"--Tommy did not corre=
ct
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>this view of their relationship--"but they didn't always ge=
t on
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>together. And when my aunt made up her mind to marry Amos Finn,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>who was a poor school teacher out West, my father was just mad<=
span
dir=3DRTL>!
Said if he made his pile, as he seemed in a fair way to do,
she'd
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>never see a cent of it.
Well, the upshot was that Aunt Jane went
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>out West and we never heard from her again.
"The
old man DID pile it up. He we=
nt
into oil, and he went into
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>steel, and he played a bit with railroads, and I can tell you he<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>made Wall Street sit up!"&=
nbsp;
He paused. "Then =
he
died--last
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>fall--and I got the dollars.&nb=
sp;
Well, would you believe it, my
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>conscience got busy! Kept knocking me up and saying: Wh=
at
=
abour=
{sic
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>see, I figured it out that Amos Finn would never make good. He<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>wasn't the sort. End=
of it
was, I hired a man to hunt her down.
Result, she was dead, and Amos Finn was dead, but they'd lef=
t a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>daughter--Jane--who'd been torpedoed in the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>hear of her over this side. I guessed they weren't hustling any<=
span
dir=3DRTL>,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>so I thought I'd come along over, and speed things up. I phoned
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Scotland Yard and the Admiralty first t=
hing.
The Admiralty
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rather choked me off, but Scotland Yard were very civil--said
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>they would make inquiries, even sent a man round this morning to=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>get her photograph. I'm off to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the Prefecture is doing. I guess if I go to and fro hustling
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>them, they ought to get busy!"
The energy of Mr. Hersheimmer was
tremendous. They bowed before=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>it=
=
.
"But
say now," he ended, "you're not after her for anything?
Contempt of court, or something
British? A proud-spirited you=
ng
American girl might find your rules and regulations in war t=
ime
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rather irksome, and get up against it. If that's the case, and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>there's such a thing as graft in this country, I'll buy her off."=
;
=
Tuppence reassured him.
"That's
good. Then we can work
together. What about some lun=
ch?
Shall we have it up here, or go down to the restaurant?"=
;
=
Tuppence expressed a preference for the latter, and Julius bowed
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to her decision.
Oysters had just given place to Sole Colbert when a card was=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>brought to Hersheimmer<=
/span>.
"Inspector
Japp, C.I.D.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>time. What does he expect I can tell him that I didn't tell the<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>first chap? I hope =
they
haven't lost that photograph. That
Western photographer's place was burned down and all his
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>negatives destroyed--this is the only copy in
existence. I got it
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>from the principal of the college there
An unformulated dread swept over Tuppen=
ce.
"You--you
don't know the name of the man who came this morning=
?"
"Yes,
I do. No, I don't. Half a second.
It was on his card.
Oh, I know! Inspector Brown. Quiet, unassum=
ing sort
of chap=
."
CHAPTER VI
A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
A veil might with profit be drawn over the events of the nex=
t
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>half-hour. Suffice it to say that no such person=
as
"Inspector
Brown" was known to Scotland Yard. The photograph of Jane Finn,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>which would have been of the utmost value to the police in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>tracing her, was lost beyond recovery. Once again "Mr. Brown&q=
uot;
had
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>triumphed=
=
.
The immediate result of this set back was to effect a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>rapprochement between Julius He=
rsheimmer
and the Young
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Adventurers.
All barriers went down with a crash, and Tommy and
=
Tuppence felt they had known the young American all their lives.
They abandoned the discreet reticence of "private inqui=
ry
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>agents," and revealed to him the whole history of the joint
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>venture, whereat the young man declared himself "tickled to
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>death=
."
He turned to Tuppence at the clo=
se of
the narration.
"I've
always had a kind of idea that English girls were just a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mite moss-grown. Old-fashioned and sweet, you know, but scared t=
o
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>move round without a footman or a maiden aunt. I guess I'm a bit=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>behind the times!"
The upshot of these confidential relations was that Tommy an=
d
=
Tuppence took up their abode forthwith at the Ritz, in order, as
=
Tuppence put it, to keep in touch with Jane Finn's only living
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>relation. "And put like that," she added confidentially to
Tommy,
"nobody
could boggle at the expense!"
Nobody did, which was the great thing=
.
"And
now," said the young lady on the morning after their
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>installation, "to work<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>!"
Mr. Beresford put down the Daily Mail, which he was reading,=
and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>applauded with somewhat unnecessary vigour. He was
politely
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>requested by his colleague not to be an ass.
"Dash
it all, Tommy, we've got to DO something for our money."
Tommy sighed.
"Yes,
I fear even the dear old Government will not support us at
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the Ritz in idleness for ever."
"Therefore,
as I said before, we must DO something."
"Well,"
said Tommy, picking up the Daily Mail again, "DO it. I
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>shan't stop you."
"You
see," continued Tuppence. "I've been thinking----"
She was interrupted by a fresh bout of applause.
"It's
all very well for you to sit there being funny, Tommy. It
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>would do you no harm to do a little brain work too."
"My
union, Tuppence, my union! It does not permit me to work
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>before 11 a.m
"Tommy,
do you want something thrown at you?
It is absolutely
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>essential that we should without delay map out a=
plan
of
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>campaign<=
/span>=
."
"Hear,
hear!"
"Well,
let's do it."
Tommy laid his paper finally aside. "There's something of the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>simplicity of the truly great mind about you,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>ahead. I'm listenin=
g."=
;
"To
begin with," said Tuppence, "what hav=
e we
to go upon?"
"Absolutely
nothing," said Tommy cheerily.
"Wrong!" Tuppence wagged an energetic finger. "We have two
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>distinct clues
"What
are they?"
"First
clue, we know one of the gang."
"Whittington?"=
;
"Yes. I'd recognize him anywhere."
"Hum,"
said Tommy doubtfully, "I don't call that much of a clue.
You don't know where to look for him, and it's about a thous=
and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>to one against your running against him by accident."
"I'm
not so sure about that," replied Tuppence =
thoughtfully.
"I've
often noticed that once coincidences start happening they
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>go on happening in the most extraordinary way. I dare say it's=
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>some natural law that we haven't found out. Still, as you say, w=
e
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>can't rely on that. But
there ARE places in
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>every one is bound to turn up sooner or later.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>for instance. One=
of my
ideas was to take up my stand there
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>every day with a tray of flags."
"What
about meals?" inquired the practical Tommy<=
span
dir=3DRTL>.
"How
like a man! What does mere fo=
od
matter<=
/span>?"
"That's
all very well. You've just ha=
d a
thundering good
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>breakfast. No one's got a better appetite than y=
ou
have,
=
Tuppence, and by tea-time you'd be eating the flags, pins and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>all. But, honestl=
y, I
don't think much of the idea. Whittington
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mayn't be in
"That's
true. Anyway, I think clue No=
. 2 is
more promising."
"Let's
hear it=
."
"It's
nothing much. Only
a Christian name--Rita.
Whittington
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>mentioned it that day."
"Are
you proposing a third advertisement:
Wanted, female crook,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>answering to the name of Rita?"
"I
am not. I propose to reason i=
n a
logical manner. That man,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>likely to have been a woman than a man----"
"I
don't see that at all
"I
am absolutely certain that it would be a woman, and a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>good-looking one," replied Tuppence
calmly<=
/span>.
"On
these technical points I bow to your decision," murmured Mr.
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Beresford.
"Now,
obviously this woman, whoever she was, was saved."
"How
do you make that out
"If
she wasn't, how would they have known Jane Finn had got the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>papers=
?"
"Correct. Proceed=
, O
Sherlock!"
"Now
there's just a chance, I admit it's only a chance, that this
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>woman may have been 'Rita.' "
"And
if so?"
"If
so, we've got to hunt through the survivors of the Lus=
itania
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>till we find her."
"Then
the first thing is to get a list of the survivors
"I've
got it. I wrote a long list of
things I wanted to know=
,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>and sent it to Mr. Carter.&nbs=
p;
I got his reply this morning, and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>among other things it encloses the official statement of those
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>saved from the
=
Tuppence?"
"Full
marks for industry, zero for modesty.
But the great point
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>is, is there a 'Rita' on the list?"
"That's
just what I don't know," confessed Tuppence.
"Don't
know?"
"Yes. Look here." Together they bent over the list.
"You see,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>very few Christian names are given. They're nearly all Mrs. or
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Miss."
Tommy nodded.
"That
complicates matters," he murmured thoughtfully<=
span
lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>.
=
Tuppence gave her characteristic "terrier" shake.
"Well,
we've just got to get down to it, that's all. We'll start
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>females who live in
Five minutes later the young couple emerged into Piccadilly,=
and
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>a
few seconds later a taxi was bearing them to The Laurels,
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>name figured first in a list of seven reposing in Tommy's
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pocket-book=
.
The Laurels was a dilapidated house, standing back from the =
road
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>with a few grimy bushes to support the fiction of a front garden=
.
Tommy paid off the taxi, and accompanied Tuppence
to the front
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>door bell. As she was about to ring it, he arrested her hand.
"What
are you going to say
"What
am I going to say? Why, I sha=
ll
say--Oh dear, I don't
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>know. It's very awkward."
"I
thought as much," said Tommy with satisfaction. "How like a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>woman! No foresight=
! Now just stand aside, and see how =
easily
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>the mere male deals with the situation." He pressed the be=
ll.
=
Tuppence withdrew to a suitable spot.
A slatternly looking servant, with an extremely dirty face a=
nd a
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>pair of eyes that did not match, answered the door.
Tommy had produced a notebook and pencil.
"Good
morning," he said briskly and cheerfully. "From the
<=
span
style=3D'font-family:"Courier New"'>Hampstead Borough Council.
The new Voting Register.
Mrs. Edgar
Keith
Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie after findi=
ng
the word "can" which appears in the following sentences that are =
quoted
from this story.
1 " "That doesn't matter. You can
always get to know one. Now, i
2 ts, the man said quickly: "I can
assure you I mean no disrespec
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>3 not =
thinking
of refusing? I can
assure you that Madame Colombi
4 ery well, my dear boy.
But I can assure you that that sort of t
5 cannot see=
any
way in which I can be worth that amount of money
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>6 e on
below." "Are
you sure I can get all the things I want ther
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>7 ow.&n=
bsp;
"That'll do, Brown. You
can go." The clerk withdrew, clos
8 and
smoking are immoral. You can
imagine what a thorn in the fl
9 ss say again, little Tuppence can
look after herself, thank you!
10 applauded.=
"Don't jeer. We can
only find out through Whitting
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>11 ining
just now? Of course you can--or
as much as is good for you
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>12 ly. "I guess I know that. I can
read. But I thought maybe it =
13 y I picked it up=
from
her. I can
soon get out of it again."
"O
14 ce.
"Cheer up, old thing, it can't
be helped." "Can't =
it,
thou
15 ute. Let
us see if something can't be managed. Sit down
again,
16 nch
me, Tommy, do pinch me. I can't
believe it's real!" Mr. =
Ber
17 ." "After all, you know, you can't
bluff him forever. You're su 18 lot of oth=
er
things that you can't cope with. What are you goin 19 s--sleuth him, in
fact! Now I can't do it, because he knows me, 20 thing, it can't =
be
helped." "
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>21 up?"<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> "The
place is shut. I
22 to trouble with =
the
police, I can't officially help you out of i
23 , and come to the
point. You
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>24 nd
out. Still, as you say, we can't
rely on that. But there ARE
25 was the ot=
her
man like?" "I can't
remember. I didn't notice h
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>26 r coat
come out of the Ritz I can't
rush up to him and say: 'Lo
27 " She
paused. "Come now, you <=
/span>can't
say I'm sentimental," she ad
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>28 s time.
What does he expect I can tell him that I didn't
tell th
29 d a bit with
railroads, and I can tell you he made Wall
Street s
30 Tuppence, impressed.=
"And I can tell you, old bean, he=
's
IT!"
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>31 e businesslike.<=
/span> What exactly can we
count upon you for, Mr. Car
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>32 him. "That's good. Then we can
work together. What about
33 . An
idiosyncrasy of genius. Can
you describe him at all?"
"I
Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie after repla=
cing
the word 'can' by the word 'could' using a conco=
dancer.
1 " "That doesn't matter. You could
always get to know one. Now, i
2 ts,
the man said quickly: "I=
could
assure you I mean no disrespec
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>3 not
thinking of refusing?&n=
bsp;
I could assure you that Madame=
Colombi
4 ery well, my dear boy.
But I could assure you that that s=
ort
of t
5 couldnot see any way in which I could be
worth that amount of money
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>6 e on
below." "Are
you sure I could get all the things I w=
ant ther
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>7 ow.&n=
bsp;
"That'll do, Brown. You
could go." The clerk withdrew, clos
8 and
smoking are immoral. You could
imagine what a thorn in the fl
9 ss say again, little Tuppence could
look after herself, thank you!
10 applauded.=
"Don't jeer. We could
only find out through Whitting
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>11 ining
just now? Of course you could--or
as much as is good for you
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>12 ly. "I guess I know that. I could
read. But I thought maybe it =
13 y I picked it up=
from
her. I could
soon get out of it again."
"O
14 ce.
"Cheer up, old thing, it could
15 ute. Let
us see if something couldn't be managed. =
Sit
down again,
16 nch
me, Tommy, do pinch me. I couldn't
believe it's real!" Mr. =
Ber
17 ." "After all, you know, you couldn't
bluff him forever. You're su 18 lot of oth=
er
things that you couldn't cope with. What are=
you
goin 19 s--sleuth him, in
fact! Now I couldn't do it, because he k=
nows
me, 20 thing, it could't be helped." "<=
b>Couldn't=
it, though!"
Tuppence's lit <=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>21 up?"<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> "
22 to trouble with =
the
police, I couldn't officially help you ou=
t of
i
23 , and come to the
point. You
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>24 nd
out. Still, as you say, we couldn't=
rely on that. But there ARE
25 was the ot=
her
man like?" "I couldn't
remember. I didn't notice h
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>26 r coat
come out of the Ritz I couldn't
rush up to him and say: 'Lo
27 " She
paused. "Come now, you <=
/span>couldn't=
say I'm sentimental," she ad
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>28 s time.
What does he expect I could tell him that I
didn't tell th
29 d a bit with
railroads, and I could tell you he made
Wall Street s
30 Tuppence, impressed.=
"And I could tell you, old b=
ean,
he's IT!"
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>31 e businesslike.<=
/span> What exactly could we
count upon you for, Mr. Car
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Fixedsys;mso-bidi-font-family:Fixedsy=
s'>32 him. "That's good. Then we could
work together. What about
33 . An
idiosyncrasy of genius. Could
you describe him at all?"
"I
<= o:p>