She was already trying to open the door, but he dropped his right hand over her fingers where they were fumbling with the knob, and felt them trembling. 391 At the same moment, the sound of Thessalie’s smothered and convulsive sobbing came to him; and Dulcie’s nervous hand slipped from his.
“Dulcie!” he pleaded. “Will you come back to me if I wait?”
She had stopped; her back was still toward him, but she nodded slightly, then moved on toward the bed, where Thessalie lay all huddled up, her face buried in the tumbled pillows.
Barres noiselessly closed the door.
He had already started along the corridor toward his own room, when the low sound of voices in the staircase hall just below arrested his attention—his sister’s voice and Westmore’s. And he retraced his steps and went down to where they stood together by the library door.
Lee wore a nurse’s dress and apron, such as a kennel-mistress affects, and her strong, capable hands were full of bottles labelled “Grover’s Specific”—the same being dog medicine of various sorts.
“Mother is over at the kennels, Garry,” she said. “She and I are going to sit up with those desperately sick pups. If we can pull them through to-night they’ll probably get well, eventually, unless paralysis sets in. I was just telling Jim that a very attractive young Frenchman was here only a few minutes before you arrived. His name is Renoux. And he left this letter for you—fish it out of my apron pocket, there’s a dear——”
Her brother drew out the letter; his sister said:
“Mr. Renoux went away in a car with two other men. He asked me to say to you that there was no time to lose—whatever he meant by that! Now, I must hurry away!” She turned and sped through the hall and out through the swinging screen door on the north 392 porch. Garry had already opened the note from Renoux, glanced over it; then he read it aloud to Westmore:
“My dear Comrade:
“The fat’s in the fire! Your agents took Tauscher in charge to-day. Max Freund and Franz Lehr have just been arrested by your excellent Postal authorities. Warrants are out for Sendelbeck, Johann Klein, and Louis Hochstein. I think the latter are making for Mexico, but your Secret Service people are close on their heels.
“Recall for von Papen and Boy-ed is certain to be demanded by your Government. Mine will look after Bolo Effendi and d’Eblis and their international gang of spies and crooks. Ferez Bey, however, still eludes us. He is somewhere in this vicinity, but of course, even when we locate him again, we can’t touch him. All we can do is to point him out to your Government agents, who will then keep him in sight.
“So far so good. But now I am forced to ask a very great favour of you, and, if I may, of your friend, Mr. Westmore. It is this: Skeel, contrary to what was expected of him, did not go to the place which is being watched. Nor have any of his men appeared at that rendezvous where there lies the very swift and well-armed launch, Togue Rouge, which we had every reason to suppose was to be their craft in this outrageous affair.
“As a matter of fact, this launch is Tauscher’s. But it, and the pretended rendezvous, are what you call a plant. Skeel never intended to assemble his men there; never intended to use that particular launch. Tauscher merely planted it. Your men and the Canadian agents, unfortunately, are covering that vicinity and are still watching for Skeel, who has a very different plan in his crazy head.
“Now, this is Skeel’s plan, and this is the situation, learned by me from papers discovered on Tauscher:
“The explosives bought and sent there by Tauscher himself are on a big, fast power-boat which is lying at anchor in a little cove called Saibling Bay. The boat flies the Quebec Yacht Club ensign, and a private pennant to which it has no right.
“Two of Skeel’s gang are already aboard—a man named Con McDermott and another, Kelly Walsh. Skeel joins the others at a hamlet near the Lake shore, known as Three Ponds. The tavern is a notorious and disreputable old brick hotel—what you call a speak-easy. That is their rendezvous.
“Well, then, I have wired to your people, to Canada, to Washington. But Three Ponds is not a very long drive from here, if one ignores speed limits. Yes? Could you help us maintain a close surveillance over that damned tavern to-night? Is it too much to ask?
“And if you and Mr. Westmore are graciously inclined to aid us, would you be so kind as to come armed? Because, mon ami, unless your Government people arrive in time, I shall certainly try to keep Skeel and his gang from boarding that boat.
“Au revoir, donc! I am off with Jacques Alost and Emile Souchez for that charming summer resort, the Three Ponds Tavern, where, from the neighbouring roadside woods, I shall hope to flag your automobile by sunrise and welcome you and your amiable friend, Mr. Westmore, as our brothers in arms.
“Renoux, your comrade and, friend.”