The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

"And now, Jill, has the specimen behind this tie pin been getting what you might call uppish?"

"He was——"

"Ah-ha!" The Saint revolved his automatic. "I don't . want to be premature, Antonio, but this looks bad for your matrimonial prospects. If you remember what I was saying just now——"

"But you got here in time," Jill protested. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh!" said the Saint, almost reluctantly. "Hasn't he been really nasty?"

"Not really."

The Saint sighed.

"The old story book again," he murmured unhappily. "You know, I've always wondered what would happen if the hero missed his train and blew in half an hour too late. And I suppose we shall never know. . . . But what was the idea?"

She told him, exactly as Gugliemi had told her, while the Italian stood pallidly silent under the continued menace of the Saint's automatic. And when, at the end of the story, Simon turned suddenly on him, Gugliemi almost jumped out of his skin.

"You really mean to tell me the police passed you that yarn?" demanded the Saint. "And you expect me to believe it?"

"But it is true, sair."

"Which policeman?'' inquired the Saint skeptically.

"A big man—with a moustache—like this——"

Gugliemi frowned down his eyebrows, twisted his mouth, and thrust out his jaw in a caricature which the Saint recognized at once. So did Jill.

"Cullis!"

Simon sat down on the bed, regarding the Italian with a thoughtful air.

"But how did you get here?" Jill was asking.

"Oh, I breezed along," said the Saint. "As a matter of fact, I was coming round to see you. My respectable friend thought he'd like to meet you, so I was sent off to bring you along. Just as I turned the corner by the studio I saw you get into a car and drive away. There wasn't a taxi in sight to give chase in, and in the circumstances I couldn't raise happy hell in the street. But I nailed down the num­ber of the decamping dimbox, and then it was easy enough to find out who the owner was."

"But how did you do that?"

"I consulted a clairvoyant," said the Saint, "and he told me at once. It took a bit of time, though. However, I got the man just as he was putting the car away in the garage. He was persuaded to talk——"

"You made him talk?"

"I hypnotized him," said the Saint blandly, "and he talked. Then I came right along here."

The girl shook her head ruefully.

"I'm luckier than I deserve to be. If I'd thought I should ever live to fall for a gag like that——"