The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

"Forget it," said the girl briskly. "We've got about three or four minutes, I should say, before Templar turns up. I'd like him to have a welcome. He'll be alone—I'm cer­tain of that. What can you do about it?"

"There are half a dozen of the boys downstairs."

"Can you stop him getting in?"

Donnell grinned.

"I could stop an army," he bragged.

"Can you stop the Saint?"

"Haven't you seen round this house?" asked Donnell. "I've had it ready for years, just for something like this. I'll take you round, if you like, and you can see for yourself."

Jill tightened the belt of her coat.

"I'll look round on my own, if you don't mind," she said. "I know what to look for, and it probably isn't what you'd show me. Give Weald a drink while I'm gone—I guess he needs it."

She went out, and Donnell picked up a bottle and a glass. He poured out four good fingers of the spirit, and Weald grabbed it and drank it neat. Then he turned to Donnell; the fire-water had steadied him up a bit—in a way.

"You believe it isn't a joke?" he said.

Donnell nodded.    

"Yes, I believe it now."

"I'm up against it," panted Weald flabbily. "I'm up against it much more than you are. They can only get you for a bashing, but they can get me for a lot more."

"Ever beat up a 'tec?"

"More than that. I can't tell you. They might . . . Donnell, you've got to get us out of this!"

Donnell's eyebrows came down.

"What do you mean, get you out of it? What about me?"

Weald clutched his arm.

"You don't understand. I've got to get away. I've got to take the girl with me. Is there any back way out of this —any bolt hole you've prepared? I've got money——"

Donnell thrust him roughly into a chair and pushed the whisky bottle towards him. Weald helped himself greedily to another half-glassful.

"Now you're talking," said Donnell. "How much?"

Weald dragged a note case from his pocket. It bulged. Donnell's eyes fastened on it hungrily.

"A thousand, Donnell. It's all I can spare. I've got to leave myself some money to get clear."

"Let's see it."

Feverishly Weald counted out the notes with shaking fingers and put them on the table. Donnell moistened his thumb and counted them deliberately. Then he put them in his pocket.

"That cupboard behind you," he said. "The back of it's a sliding door. You'll find some stairs. Go right down. There's a tunnel under the block and the street, and it comes up in the cellar of a house on the other side."

"But you've got to hold Templar up."

Donnell struck his chest with a huge fist.