“That sounds all right. But did they see you come in?”
“You may be sure they did.”
“Well, they’ll watch for you to come out again.”
“They may not know of the back entrance. I’ll go and see.”
He rose and left the hall. In less than five minutes he was back again.
“One of the fellows is standing at the corner of Craven Street and the Strand,” he said quietly. “There’s another, whom I don’t recognise, strolling a little way down the street, and near him there’s a taxi with its flag down.”
“Just what you might have expected. You can’t get away without being seen, that’s clear.”
“Well, I must simply go openly, and take my chance. Where’s the gyro-car, by the way?”
“In the garage.”
“Then this is what we’ll do. I’ll engage a taxi, and tell the chauffeur to drive northward, and zigzag for a quarter of an hour or so through the streets between here and Oxford Street. If he’s up to his work, it will be impossible for the Count’s motor to keep the taxi in sight. When we’re clear, we’ll drive straight to Herne Hill. You must get away as soon as you can without attracting attention; then run out and make for Herne Hill too. You’ll get along faster than any ordinary motor, because you can squeeze through the traffic. I hope that I shall draw them all off, so that they won’t trouble about you; but if they see you, you must come on as fast as you can, with due regard to the speed limit. Pick me up at Herne Hill, and run me down to Dover; an Admiralty launch will be waiting for me there. Have you plenty of petrol?”