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pulling the girl with him. There was no one in the hall. He fumbled over the bolts

and chain. At last they yielded, the door swung open. He turned. Annette had

disappeared.

Tommy stood spell-bound. Had she run upstairs again? What madness possessed

her! He fumed with impatience, but he stood his ground. He would not go without

her.

And suddenly there was an outcry overhead, an exclamation from the German,

and then Annette's voice, clear and high:

"Ma foi, he has escaped! And quickly! Who would have thought it?"

Tommy still stood rooted to the ground. Was that a command to him to go? He

fancied it was.

And then, louder still, the words floated down to him:

This is a terrible house. I want to go back to Marguerite. To Marguerite. TO

MARGUERITE!"

Tommy had run back to the stairs. She wanted him to go and leave her. But why?

At all costs he must try and get her away with him. Then his heart sank. Conrad

was leaping down the stairs, uttering a savage cry at the sight of him. After him

came the others.

Tommy stopped Conrad's rush with a straight blow with his fist. It caught the

other on the point of the jaw and he fell like a log. The second man tripped over

his body and fell. From higher up the staircase there was a flash, and a bullet

grazed Tommy's ear. He realized that it would be good for his health to get out of

this house as soon as possible. As regards Annette he could do nothing. He had

got even with Conrad, which was one satisfaction. The blow had been a good one.

He leapt for the door, slamming it behind him. The square was deserted. In front

of the house was a baker's van. Evidently he was to have been taken out of

London in that, and his body found many miles from the house in Soho. The

driver jumped to the pavement and tried to bar Tommy's way. Again Tommy's fist

shot out, and the driver sprawled on the pavement.

Tommy took to his heels and ran--none too soon. The front door opened and a

hail of bullets followed him. Fortunately none of them hit him. He turned the

corner of the square.

158

The Secret Adversary