The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence 1)

“Buck up, I guess he’s all right really. Why shouldn’t he be? See here,it was a foreign-looking guy he went off after. Maybe they’ve goneabroad--to Poland, or something like that?”

Tuppence shook her head.

“He couldn’t without passports and things. Besides I’ve seen that man,Boris Something, since. He dined with Mrs. Vandemeyer last night.”

“Mrs. Who?”

“I forgot. Of course you don’t know all that.”

“I’m listening,” said Julius, and gave vent to his favourite expression.“Put me wise.”

Tuppence thereupon related the events of the last two days. Julius’sastonishment and admiration were unbounded.

“Bully for you! Fancy you a menial. It just tickles me to death!” Thenhe added seriously: “But say now, I don’t like it, Miss Tuppence, I suredon’t. You’re just as plucky as they make ‘em, but I wish you’d keepright out of this. These crooks we’re up against would as soon croak agirl as a man any day.”

“Do you think I’m afraid?” said Tuppence indignantly, valiantlyrepressing memories of the steely glitter in Mrs. Vandemeyer’s eyes.

“I said before you were darned plucky. But that doesn’t alter facts.”

“Oh, bother _me!_” said Tuppence impatiently. “Let’s think about whatcan have happened to Tommy. I’ve written to Mr. Carter about it,” sheadded, and told him the gist of her letter.

Julius nodded gravely.

“I guess that’s good as far as it goes. But it’s for us to get busy anddo something.”

“What can we do?” asked Tuppence, her spirits rising.

“I guess we’d better get on the track of Boris. You say he’s been toyour place. Is he likely to come again?”

“He might. I really don’t know.”

“I see. Well, I guess I’d better buy a car, a slap-up one, dress as achauffeur and hang about outside. Then if Boris comes, you could makesome kind of signal, and I’d trail him. How’s that?”

“Splendid, but he mightn’t come for weeks.”

“We’ll have to chance that. I’m glad you like the plan.” He rose.

“Where are you going?”

“To buy the car, of course,” replied Julius, surprised. “What make doyou like? I guess you’ll do some riding in it before we’ve finished.”

“Oh,” said Tuppence faintly, “I _like_ Rolls-Royces, but----”

“Sure,” agreed Julius. “What you say goes. I’ll get one.”

“But you can’t at once,” cried Tuppence. “People wait ages sometimes.”

“Little Julius doesn’t,” affirmed Mr. Hersheimmer. “Don’t you worry any.I’ll be round in the car in half an hour.”

Tuppence got up.

“You’re awfully good, Julius. But I can’t help feeling that it’s rathera forlorn hope. I’m really pinning my faith to Mr. Carter.”

“Then I shouldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Just an idea of mine.”

&n

bsp; “Oh; but he must do something. There’s no one else. By the way, I forgotto tell you of a queer thing that happened this morning.”

And she narrated her encounter with Sir James Peel Edgerton. Julius wasinterested.

“What did the guy mean, do you think?” he asked.

“I don’t quite know,” said Tuppence meditatively. “But I think that, inan ambiguous, legal, without prejudishish lawyer’s way, he was trying towarn me.”

“Why should he?”

“I don’t know,” confessed Tuppence. “But he looked kind, andsimply awfully clever. I wouldn’t mind going to him and telling himeverything.”

Somewhat to her surprise, Julius negatived the idea sharply.

“See here,” he said, “we don’t want any lawyers mixed up in this. Thatguy couldn’t help us any.”

“Well, I believe he could,” reiterated Tuppence obstinately.

“Don’t you think it. So long. I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Thirty-five minutes had elapsed when Julius returned. He took Tuppenceby the arm, and walked her to the window.

“There she is.”

“Oh!” said Tuppence with a note of reverence in her voice, as she gazeddown at the enormous car.

“She’s some pace-maker, I can tell you,” said Julius complacently.

“How did you get it?” gasped Tuppence.

“She was just being sent home to some bigwig.”

“Well?”

“I went round to his house,” said Julius. “I said that I reckoned a carlike that was worth every penny of twenty thousand dollars. Then I toldhim that it was worth just about fifty thousand dollars to me if he’dget out.”

“Well?” said Tuppence, intoxicated.

“Well,” returned Julius, “he got out, that’s all.”