"Anne, Anne. And you saw--"
Anne nodded. "Yes," she said, steadily, "I saw."
[CHAPTER XVII].
TWO AGAINST ONE.
On arriving at Taxton-on-Thames Fanks had taken up his abode at the Royal Arms Hotel. It was his intention to make inquiries about Sir Louis Fellenger, Dr. Binjoy, and the negro servant of the latter. Ignorant that he had been thwarted by Hersham, he had also intended to interview Anne Colmer without loss of time, before she could see or even hear from her lover. The intercepted telegram proved conclusively that this girl knew something which Hersham did not want her to reveal; and in the absence--as Fanks supposed of all warning--he hoped to take her at a disadvantage. In this mood he took his way to her home.
So far as the detective could see, his future plans depended almost entirely upon the information which he expected to obtain from this girl within the next few hours. And in that supposition lay the irony of the situation. Being in this frame of mind, his astonishment may be conceived when on the door of Briar Cottage being opened he saw before him the man whom he thought was at that moment in London. For the minute he was unable to speak, but recovered himself to ironically congratulate Hersham on his dexterity in evading the machinery of the law. In reality Fanks was angered, but he had too much good sense to give way to bad temper. It was, in his opinion, useless to make bad worse.
"So you have stolen a march on me, Hersham," he said sardonically. "I was doubtful of your honesty in London; I am still more so now. How did you manage to dodge the traps I laid for you?"
"By knowing where they were laid," said Hersham, sullenly. "I guessed you would have the railway stations watched, so I came down here on my bicycle."
"A very ingenious idea; you have no doubt warned Miss Colmer not to answer my questions?"
"Yes," said Hersham, defiantly; "I have done so. As I did not receive a reply to my telegram, I guessed that you had intercepted my message in some way. It has arrived now, when it is too late. To see Miss Colmer, to warn her, I came down here at the risk of my own safety."