"Don't waste time," she said. "Tell me what you mean at once. I know that you're a friend of Doctor Gray's, and I know that he asked you to follow a man outside the station."
Joe moistened his lips. "That's it, miss. A bloke of the name o' 'Spike' Cooper. 'E's 'and an' glove with this 'ere Jake 'Udson, an' there ain't two dirtier blackguards, not in the 'ole o' London."
Nancy's face had gone very white. "Do you know this place—Flood Lane?" she demanded.
"It's where 'Spike' Cooper's lodgin'," was the answer. "Leastways, not Flood Lane itself, but dahn in one o' them old 'ouses backin' on the river. I seen 'im go in there twice with me own eyes." He pulled on his cap and half turned toward the door. "I'll get inside some'ow, miss. I'll learn wot they done to the doctor if I got to pull the blarsted place down."
Nancy stepped forward. "Wait a minute," she said quickly. "I'm coming with you."
Joe turned and stared at her incredulously. "You comin' with me?" he repeated. "Why, wot'd be the good o' that, miss?"
"I can use a revolver," said Nancy curtly, "and there's one upstairs in the doctor's room. You stop here while I fetch it."
There was something so imperative in her manner that Joe attempted no further argument. Removing his cap again, he seated himself obediently on a chair, and, leaving him and Martha Jane to keep each other company, Nancy hurried from the kitchen.
Going straight to the cloak room, she slipped on a mackintosh over her indoor costume and, after rapidly donning a hat, ran up the staircase to the study. From the top drawer of the writing table she took out a small Service revolver which Mark had once exhibited to her with some pride as the actual implement with which he had formerly waged war against the Flanders rats. There was a box of cartridges alongside, and after filling all six chambers she thrust the weapon into her pocket, and swiftly made her way downstairs again to the kitchen.
Joe, who was still sitting where she had left him, rose up at her entrance. It was Martha Jane, however, who was the first to speak.