The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

"It's an old gag because it's a good one, darling. Given the right staging, it never fails. So I shouldn't take it too much to heart. And now let's go home, shall we?"

He stood up, and Jill Trelawney was at a loss for any­thing more to say at that moment. She could only think of one feeble remark.

"But what are we going to do with—this?"

She indicated Gugliemi, and Simon looked at the man as if he had never seen him before.

"I'll take him back to Upper Berkeley Mews," he said. "I think I'd like to have a little private talk with him; that break of yours might turn out to be the most useful thing you ever did."

And take Gugliemi he did, with one hand holding the man's arm and another jamming the muzzle of the automatic into his ribs, all the way from Lambeth to the studio in Chelsea, in a taxicab which they were lucky enough to find as soon as they emerged onto the main road. He left Jill at the studio, saying that he would return in an hour; and he himself went on in the taxi with Gugliemi to Upper Berkeley Mews.

He was as good as his word. It was almost exactly an hour later when she heard his key in the lock, and the next moment he walked in, as calm and unperturbed as if nothing of any interest whatever had happened that evening.

By that time she had collected her wits, and she was ready for him.

"Did you have a good talk?" she inquired.

"Charming," said the Saint, stretching himself out on the sofa and lighting a cigarette. "What about a brace of those kippers I brought in this morning? My respectable friend gave me a slap-up dinner, but I've still got room for some good plain food."

"What did you talk to Gugliemi about?" she persisted.

"About Judas Iscariot."

"Don't be funny."

"But I'm dead serious, Jill. In that famous name you have the whole conversation in a nutshell. He didn't take much persuading, either, and we parted bosom friends."

"Do you mind giving me some straight talk? What's this game you're playing now?"

Simon grinned.

"That," he said, "must still be one of my own particular secrets. But I can satisfy you about Gugliemi, who has a very kind heart when you dig down to it, although his methods are rather low. In fact, I gather that he was really getting quite fond of you before I arrived and spoilt his evening."

"I quite believe that," said the girl grimly.