Two policemen and a man in
plain clothes were standing there.

"There is no one in those rooms," Arnold said. "The door shuts with
a spring lock, but I have a key here, if you wish to enter."

The sergeant looked at Arnold and approved of him.

"I have an order to remove some firearms and other articles," he
announced. "Also, can you tell me where the young woman--Ruth
Lalonde--is?"

"She is in my room," Arnold replied. "She was too terrified to
remain alone over there. You don't want her, do you?" he asked,
anxiously.

The man shook his head.

"I have no definite instructions concerning her," he said, "but we
should like to know that she has no intention of going away."

Arnold threw open the door before them.

"I am sure that she has not," he declared. "She is quite an invalid,
and besides, she has nowhere else to go."

The sergeant gave a few orders respecting the movement of a pile of
articles covered over by a tablecloth, which had been dragged out of
Isaac's room. Before he had finished, Arnold ventured upon the
question which had been all the time trembling upon his lips.

"This man Isaac Lalonde--was he arrested?"

The sergeant made no immediate reply.

"Tell me, at least, was any one hurt?" Arnold begged.

"No one was shot, if you mean that," the sergeant admitted.

"Is Isaac in custody?"

"He very likely is by this time," the sergeant said. "As a matter of
fact, he got away. A friend of yours, is he?"

"Certainly not," Arnold answered. "I have an attic on the other side
of the landing there, and I have made friends with the girl. My
interest in Isaac Lalonde is simply because she is his niece. Can
you tell me what the charge is against him?"

"We believe him to be one of a very dangerous gang of criminals,"
the sergeant replied. "I can't tell you more than that. If you take
my advice, sir," he continued, civilly, "you will have as little as
possible to do with either the man or the girl. There's no doubt
about the man's character, and birds of a feather generally flock
together."

"I am perfectly certain," Arnold declared, vigorously, "that if
there has been anything irregular in her uncle's life, Miss Lalonde
knew nothing of it. We both knew that he talked wildly, but, for the
rest, his doings have been as much a mystery to her as to me."

The sergeant was summoned by one of his subordinates. The two men
stood whispering together for a few moments. He turned finally
toward Arnold.