Chapter 13 Chapter 12 A Friend in Need

Friday and Saturday are safe and sound.Tuppence received a brief reply to her request from Mr. Carter.In his letter, Mr. Carter pointed out that Young Adventurers had undertaken the task at its own risk and had been fully informed of its dangers. If anything happened to Tommy, he was very sorry, but there was nothing he could do. It was faint consolation that, somehow without Tommy, the adventure had lost its appetite, and Tuppence, for the first time, had doubts about success.She never doubted success when they were together.While she's used to being the first and prides herself on her quick wits, in reality she's more dependent on Tommy than she thinks.

Tommy was so lucid and level-headed, so consistent in his judgment and insight, that without him Tuppence felt like a ship without a rudder.Oddly enough, Julius must have been far smarter than Tommy, but never gave her the same sense of support.She accuses Tommy of being a pessimist, of course he always sees disadvantages and difficulties, while she herself despises them with optimism, but she obeys Tommy.Tommy may be a little slow, but he is very steady. For the first time, it seemed, Tuppence realized that the task they had undertaken with such ease and joy was dangerous.The mission starts out like a page from a romance novel.Now, it has lost its original charm and has become a grim reality.Tommy - the most important of all.Many times during the day Tuppence squeezed away tears with a determined blink.

"Little fool," she reminded herself, "don't cry. Of course, you like him. You've known him all your life, but there's no need to be sentimental about it." At the same time, no further information about Boris was found.He didn't have an apartment, and it was useless for Julius and the car to wait outside.Tuppence fell into deep thought again.She admitted that Julius was right in objecting, but she did not entirely abandon the idea of ​​asking Sir James Peel Edgerton for help.Indeed, she had even looked up his address in the Red Book. ① Red Book (Red Book): Common name for the list of people officially published in the UK.Because the cover is red hard paper.Hence the name - Annotation.

Didn't he intentionally warn her that day?If so, why?Of course she was at least entitled to an explanation.He had looked at her so kindly. Perhaps he could tell them something about Mrs. Vandermeyer, which might give them a clue as to Tommy's whereabouts. At any rate, Tuppence made up her mind, with her usual shake of the shoulders.Worth a try, she will try.Sunday is the day she goes out in the afternoon. She was going to see Julius and convince him of her point of view.Then they can hold the lion's beard in the lion's den and break ground on Tai Sui's head. The day came when Julius had to be persuaded, but Tuppence was firm. "It can't do any harm," was her constant reply.Finally Julius relented and they drove to Carlton House Street.

A blameless butler came to answer the door.Tuppence was a little nervous.After all, she may be too rash.She decided not to ask if Sir James was "at home" but to take more of a personal visit. "Would you please ask Sir James if I could see him for a few minutes? I have important news for him." The butler withdrew, and returned after a while. "Sir James will receive you. Will you come this way?" He led them into a room at the back of the house, furnished like a library, with an astounding collection.Tuppence noticed that one wall was devoted entirely to books on crime and criminology.There were also some deep leather easy chairs, and an old-fashioned wide fireplace.There was a large roll-top desk covered with papers, and beside it sat the owner of the house.

He stood up as they entered the room. "Have you got any news for me? Oh—" he smiled when he recognized Tuppence—"it's you, isn't it? From Mrs. Vandermeyer, I suppose?" "No," said Tuppence. "Actually, I'm afraid that's the only way I can enter the room. Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Hersheimmer, and this is Sir James Peel Edgerton." .” "Nice to meet you," said the American, holding out a hand quickly. "Sit down, gentlemen, will you?" said Sir James.He pulled up two chairs. "Sir James," said Tuppence boldly, "I venture to say that you would think me very reckless in coming here like this. For, the matter has nothing to do with you, but you are a very important person, And Tommy and I are nothing." She paused to catch her breath.

"Tommy?" asked Sir James, looking at the American. "No, he's Julius," explained Tuppence, "and I'm a little nervous, and it's making my words sloppy. What I really want to know is, what did you mean by what you said to me that day? You mean warning Did I pay attention to interview Mrs. Vandermeyer? You mean that, don't you? " "Dear young lady, as far as I can recall, I just mentioned that you can find just as good a job anywhere." "Yes. I know. But, that's a hint, isn't it?" "Well, perhaps so," admitted Sir James gravely.

"Well, I want to know more. I want to know why you're giving me hints." Sir James smiled at her seriousness. "Suppose the lady sues me for defamation?" "Of course," said Tuppence, "I know lawyers are always very careful. But can't we speak 'without prejudice' first and then say what we want to say. " "Oh," still smiling Sir James, "no prejudice, then, if I have a young sister who is forced to fend for herself, I don't want to see her working for Mrs. Vandermeyer. I feel it is my duty to give you hints." .That place is totally unsuitable for a young and inexperienced girl. That's what I want to tell you."

"I see," said Tuppence thoughtfully, "thank you very much. But I'm not really inexperienced, you know. I know all too well that she was a bad thing when I went to her—that's why I went there, in fact—" She stopped abruptly, seeing the bewildered expression on the lawyer's face, and went on: "I thought, maybe I'd better Tell you all about it, Sir James.I have a feeling that if I don't tell the truth, you'll soon find out, so you might as well start at the beginning and figure out what's going on.What do you think, Julius? " "While you are preoccupied with the matter, I will speak from the facts," replied the American, who had been sitting there without saying a word.

"Well, tell me everything," said Sir James, "I want to know who Tommy is." Encouraged, Tuppence began her narrative, and the lawyer listened intently. When Tuppence had finished, he said: "Very interesting, most of what you told me, boy, I already know. I have some opinions of my own about this Jane Finn.You've done a good job so far, but Mr. Carter--you know what he does--is not quite right to throw you two young men into such a thing. By the way, what was Mr. Hersheimmer originally doing?You did not make this clear. " Julius answered the question himself.

"I'm Jane's oldest cousin," he explained, returning the lawyer's piercing stare. "what!" "Why, Sir James," blurted Tuppence, "what do you think has happened to Tommy?" "Oh," said the lawyer, standing up, pacing slowly up and down, "when you came, young lady, I was packing my nets, and I was going to take the night train to Scotland for a few days of fishing. But there are different kinds of Fishing methods. Now I'm tempted to stay and see if we can find any trace of the young lad." "Ah!" Tuppence clapped her hands in ecstasy. "All the same, as I said before, it's not quite right for Carter to encourage you two little boys on such errands. Now, please don't be offended, er—ma'am." "Cowley. Prudence Cowley. But my friends call me Tuppence." "Well, Miss Tuppence, of course I shall be a friend. Please don't be angry, because I think you are young. Youth is a shortcoming, too easy to grow too fast.Now, about your young Tommy—” "All right." Tuppence clapped her hands again. "Frankly, things don't look good for him. He's stepping in where he's not needed, there's no question about that. But don't give up hope. " "And you're going to actually help us? Look, Julius! He doesn't want me to come," she added in explanation. "Well," said the lawyer, agreeing with Julius again with sharp eyes, "why do you think so?" "I think it's not good to bother you with such a trivial matter." "I see," he paused, "that this trifle, you say, is directly connected with a matter of great importance, perhaps greater than you or Miss Tuppence understand. If This young man is alive and he may give us very valuable information. So, we must find him." Tuppence cried out: "Yes, but how? I've tried to think of everything." Sir James smiled. "There is a person close at hand who probably knows where he is, or at any rate where he might be." "Who is this man?" asked Tuppence, puzzled. "Mrs. Vandermeyer." "Yes, but she will never tell us." "Well, that's where I come in handy. I think it's quite possible that I can get Mrs. Vandermeyer to tell me what I want to know." "How?" asked Tuppence again, her eyes wide open. "Oh, just to ask her some questions," replied Sir James calmly. "That's the way we do things, you know." He tapped his fingers on the table, and Tuppence felt again the great strength emanating from the man. "And if she doesn't?" asked Tuppence suddenly. "I think she will. I have one or two powerful tools. There's always a possibility of bribery in such improbable events." "Sure. This is where I can come in handy 2" Julius yelled, slamming his fist on the table. "You can count on me to put up a million dollars if need be. Yes, sir, a million dollars!" Sir James sat down and studied him for some time.Finally he said: "Mr. Hersheimmer, that's a lot of money." "I suppose so. Nobody would have suggested such a cheap price as sixpence." "According to the current exchange rate, this sum exceeds two hundred thousand pounds." "Yes. You may think I am talking too much, but I keep my word well, and have enough money to cover your expenses." Sir James flushed slightly. "Fee is all right, Mr. Hersheimmer. I'm not a private detective." "I'm sorry. I guess I'm jumping a little too fast, but I've always been uncomfortable with money. I wanted to put a big bounty on Jane a few days ago for news of Jane, but you stubborn Scotland Yard advised me not to. They Said it was unwelcome." "Perhaps they are right," said Sir James dryly. Tuppence put in: "But it's perfectly fine with Julius. He's not kidding you. He's got a lot of money." Julius said: "Amassed in style, the old man. Now, let's get down to business. What's your idea?" Sir James considered it for a while. "There can be no further delay. The sooner we attack the better." He turned to Tuppence. "Did you know that Mrs. Vandermeyer is out to dinner tonight?" "Yes, I suppose so, but she wouldn't be out very late. Otherwise, she'd have the key to the lock." "Good. I'll call on her about ten o'clock. When are you supposed to be back?" "About nine-thirty or ten, but I could be back sooner." "You shouldn't do that under any circumstances. It will arouse suspicion if you don't stay out till your usual time. Please be sure to return at half-past nine. I'll be there at ten. Perhaps Mr. Hersheimmer will Wait in a taxi below." "He had a Rolls-Royce," said Tuppence, with an air of surrogate pride. "That's even better. If I succeed in getting the address from her, we can go directly to the place, taking Mrs. Vandermeyer with me if necessary. Do you understand?" "Yes," said Tuppence, rising with a surge of delight, "oh, I feel better!" "Don't expect too much from it, Miss Tuppence, and take it easy." Julius turned to face the lawyer. "Okay, then I'll pick you up at around nine thirty. Okay?" "Maybe that's the best plan. There's no need to have two cars waiting outside. Well, Miss Tuppence, my advice to you is to go and have a good dinner, a really good dinner, remember.Don't overthink things. " He shook hands with both of them, and after a while they both came outside. "Isn't he a lovely man?" asked Tuppence, delighted, as she briskly descended the steps. "Oh, Julius, isn't he just a lovely man?" "Well, I admit he's like cargo. I thought it was a piece of junk when I went to find him, and I'm wrong. Say, shall we go straight back to the Ritz?" "I guess I'll go for a walk. I'm excited. I'll get off at the park, okay? Unless you want to go for a walk too?" Julius shook his head. "I want to fill up the car," he explained, "and send a telegram or two." "All right. I'll meet you at the Ritz at seven. We'll have dinner upstairs. I can't show up in evening dress." "Of course. I asked Felix to help me choose. He seems to be a big class. Good-bye." Tuppence walked lightly toward Serpentine Street.She looked at her watch first, it was almost six o'clock.She remembered that she hadn't had her afternoon tea yet, that she was too excited to feel hungry.She walked as far as Kensington Gardens, and came back slowly, feeling very well in the fresh air and exercise.It was not so easy to follow Sir James' advice and put the events of the night behind us.As she drew closer and closer to Hyde Park Corner, she could hardly resist the temptation to return to the South Audley flats. Anyway, she decided, it wouldn't hurt to just go back and look at the building.Perhaps she could heed the advice to wait patiently until ten o'clock. South Audley apartment complex as usual.What Tuppence expected, she hardly knew, but the solidity of the red brick of the building somewhat assuaged her overly uneasy feelings.She was about to turn around when she heard a piercing whistle 2 Faithful Albert ran from the building to meet her. Tuppence frowned.Drawing attention to her presence in the immediate vicinity was not at all part of the plan, but Albert flushed with suppressed excitement. "I said, miss, she's going to slip!" "Who's slipping away?" asked Tuppence warily. "That bastard. Reddy Rita, Mrs. Vandermeyer. She's packing and she just sent word to find a cab for her." "What?" Tuppence took his arm. "It's true, miss, I think you may not know it yet." Tuppence cried out: "Albert, you are a very kind soul. We would have let her go if it hadn't been for you." Albert blushed with joy when he heard the words of praise. "There's no time," said Tuppence, crossing the street. "I've got to stop her. Whatever it takes, I've got to keep her here until—" She stopped short. "Albert, there's a phone here, isn't it?" The boy shook his head. "Most apartments have telephones, miss. There's a booth just around the corner from the street, though." "Go to the phone booth, right away, and call the Ritz. Get Mr. Hersheimmer, and when you find him, tell him to find Sir James, and come here right away, because Mrs. Vandermeyer is trying to escape. If Hersheimmer is not found Call Sir James Peel Edgerton, sir, you'll find his number in the phone book. Tell him what's going on. You won't forget the names, will you?" Albert repeated the names articulately. "You depend on me, miss, and it's easy. How are you? Aren't you afraid to deal with her yourself?" "No, no, that's all right. Go and call, quick." Taking a deep breath, Tuppence entered the building and ran upstairs to the door of number 20.How she would stop Mrs. Vandermeyer until the two gentlemen arrived, she had no idea, but no matter what she did, she had to find a way, and she had to do it single-handedly.What caused this hasty departure?Did Mrs. Vandermeyer suspect her? The speculation is baseless.Tuppence rang the bell firmly.She may have learned something from the chef. Nothing happened, and after waiting a few minutes, Tuppence rang the bell again, pressing her finger on the button for a while.Finally she heard footsteps inside.After a while Mrs. van der Meyer opened the door herself.Seeing the girl, her eyebrows raised. "you?" "I've had a toothache, ma'am," said Tuppence sweetly, "and thought I'd better come home and have a quiet evening." Mrs. Vandermeyer was silent.She stepped back to let Tuppence enter the hall. "It's unfortunate for you," she said coldly, "you'd better go to bed." "Oh, I'll be all right in the kitchen, ma'am. The cook will—" "The cook is out," said Mrs. van der Meyer, in a rather obnoxious tone. "I sent her out. So, you see, you'd better go to bed." Suddenly Tuppence was frightened.There was a tone in Mrs. Vandermeyer's voice that she did not like at all. Also, the woman slowly cornered her over the edge of the aisle.Tuppence, keeping her from coming too close, turned away. "I do not want--" At that moment, with the cold muzzle of the gun pressed against her temple, Mrs. Vandermeyer's voice sounded both cold and menacing: "You damned little fool! Do you think I don't know? No, Don't answer. If you try to struggle or shout, I'll shoot you like a dog." The muzzle of the gun pressed harder against the girl's temple. "Well, come on," continued Mrs. Vandermeyer, "this way—into my room. In a minute, when I've got you set up, you go to sleep as I told you. You'll sleep— Ah, yes, my little spy, you will sleep well!" There was a terrible joy in the last words which Tuppence did not like in her heart.There was nothing to do at the moment, but to go obediently into Mrs. Vandermeyer's bedroom.The pistol never left her forehead.The bedroom was a mess, with clothes strewn about, a suitcase and a hat-box half-packed in the middle of the floor. Tuppence tried to pull herself together.Her voice trembled a bit, but she spoke up bravely. "Come on," she said, "that's nonsense. You can't shoot me. Of course, everyone in the building heard the gunshots. " "I'll take the risk," said Mrs. Vandermeyer triumphantly, "but as long as you don't yell for help, you'll be all right--I don't think you'll be either. You're a smart girl. You've taken me for a ride. I never doubted you. So I have no doubts, you know very well that here I am the master and you are the master. Listen - sit on the bed. Put your hands on your head, if you love your life , don’t move your hands.” Tuppence had to obey tamely.Her keen sense told her that there was no other way but to accept the current situation.If she yelled for help, it was difficult to be heard, and Mrs. Vandermeyer had a chance to shoot her.At the same time, every minute of procrastination is extremely valuable. Mrs. Vandermeyer, keeping the pistol within reach by the wash-stand, continued to watch Tuppence like a lynx in case the girl tried to make a move.Mrs. Vandermeyer took a small sealed bottle from the marble washstand, poured a few drops into a glass, and filled the glass with water. "What's that?" asked Tuppence sensitively. "Something to get you to sleep." Tuppence grew somewhat pale. "Are you going to poison me?" she asked softly. "Perhaps," said Mrs. Vandermeyer, with a smug smile. "I won't drink it," said Tuppence firmly. "I'd rather be shot. Anyway, it's going to make a lot of noise, and someone might hear it. I don't want to be as silent as a lamb." Get rid of it." Mrs. Vandermeyer stamped her foot. "Don't be an idiot! Do you really think I want to have a murderer's cry behind me? If you're sensible, you'll realize that poisoning you doesn't suit me at all. It's a sleeping pill, it's That's it. You'll wake up tomorrow morning and you'll be the same. I don't even want to tie you up or gag you. That's one of the options -- you won't like it either.I can tell you that if I were to choose that, I would be rough.So, drink this glass of water like a good girl, and you'll be fine, just as you were. " In her heart, Tuppence believed her.She was right, too.It was a simple but effective way of keeping Tuppence out of the way for a while.The girl, however, was not receptive to the idea of ​​going to bed submissively, as people fight for their freedom.She felt that once Mrs. Vandermeyer had dumped them, her last hope of finding Tommy would be lost. Tuppence was quick to respond.All these reactions flashed through her mind like lightning, and she saw an opportunity, a very doubtful one, and she resolved to make the best of it. Then suddenly she staggered out of bed and fell in front of Mrs. Vandermeyer, clutching desperately at her skirt. "I don't believe what you're saying," groaned Tuppence. "It's poison—I know it's poison, oh, don't make me drink poison." Her voice was almost screaming—"Don't make me drink poison!" Mrs. Vandermeyer, glass in hand, pursed lips, looked down at the sudden collapse. "Stand up, you little idiot: stop talking like that. I can't imagine how you have the courage to play the part you've played." She stamped her foot. "Stand up and listen." But Tuppence still clung to her, and continued to weep, uttering broken pleas for mercy.Winning every minute counts.And, while she's on her stomach, she creeps closer to her target. Mrs. Vandermeyer gave a shriek of impatience and dragged the girl violently to her knees. "Drink now!" She pressed the glass to the girl's mouth imperiously. Tuppence uttered a moan of despair. "You swear it won't hurt me?" She fought for time. "Of course it won't hurt you. Don't be a fool." "Will you swear?" "Yes, yes," said the woman impatiently, "I swear." Tuppence reached for the glass with a trembling left hand. "Very good." She opened her mouth timidly. Mrs. Vandermeyer breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily off guard.At this time, Tuppence was as fast as lightning, grabbed the glass and pushed it up. The water in the glass splashed on Vandermeyer's face. At the moment of her panting, Tuppence quickly stretched out her right hand, grabbed the glass and placed it on the glass. A pistol by the washstand.Then she jumped up and took a step back, pointing the pistol straight at Mrs. Vandermeyer's heart, which she held firmly in her hand. In the moment of triumph, Tuppence took on an air of not-so-fair triumph. "Now, who is in charge and who is being slaughtered?" she cheered in victory. The opponent's face twitched with anger.For a minute, Tuppence thought, she would have thrown herself on him, but that would have put the girl in an unpleasant predicament, since what she had meant was no real violence, no shooting.Mrs. Vandermeyer restrained herself as best she could, and a wicked sneer crept slowly up her face at last. "Not an idiot after all 2 You did such a good job, girl. But you'll pay for it - oh yes, you'll be punished for it! I have a good memory!" "I'm surprised you're so easily taken," said Tuppence scornfully. "Haven't you thought that I'm the kind of girl who rolls on the floor and begs for mercy?" "You will—someday!" said Mrs. Vandermeyer meaningfully. Her icy malevolence sent a chill down Tuppence's spine, but she would not give in to it. "What if we sit down," she said gracefully, "our attitude is a bit legendary. No—not in bed. Pull up a chair to the table, that's fine. Now I'm sitting across from you, Pistol in front of me - just for accidents, great. Now, let's talk." "About what?" said Mrs. van der Meyer sullenly. Tuppence watched her attentively for a minute.She remembered a few things.The words of Boris: "I believe you will betray - us!" and her reply: "The price must be high." Easy to say, it is true, but perhaps there is no basis in it?Hadn't Whittington asked, long ago, "Who's been babbling all this time? Rita?" Could Rita Vandermeyer be the weaker part of Mr. Brown's armor? Tuppence, keeping her eyes on the other's face, answered calmly: "Money—" Mrs. Vandermeyer was taken aback.It was obvious that her answer was unexpected, "What do you mean?" "I'll tell you. You said just now that you have a good memory. A good memory isn't half as good as a purse: I daresay it'll lighten your spirits by plotting all sorts of dreadful things against me, but will that work? Revenge often will not be satisfactory. Everyone says that all the time.But money—"Tuppence liked her favorite creed—hey, there's nothing unsatisfying about money, is there?" Mrs. Vandermeyer said contemptuously: "Do you think I'm the kind of woman who betrays her friends?" "Yes," said Tuppence quickly, "if the asking price is high enough." "A hundred pounds or so, nothing." "No," said Tuppence, "what I want to propose is—one hundred thousand pounds." Her frugal spirit did not allow her to propose the full million dollars, which Julius proposed. Mrs. Vandermeyer's cheeks flushed. "What did you say?" she asked, her fingers nervously playing with the brooch on her breast.At this time, Tuppence knew that the fish had been hooked, and for the first time she was afraid of her love of money.It gave her a terrible intimacy with the woman sitting across from her. "One hundred thousand pounds," repeated Tuppence. The light in Mrs. Vandermeyer's eyes faded.She leaned back in the chair. "Pooh!" she said, "you don't have the money." "No," admitted Tuppence, "I haven't—but I know some rich man." "Who?" "A friend of mine." "That must be a millionaire," said Mrs. van der Meyer doubtfully. "Actually, he's a millionaire. He's an American. He'll pay you with no hesitation. You can get money from me, it's a perfect proposition." Mrs. Vandermeyer sat down again. "I basically trust you," she said slowly. For a while neither of them spoke, then Mrs. Vandermeyer looked up. "What does he want to know, your friend?" Tuppence struggled for a while with the idea that it was Julius's money after all, and his interests should take precedence. "He wants to know where Jane Finn is?" she said boldly. Mrs. Vandermeyer showed no surprise. "I'm not sure where she is at the moment," she replied. "But can you find out?" "Oh, yes," replied Mrs. Vandermeyer casually, "there will be no difficulty in the matter." "And then"—Tuppence's voice trembled a little—"there was a lad, a friend of mine. I fear something has happened to him, through your companion, Boris." "What's his name?" "Tommy Beresford." "Never heard of it. But I'll ask Boris and he'll tell me all he knows." "Thank you." Tuppence felt her spirits rise all the more, which inspired her to try boldly. "One more thing." "Ok?" Tuppence leaned forward and asked in a lower voice: "Who is Mr. Brown?" Her sensitive eyes saw that beautiful face suddenly pale.Mrs. van der Meyer tried to compose herself and regain her original self.But this attempt is only pretending to be calm. She shrugged. "You can't know more about us if you don't know who Mr. Brown is..." "You know," whispered Tuppence. The blood disappeared from the woman's face again. "What made you think that?" "I don't know," said the girl truthfully, "but I'm sure." Mrs. Vandermeyer stared forward for a long time. "Yes," she said hoarsely at last, "I do. I used to be beautiful, you see—very beautiful—" "You are still beautiful," said Tuppence enviously. Vandermeyer shook her head 'There was a strange gleam in her lightning eyes. "Not beautiful enough," she said in a soft, scary voice, "not beautiful enough: sometimes, especially lately, I've been afraid... It's dangerous to know too much!" Her body moved forward. Leaning in, "Swear, don't get my name in there—no one else should know." "I swear it. And, once you catch him, you're out of danger." A look of horror crossed Mrs. Vandermeyer's face. "Will I? Will I be safe?" She took Tuppence's arm. "Are you sure about the money?" "Very sure." "When will I get the money? There can be no delay." "My friend will be here shortly. He can send a telegram, or something of that sort. But there will be no delay—he's going fast." The look on Mrs. Vandermeyer's face told her that she had made up her mind. "I'll tell. It's a lot of money, and besides"—she smiled an incomprehensible smile—"it's not wise to abandon a woman like me!" For a moment she was smiling, tapping her fingers lightly on the table.Suddenly, she was very nervous and pale. "what is that?" "I didn't hear anything." Mrs. Vandermeyer looked around in fear. "There must be someone listening—" "Nonsense, who could that be?" "Even though walls have ears," whispered the other, "I tell you I'm afraid. You don't know him!" Tuppence reassured her: "Think of a hundred thousand pounds." Mrs. Vandermeyer licked her dry lips with her tongue. "You don't know him," she repeated hoarsely, "he's--ah!" She jumped to her feet with a terrified scream.She stretched out her hand and pointed forward over Tuppence's head.Then she leaned over and fell to the floor, unconscious. Tuppence looked around to see what had frightened her so. At the door stood Sir James Peel Edgerton and Julius Hersheimmer.