She put her hand in front of his mouth. “A very extraordinary policeman,” she corrected with a laugh. “I won’t have you call yourself names.”

He bent and kissed her, and then got to his feet. “Shall we move?” he asked. “You will be getting chilled.”

Hand in hand like two children, they strolled leisurely into the night and the fog. Although it was a summer night the cold was bitter. There was no possibility of finding a way out of the marsh till daylight or at least till the fog waned, but even a purposeless tramp was better than catching a cold.

As they walked they talked of many things, but at last the conversation drifted to the abduction of the girl. Although Harry Labar was a lover, he could not forget that he was also a police officer with an object to achieve.