The Thirty-Nine Steps

g of the

ess sleep, to find Sir Walter decoding a telegram in the midst of muffins

Lord and the Secretary for War, and they are bringing Royer over a day sooner. This wire clinches it. He

to the hot dish

enough to discover the change. I would give my head to know where the leak is. We believed there were only five men in Englan

lk, making me to my surprise a

itions not be c

it were absolutely necessary. But you see the difficulty, Hannay. Our enemies are not going to be such fools as to pick Royer's pocket or any childish game like that. They know that would mean a row and put us on our guard. Their aim is to get

thought they could get the information in Paris they would try there. It means that

ument from Whittaker, and after that he will be motored to Portsmouth where a destroyer will take him to Havre. His journey is too important for the ordinary boat-train. He will never be left unattended for a moment till he is safe on French soil. The s

dson's rig. You're about his size. You have a hand in this business and we are taking no risks. The

d made good going. It was a soft breathless June morning, with a promise of sultriness later, but it was delicious enough swinging through the little towns with their freshly watered street

d to Scotland Yard. There we saw a prim ge

land Place murderer,' was

present, Bullivant. This, I presume, is Mr Richard Hann

easons his tale must wait for four hours. Then, I can promise you, you will be entertained and

bably you no longer wish to occupy, is waiting for you, and your man is still there. As you were never publicly accu

e later on, MacGillivray,'

turned m

u I would go to bed, for you must have considerable arrears of sleep to overtake. You ha

er the ban of the law, and it was quite enough for me. I went to the Savoy and ordered very carefully a very good luncheon, and then smoked the best cigar the h

ere happening or about to happen, and I, who was the cog-wheel of the whole business, was out of it. Royer would be landing at Dover, Sir Walter would be making plans with the few people in England who were in the secret, and somewhere in the darkness the Black Stone would be working. I felt the s

ad to developments. I felt that I wanted enormously to have a vulgar scrap with those gentr

some time, but as I still had sufficient money I thought I woul

aken possession of me. Here was I, a very ordinary fellow, with no particular brains, and yet I was convinced that somehow I was needed to help this business through-that without me it would all go to blazes. I told myself it was sheer silly conceit, that f

mind to go to Queen Anne's Gate. Very likely I would n

roup of young men. They were in evening dress, had been dining somewhere

and stop

my ill-temper made me play the fool. A policeman came up, and I should have told him the truth, and, if he didn't believe it, demanded to be taken to Scotland Yard, or for that matter to the nearest police station.

r. I got in one or two good blows, for I think, with fair play, I could have licked the lot

law asking what was the matter, and Marmie, between his

you to leave me alone, constable. Scotland Yard knows all about

you strike that gentleman crool 'ard. You began it too, for he wasn't

phant. I fairly wrenched the constable off his feet, floored the man who was gripping my collar, and s

at the Palace gates, dived through a press of carriages at the entrance to the Mall, and was making for the bridge before my pursuers had crossed the roadway. I

d outside it three or four motor-cars were drawn up. I slackened speed some yards off and walked briskly

ad scarcely rung bef

I panted. 'My business

e door open, and then shut it behind me. 'Sir Walter is engaged

s on both sides of it. At the far end was an alcove with a telepho

in it. But Sir Walter knows, and I'm working for him.

butler. He opened the door, and with a face like a graven image waited to be questioned. Then he gave them it. He told them whose house it

ther ring at the bell. The butler made n

seeing that face-the grey beard cut like a spade, the firm fighting mouth, the blunt square nose, and

back of the hall. As the door opened I could hear the s

ut when or how I had no notion. I kept looking at my watch, and as the time crept on to half-past ten I began to thin

opened, and the First Sea Lord came out. He walked past me, and in passing

ng sprang into his eyes, and that something was recognition. You can't mistake it. It is a flicker, a spark of light, a minute shade of difference which means on

up the number of his house. We were connec

dship at ho

the voice, 'and has gone to bed. He is not ve

part in this business was not yet ended. It h

rched boldly to the door of that ba

a slim elderly man, who was probably Whittaker, the Admiralty official, and there was General Winstanley, conspicuous from the long scar on his

e showed surpris

you,' he said apologetically to the company.

ir,' I said; 'but I think it may be in the nick of time. Fo

Walter said, red

recognized me, someone I have seen in the last month. He had scarcely left the doorstep when I

' someone

n in the chair so recently vacated and lo