'I suppose, though, that when you put them out they didn't exactly want to go, did they?'
'No, sir, but I had no trouble with them.'
'Any heads broken?'
'No, sir, I was careful of that. I sent the landlord downstairs first, as he was a fat man and not likely to hurt himself, and the shabby gentleman went down on top of him quite comfortably, so he did not hurt himself either. I was very careful, sir, being in a foreign country.'
'What happened next? They didn't come upstairs again and throw you out, I suppose.'
'No, sir. They went and got two of these German policemen with swords, and broke into the room, and told me we must move at once. I didn't like to resist the police, sir. It's sometimes serious. The German [{153}] gentleman wanted them to arrest me, so I offered to pay any fine there was for having been hasty, and we settled for two sovereigns, which I thought dear, sir, and I'd have gone to the police station rather than pay it, only I knew you'd need my services in this heathen town, sir. I'm highly relieved to know that you approve of that, sir. But they said we must turn out directly, just the same, so I re-packed your things and got a porter, and he's standing over the luggage in the street, waiting for orders.'
'Stemp,' said Mr. Van Torp, 'I'd been whistling myself, before you came in, and the lunatic in the next room had already been fussing about it. It's my fault.'
'Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.'
'And it will be my fault if we have to sleep in a cab to-night.'
The door opened while he was speaking, and Margaret heard the last words as she entered the room.