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lips shook slightly, but his eyes held Sir James's defiantly. For a moment the

hostility between the two seemed likely to burst into flame, but in the end Julius

lowered his eyes, defeated.

"For the moment, I reckon you're the boss."

Thank you," said the other. "We will say ten o'clock then?" With consummate

ease of manner he turned to Tommy. "I must confess, Mr. Beresford, that it was

something of a surprise to me to see you here this evening. The last I heard of you

was that your friends were in grave anxiety on your behalf. Nothing had been

heard of you for some days, and Miss Tuppence was inclined to think you had got

into difficulties."

"I had, sir!" Tommy grinned reminiscently. "I was never in a tighter place in my

life."

Helped out by questions from Sir James, he gave an abbreviated account of his

adventures. The lawyer looked at him with renewed interest as he brought the

tale to a close.

"You got yourself out of a tight place very well," he said gravely. "I congratulate

you. You displayed a great deal of ingenuity and carried your part through well."

Tommy blushed, his face assuming a prawnlike hue at the praise.

"I couldn't have got away but for the girl, sir."

No." Sir James smiled a little. "It was lucky for you she happened to--er--take a

fancy to you." Tommy appeared about to protest, but Sir James went on. "There's

no doubt about her being one of the gang, I suppose?"

I'm afraid not, sir. I thought perhaps they were keeping her there by force, but

the way she acted didn't fit in with that. You see, she went back to them when

she could have got away."

Sir James nodded thoughtfully.

What did she say? Something about wanting to be taken to Marguerite?"

Yes, sir. I suppose she meant Mrs. Vandemeyer."

She always signed herself Rita Vandemeyer. All her friends spoke of her as Rita.

180

The Secret Adversary