he criedfiercely. "You have let him slip through your fingers. I believe he isthe most dangerous man of the lot."
He was certainly playing his part splendidly. It had, of course, allbeen rehearsed. The man on whom Moreno had sprung had fallen down ofhis own accord. The men who had been dispatched to pursue him had losthim on purpose.
Farquhar met him at the door of the shabby house and piloted him to thecab in which Guy Rossett and Isobel were seated.
"Here is the third passenger," he said. Moreno got in and lookedtriumphantly at the two. "Well, what do you think of the English SecretService?" he cried in exultant tones. "Mr Rossett is saved, I haveescaped without suspicion, and my good friend the Chief of Police willmake a splendid haul upstairs. He played up splendidly. Well, I think,after to-night the anarchist movement will have a big set-back inSpain."
The cab drove along. Isobel was deposited at the Godwins'. Rossett wasput down at his own flat. Moreno was conveyed to the residence of theChief of Police, where he was to pass the night.
A telegram was awaiting Guy. It was from his sister Mary.
"I was summoned to Aunt Henrietta this morning. She had passed awaybefore I arrived."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
The next morning Guy Rossett and Farquhar were admitted to a privateaudience of the King. A gracious message had been transmitted to Morenothrough the agency of the Chief of Police. It would not have been verypolitic on the part of that enterprising young man to show himself atthe Palace.
His Majesty thanked them both warmly for their services, and was veryinterested in the details which they gave him of that eventful evening.
"I know England well, and love it," he said. "As long as she breedssuch sons as you, she will always remain the first of great nations.Last night's work was good. My poor country will have a more peacefultime now that we have laid these bloodthirsty scoundrels by the heels."
Moreno's overpowering impulse was to get back to England as quickly aspossible. But there was a certain duty to perform first. He must payhis promised visit to Violet Hargrave.
He called about eleven o'clock. He found her looking pale and languidfrom the effects of the powerful mixture he had given her.
"Pulling round?" he inquired as they shook hands. "I can see you are,but you won't be quite yourself for a few hours. Well, tell me whathappened. I arrived late at the meeting, and simply heard fromContraras that Alvedero had reported you were indisposed. But I learnedno details, and, of course, did not press for any. Did they fetch adoctor to you? If so, what is his verdict?"
A faint smile spread over her pale face.
"He has only left a few minutes ago. He came to the conclusion that Idosed myself with drugs. I allowed him to believe that I did. Ofcourse, I have never drugged in my life."
"A very clever man, an ornament to his profession," remarked Morenodrily. "Still, how the devil should he guess, being totally ignorant ofthe circumstances? And the symptoms were precisely those which wouldhave been produced by a long course of drugging."
Mrs Hargrave laid her hand upon his arm, and spoke in a serious voice.
"What of last night? There is nothing in the papers this morning. Ihave sent out for half a dozen. Tell me what happened."
"The brotherhood has been defeated again." He rehearsed the scene forher benefit, and came to the concluding portion.
"Just as they were about to remove Rossett, I distinctly heard a lowwhistle, that was repeated a few seconds later. I just pulled aside thecurtain, and saw that the house was surrounded. I had hardly put theblind back when the door was burst open and the police swarmed in. Theycut Rossett loose and took him downstairs. They covered us withrevolvers, and made us take off our masks. The Chief who was with themrecognised Contraras, Zorrilta, and Alvedero. Myself and Somoza he didnot recognise."
"Ah!" Violet Hargrave drew a long breath. "You were the only one whoescaped, then? How did you manage it?"
"By a miracle. I always keep my head in a crisis. As soon as I heardthem rushing up the stairs, I drew near to the door, hoping to escape inthe confusion. It was, of course, a thousand to one chance. While allthe attention was being concentrated on Contraras and the others--ofcourse the Chief didn't expect to bag such a big game--I drew my knife,plunged it into the breast of the man guarding the door--I fear I killedhim, poor fellow--flew down the stairs, knocked over another chap, anddodged through them."
Violet Hargrave surveyed him critically. "I am afraid you haven't avery high opinion of my intelligence. That is the story you will tellto Lucue, Maceda, and Jaques when we meet again in London. It does notimpose upon me. You have escaped right enough, but you escaped with theconnivance of the police."
Moreno bit his lip; he had presumed a little too much upon feminineincredulity.
"At any rate, you are not in their clutches," he said quietly. "I savedyou. Don't forget that."
She reached out her hand. "Please forgive me. I am very grateful forwhat you have done. Of course, if I had gone there you could not havesaved me. I should have been taken with the others. You could save GuyRossett and yourself, even your clever brain could not have taken in athird. I repeat, I am very grateful."
Moreno retained her hand in his. Secretive as he was by nature, he feltthat the time for dissimulation was past.
"When we get to London--I am leaving to-night, and the sooner we maketracks the better--we will respect each other's secrets. I have stillin my possession the photographed copy of that document which you soldto Guy Rossett."
She drew away her hand from his with an indignant gesture.
"Oh, you think I am utterly, irretrievably base!" she cried bitterly."You think I would betray you, after what you have done for me, saved mefrom death or a life-long imprisonment." She broke into wild sobbing.
He put his arm round her, and drew her gently towards him, till hercrying ceased.
"My poor little Violet," he whispered gently. "Let us speak togetherquite frankly. You are, on your own showing, an adventuress, with, Ibelieve, some very womanly instincts. Well, I am not quite sure that Iam very much better. You sold the Cause for money. I sold it formoney, too, plus conviction. I wonder if we could turn over a new leaf,lead a new life together?"
"If I could find somebody who really cared for me," cried the prettylittle blonde woman, still tearful. "Jaques loves me, I am sure, butjust with the love of a father."
"Well, I care for you," said Moreno, and this time he spoke without anyreservation.
Violet lifted her face to his, and their lips met. Then she shivered.
"But how can we escape from this horrible brotherhood? Lucue and Jaquesare left. They will exact their pound of flesh. They will snare usinto equally dangerous enterprises."
Moreno snapped his fingers. "Bah! If I have outwitted Contraras andthe others, I will soon settle Lucue's hash. As to poor old Jaques, itwon't take long to convince him that he is more safely employed inearning a hundred per cent, on his capital than in trying to blow uprespectable people who have certainly never injured him. The fate ofthe others will frighten him."
Violet drew herself from his protecting arm, and dried her eyes.
"I think, dear, I can really turn into a good woman," she saidplaintively. "You see, I have never had a proper chance. When Imarried Jack, and I was genuinely fond of him, I thought I had met agentleman. Can you guess what he really was?"
"A card-sharper?" suggested Moreno, with his uncanny facility ofguessing conundrums.
Mrs Hargrave nodded her blonde head.
"You have hit it. A week after we were married he told me all abouthimself. We were to take an expensive flat in Mount Street, and hewould bring people there. He spent three weeks in teaching me anelaborate system of signalling. As a rule, we played together, but hehad another couple of confederates to ward off suspicion."
"Did you tell Jaques of this?"
"No, I was too ashamed. Jaques is, of course, a rogue in h
is own way,but not that way. He was opposed to the marriage at first, and I waskeen on it. I made out that Jack was a man of good family, andwell-off. I believed all he told me at the start. I didn't want to ownthat I had been taken in."
"I quite understand," replied Moreno. "By the way, of course you didn'tknow that poor old Contraras is dead."
"Contraras dead? How did he die?"
"It appears that he always carried some poisoned tablets in his pocketin case of accidents. Before they handcuffed him--they are a bit slowerhere than in Paris or London--he swallowed one of them, and died as theytook him downstairs. Poor old man! He was a terrible fanatic, but hewas more honest than most of them. I don't suppose there will be
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