Accordingly we began, in a half-hearted way, upon Polton’s two moulds. But the presence of the two detectives was disturbing, especially when, having finished the exterior, they brought their pails and ladders inside and took up their station at the lobby window. We struggled on for a time; but when, about noon, Miss Boler made her appearance with a basket of provisions and a couple of bottles of wine, we abandoned the attempt, and occupied ourselves in tidying up and laying a table.
“Don’t you think, Marion,” I said, as we sat down to lunch (having provided for the needs of the two “painters,” who lunched in the lobby), “that it would be best for you and Arabella to go home before any fuss begins?”
“Whatever Miss Marion thinks,” Arabella interposed firmly, “I am not going home. I came down expressly to see this villain captured, and here I stay until he is safely in custody.”
“And I,” said Marion, “am going to stay with Arabella. You know why, Stephen. I couldn’t bear to go away and leave you here after what you have told me. We shall be quite safe in here.”
“Well,” I temporized, seeing plainly that they had made up their minds, “you must keep the door bolted until the business is over.”
“As to that,” said Miss Boler, “we shall be guided by circumstances;” and from this ambiguous position neither she nor Marion would budge.
Shortly after lunch I received a further shock of surprise. In answer to a loud single knock, I hurried out to open the door. A tradesman’s van had drawn up at the kerb, and two men stood on the threshold, one of them holding a good-sized parcel. I stared at the latter in astonishment, for I recognized him instantly as the second shadower of the Dartmouth Park Hill adventure; but before I could make any comment both men entered—with the curt explanation “police business”—and the last-comer shut the door, when I heard the van drive off.
“I am Detective-sergeant Porter,” the stranger explained. “You know what I am here for, of course.”
“Yes,” I replied, and, turning to the other man, I said: “I think I have seen you before. Are you a police-officer, too?”
My acquaintance grinned. “Retired Detective-sergeant,” he explained, “name of Barber. At present employed by Dr. Thorndyke. I think I have seen you before, Sir,” and he grinned again, somewhat more broadly.