Miss Blow sniffed, but she made no objection to the second signature.
“Now,” said Lord Manton, when he and Jimmy O’Loughlin had signed their names, “call in the sergeant and the constable.”
Mr. Goddard opened the door and summoned the police. They marched into the room and stood upright, rigid and impressive, near the door. They made a great impression on Miss Farquharson. Sergeant Farrelly, in particular, struck her as a kind of embodiment of the spirit of law and order. Mr. Goddard held the warrant in his hand and addressed the men.
“Sergeant Farrelly,” he said, “will take this warrant, proceed at once to Rosivera, and effect the arrest of Theodore Guy Red, the person named in it.”
He looked round as he finished his sentence, and noticed with pleasure that Miss Blow was listening intently to what he said.
“Constable Moriarty,” he went on, “will accompany the sergeant, and will be prepared to act vigorously in the event of the use of force being necessary to effect the capture of the prisoner.”
He looked round again at Miss Blow. Her face was beginning to assume quite an amiable expression.
“With a view to saving time,” said Mr. Goddard, “the police will proceed to Rosivera on bicycles, starting as soon as possible. Sergeant Farrelly, is your bicycle ready?”
“It is, sir,” said the sergeant. “It’s at the door of the hotel this minute, and my cape is strapped on to the handle bars.”
“Is Constable Moriarty’s bicycle ready?” asked Mr. Goddard.