Mentally he cursed himself for a fool. So sure had he been that the charges Labar had made against this girl could only be explained by one reason⁠—that she was fully in Adèle Gertstein’s confidence⁠—that he had let slip enough to enable her to make a guess somewhere near the truth. It was not Larry Hughes’ habit to talk loosely. However, it could not be helped. He had acted on the assumption that the knowledge she had might make disclosures from her dangerous. He realised that he had been wrong. He might have left her alone and all Labar’s efforts to extract anything from her that would have inculpated Larry would have been vain. But now by his own act he had made her the very menace he had feared. The guard that he had ever maintained upon himself had been incautiously relaxed. At least it was not irretrievable. He was where he had thought himself to be. Scotland Yard would have a long way to go ere it would be able to bring any crime against him.

The girl shrank as far from him as the limits of the car would allow. “But why this?” she demanded. “Why are you carrying me away, and where are you taking me?”