"It might be helped," Peter said. "If we went back."
"No, that wouldn't do at all, sporting of you though it is to suggest it. I couldn't allow it."
"Don't you run a risk of failing to bring off your coup if we're discovered to have escaped?"
"I'm hoping for the best," Michael answered lightly. "If it were only you I'd ask you to go back, but to let Miss Fortescue go down again is out of the question."
"Go down where?" Margaret had come up to them, and caught the last words.
Michael turned to her with the special smile he seemed to keep for her. "Nowhere," he said.
She laughed. "What a snub! But do tell me what's out of the question?"
It was Peter who answered. "Margaret, it has occurred to me, and to Chas as well, that us not being in that cell to-night may ruin Draycott's plans. He won't say so, but…'
"You're exaggerating," Michael said. "And in any case what you suggest can't be considered for a moment."
"Inspector Tomlinson doesn't agree with you. He thinks it can." Peter looked down at his sister. "What we've been thinking is this, Margaret: if Wilkes and those others happened to go down to-night before the Monk and found us gone, they'd give the alarm. If the Monk goes first, which is even more likely, Draycott will have to close in on him, and let the rest of the crowd go hang. Do you see?"