"I shall have to ask you to leave us now, sir," he said civilly.

"There's nothing more you can tell me about this affair, I suppose?"
Arnold asked.

The sergeant shook his head.

"You will hear all about it later on, sir."

Arnold turned reluctantly back to his own room, where Ruth, was
anxiously waiting. He closed the door carefully behind him.

"Isaac has escaped," he announced, "and no one was hurt."

She drew a little sigh of immense relief.

"Did they tell you what the charge was?"

"Not definitely," he replied. "So far as I could make out from what
the sergeant said, it was keeping bad company as much as anything."

"The police are in the rooms now?" she asked.

"Three more of them," he assented. "I don't know what they want but
evidently you'll have to stay here. Now I'm going to light this
spirit-lamp and make some coffee."

He moved cheerfully about the room, and she watched him all the time
with almost pathetic earnestness. Presently he brought the breakfast
things over to her side and sat at the foot of her couch while the
water boiled. He took her hand and held it caressingly.

"I shouldn't worry about Isaac," he said. "I don't suppose he is
really very much mixed up with these fellows. He'll have to keep out
of the way for a time, that's all."

"There were the pistols," she faltered, doubtfully.

"I expect they saddled him with them because he was the least likely
to be suspected," Arnold suggested. "There's the water boiling
already. Now for it."

He cut some bread and butter and made the coffee. They ate and drank
almost in silence. Through the open window now the roar of traffic
was growing every minute in volume. Across the bridge the daily
stream of men and vehicles had commenced to flow. Presently he
glanced at the clock and, putting down his coffee cup, rose to his
feet.

"In a few minutes, dear, I must be off," he announced. "You won't
mind being left, will you?"

Her lips trembled.

"Why should I?" she murmured. "Of course you must go to work."

He went behind his little screen, where he plunged his head into a
basin of cold water. When he reappeared, a few minutes later, he was
ready to start.

"I expect those fellows will have cleared out from your rooms by
now," he said, throwing open the door. "Hullo, what's this?"

A trunk and hatbox had been dragged out onto the landing. A
policeman was sitting on a chair in front of the closed door,
reading a newspaper.

"We h