The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

She knew  she could only make one find that would be of any use to her. Reckless as she might be, and thoughtlessly as she might have dashed off to the rescue of an arrested Saint without a moment's heed for the risk to herself, in any enterprise such as she was meditating then there were sober and practical considerations to be reckoned with. She would gain nothing by throwing a single point in the game away. But if that locked cupboard provided the means of saving that single point, just in case of accidents . . .

And it did.

As the doors flew open, she looked at three complete outfits hung in a little row—a set of workman's overalls, a suit of violently purple check and a Shaftesbury Avenue nattiness, and a filthy and ragged costume such as a down-at-heels sandwichman might wear. And neatly arranged on adjacent shelves were the shirts, socks, ties, mufflers, overcoats, hats, and shoes to complete the disguises down to the last minute detail.

For a few seconds she surveyed the treasure trove; and then, with slow deliberation, she crushed out her cigarette. . . .

The outfit she contrived for herself from the materials at her disposal was a heterogeneous affair, but it was the best she could do. A shabby pair of trousers, with the ends tucked up inside the legs and secured with safety pins, fitted her passably well; but tall as she was, there was no coat in the collection that she could wear. A stained and tattered mackintosh, however, could be made to pass, with the sleeves treated in a similar manner to the legs of the trousers; and a gaudy scarf knotted about her neck would conceal the deficiencies of her costume in other respects. She pulled a tweed cap well down onto her head, tucking her hair away out of sight beneath it. From the kitchen she was able to grub out enough grime to disguise her face and hands against any casual scrutiny; her own low-heeled walking shoes were heavy enough to pass mus­ter. And then she inspected the completed work of art in a full-length mirror, and found that it was good. . . .

And thus, after one searching glance round, she went out in quest of her share of the adventure.