“To Anna!”
One o’clock acknowledged the salutation with a typically foreign gesture. Then she rose to her feet and the others followed suit.
For the first time, Bundle caught a glimpse of No. 3 as he came to put Anna’s cloak round her—a tall, heavily built man.
Then the party filed out through the secret door. Mosgorovsky secured it after them. He waited a few moments and then Bundle heard him unbolt the other door and pass through, after extinguishing the electric light. It was not until two hours later that a white and anxious Alfred came to release Bundle. She almost fell into his arms and he had to hold her up.
“Nothing!” said Bundle. “Just stiff, that’s all. Here, let me sit down.”
“Oh, Gord, my lady, it’s been awful.”
“Nonsense,” said Bundle. “It all went off splendidly. Don’t get the wind up now it’s all over. It might have gone wrong, but thank goodness it didn’t.”
“Thank goodness, as you say, my lady. I’ve been in a twitter all the evening. They’re a funny crowd, you know.”
“A damned funny crowd,” said Bundle, vigorously massaging her arms and legs. “As a matter of fact, they’re the sort of crowd I always imagined until tonight only existed in books. In this life, Alfred, one never stops learning.”