five minutes? I want to speak to you in another room, Green."

He led the way to the little sitting-room, through the window of which
he had effected an entrance. A look of comprehension spread over Green's
face as he noticed the missing diamond pane. "Malley told me he passed
you in the village yesterday. You got our man quicker than I should have
thought possible in the circumstances. How did he take it?"

The superintendent gave a brief recapitulation of the steps he had taken
since he left London. Green rubbed his grizzled head and followed the
recital with keen appreciation. It did not occur to him to feel hurt
that Foyle had acted independently.

"As a matter of fact," he said, "I've got a search-warrant in my pocket,
and we were coming over this house to-day. I didn't anticipate much
profit, because he could have easily slipped away into the woods. I got
the county constabulary to put a cordon of patrols round about, and
hoped to drive him into their hands. But it was a slim chance. However,
we've got him now."

"Yes, we've got him now," agreed Foyle. "There only remains the
Petrovska woman, and we'll have her to-day. Listen."

He told of what he had learned from the housekeeper, and they discussed
the probabilities of the woman reaching Dalehurst Grange. If she
managed to escape Blake and the other detectives who were hot-foot on
her trail there was little doubt but that she would walk blindly into a
trap. That she had not already reached the Grange and departed Foyle was
satisfied, although she had had ample time to travel from Liverpool. As
Green phrased it, "she might almost have walked it." But the exigencies
of the pursuit might have brought about delay if she attempted to
confuse her track. If Foyle had been able to get in touch with Blake he
would have called him off in order to let her proceed unfettered. That
could not be done.

"She'll not dream anything's wrong here if we're careful," said Green.
"Will you wait for her, or shall I?"

"This is up to you, Green. I'll leave you. You might have had Malley,
but I can't drive the car myself, and I want to get back to town. Do you
think you'll be able to manage alone?"

"I think so," said the chief inspector confidently.

"I'll get the local superintendent to send up a couple of plain-clothes
men as we pass. You'll bring her straight back to town."

"Ay!"

In a quarter of an hour all preparations were finished. Malley was in
the driving-seat of