tch your cloak," said he, shortly.

She hesitated.

"Give me your honor that you won't go without me."

"All right. I'll wait for you."

She disappeared into the sitting-room, leaving the door open, however.
While she was gone, Max, still with his fingers on the handle of the
door, heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. It was not
Dudley's tread, and, the sound being a common one enough, Max did not
pay particular attention to it, and he was surprised when Carrie
suddenly thrust forth her head through the sitting-room doorway, with a
look of excitement and terror on her face.

"Listen!" said she, in a very low whisper.

"Well, it's only some one going up the stairs," said he, in a reassuring
tone.

Carrie shook her head emphatically.

"Coming, not going," said she. "And it's a policeman's tread. Don't you
know that?"

Max grew rather cold.

"Oh, nonsense!" said he, quickly. "What should--"

She stopped him by a rapid gesture, and at the same moment there was a
ring at the bell. For a moment, Max, alarmed by the girl's words,
hesitated to open it. Carrie made a rapid gesture to him to do so, at
the same time disappearing herself into the sitting-room.

Max opened the door.

A man in plain clothes stood outside, and at the head of the stairs
behind him was a policeman in uniform.

"Mr. Dudley Horne?" said the man.

"These are his rooms, but Mr. Horne is not here."

"You are a friend of his, sir?"

"Yes. My name is Wedmore."

If the man had had a momentary doubt about him, it was by this time
dispelled. He stepped inside the door.

"I must have a look round, if you please, sir." Max held his ground. "I
have a warrant for Mr. Horne's arrest."

Max staggered back. And the man passed him and went in.

CHAPTER XIX.

A STRANGE PAIR.

As Carrie, with her feminine acuteness, had guessed, Dudley Horne had
never had any intention of returning to his chambers for her and Max.

On the contrary, he was delighted to have the opportunity of slipping
quietly away, and of evading the solicitude of his friend, as well as
the society of Carrie herself, of whom he had a strong but not unnatural
mistrust.

No sooner did he reach the street than he hailed a hansom and directed
the driver to take him to Limehouse, and to lose no time. Then he sat
back in the cab, staring at the reins, while the haggard look on his
face grew more intense and the eager expression of expectancy and dread
of so