“I see that well enough now. But tell me this, doctor, why didn’t you send us word, so as we’d know what to say to her?”
“I couldn’t. The first chance I got was when I dropped that note out of the window to you. If you’d come back to the yard the way I told you, I’d have had a letter written to Jimmy O’Loughlin that you could have taken back with you. I’d have explained the whole situation.”
“I was meaning to come back just as you bid me. Wasn’t I walking out of the yard quiet and easy, so as I’d be able to come back at the end of half an hour or thereabouts, when that murdering villain came at me with a pistol and went very near shooting me dead?”
“I’ll tell you what it is, Patsy. The sooner you’re out of this the better. There’s not the least difficulty about escaping. The Field Marshal thinks he’s a tremendous swell at conspiracies of all sorts; but as a matter of fact he’s a perfect fool, and I have the lock loosened on the door this minute. You can walk out any time you like; and the best time in my opinion will be to-night.”
“And why wouldn’t you go yourself, doctor, if it’s as easy as all that?”
“I don’t want to go,” said the doctor. “I’m very well contented where I am. It’s much better for you to go.”
“How would it do if the both of us went?”
“It wouldn’t do at all. I tell you I want to stay. I don’t want to escape. But you must. I don’t want the police here searching for me.”
“Be damn, then, but I won’t go either! As sure as ever I went they’d have me hanged for murdering you and that wouldn’t suit me at all.”
“Don’t be a fool, Patsy. How can they hang you for murdering me when I’m alive?”