d with a respectful salute from the liveried porter
on duty, Latimer led the way into the hall.

We followed him down a short narrow passage to another corridor, where
he unlocked and opened a door on the left, ushering us into a small
room comfortably fitted up as an office.

"This is my own private den," he said; "so no one will disturb you. I
will go and see if Casement has come. If so, he is probably upstairs
with Lammersfield. I will give them my report, and then no doubt they
will want to see you. You won't have to wait very long."

He nodded pleasantly and left the room, closing the door after him.
For all his quiet, almost lethargic manner, it was curious what an
atmosphere of swiftness and decision he seemed to carry about with
him.

I turned to Tommy.

"Where's Joyce?" I asked.

"She's at the flat," he announced. "She said she would wait there
until she heard from us. I saw her last night, you know. I was having
supper at Hatchett's with Latimer when she turned up with your letter.
She'd come on from his rooms."

"There are many women," I said softly, "but there is only one Joyce."

Tommy chuckled. "That's what Latimer thinks. After she left us--I was
staying the night with him in Jermyn Street and we'd all three gone
back there to talk it over--he said to me in that funny drawling way
of his: 'You know, Morrison, that girl will be wasted, even on Lyndon.
She ought to be in the Secret Service.'"

I laughed. "I'm grateful to the Secret Service," I said, "but there
are limits even to gratitude."

For perhaps three-quarters of an hour we remained undisturbed, while
Latimer was presumably presenting his report to the authorities. Every
now and then we heard footsteps pass down the corridor, and on one
occasion an electric bell went off with a sudden vicious energy that
I should never have expected in a Government office. The time passed
quickly, for we had plenty to talk about; indeed, our only objection
to waiting was the fact that we were both beginning to get infernally
hungry, and it seemed likely to be some time yet before we should be
able to get anything to eat.

At last there came a discreet knock at the door, and an elderly
clean-shaven person with the manners of a retired butler appeared
noiselessly upon the threshold. He bowed slightly to us both.

"Lord Lammersfield wishes to see you, gentlemen. If you will be good
enough to follow me, I will conduct you to his presence."

We followed