overtaken by the latter
and held down while the two accomplices rifled his pockets. By the rules
of the game all coppers found therein were confiscated, and this
regulation having been duly observed, the prisoner was allowed to sit up
and converse with his principal captor while the rest of the gang
divided the spoils.

"Have a cigarette?" said Noel.

"Thanks! Mighty generous of you!" Nick righted his tumbled attire and
accepted the proffered weed. "If it isn't a rude question, what are you
doing here?"

Noel's eyes laughed across at him gaily through the blue spectacles. "I
should have thought you might have guessed that I'm spending a night or
two with the Musgraves, but I am under a solemn oath to return to Max
by noon on Friday in order to have another dose of some infernal stuff
with which he is peppering my eyes. He didn't much want me to come away,
as it meant postponing the torture for a few hours. But I managed to get
on the soft side of him for once, though he is holding himself in
preparation for an immediate summons in case my vision should take
advantage of my absence from him to play any nasty tricks."

"I see," said Nick. "And how is the vision?"

"Oh, all right, so far as it goes. Gives me beans upon occasion, for
which Max always swears at me as if it were my fault. I'm not allowed to
see by artificial light at all, so after sunset I join the bats. Lucky
for me the sun sits up late just now. By the way, I had a positively
gushing epistle from old Badgers this morning. He seems almost
hysterical at the thought of getting me back again; says that married or
single, I've got to go." Noel stopped to take in a long breath of smoke;
then, very abruptly, "Where's Olga?" he demanded.

Nick nodded in the direction whence he had come. "Down on the shore."

Noel was on his feet in a second. "All right. You can be nurse for a bit
now. See you later!"

He would have swung away with the words, but Nick had also risen, and
with a swift word he detained him. "I say, Noel!"

Noel stopped. "Hullo!"

"Look here!" said Nick rapidly. "She isn't wanting anyone just yet. We
have just been to the Priory, she and I--in accordance with Sir
Kersley's advice, of which I told you. She is having a quiet think.
Don't disturb her!"

Noel stood still. He had stiffened somewhat at the words, but there was
no dismay discernible about him. He faced that which had to be faced
without flinching.

"You mean she knows?" he ask