coat only half-buttoned, and his tie under his ear, while all the tags of his harness were sticking out of the buckles. It hadn't pulled up before she

she cried, 'and half a sovereign

ame through the street. The driver looked twice at such a shabby fare, but I jumped in before he could object. 'The Church of St. Monica,' said I, '

ed into the church. There was not a soul there save the two whom I had followed and a surprised clergyman, who seemed to be expostulating with them. They were all three standing in a knot in front of the altar.

cried. "You'll

hen?" I

ly three minutes, or

d there was the gentleman thanking me on the one side and the lady on the other, while the clergyman beamed on me in front. It was the most preposterous position in which I ever found myself in my life, and it was the thought of it that started me laughing just now. It seems that there had been some informality abo

ted turn of affairs," s

c measures on my part. At the church door, however, they separated, he driving back to the Temple, and she to her own house. 'I shall drive out in the

ch a

"I have been too busy to think of food, and I am likely to be busier

l be de

mind breaki

n the

g a chance

a good

cause is

am you

that I might

t is it

our landlady had provided, "I must discuss it while I eat, for I have not much time. It is nearly five now. In two hours we must

what

is to occur. There is only one point on which I must insi

o be ne

n it. It will end in my being conveyed into the house. Four or five minutes afterwards t

es

me, for I will b

es

he room what I give you to throw, and will, at the s

tir

with a cap at either end to make it self-lighting. Your task is confined to that. When you raise your cry of fire, it will be taken up by qui

u, and at the signal to throw in this object, then to raise

cise

ay entirely

ps, it is almost time that I prepa

his sympathetic smile, and general look of peering and benevolent curiosity were such as Mr. John Hare alone could have equalled. It was not merely that Holmes changed his costume. His expre

r the coming of its occupant. The house was just such as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes's succinct description, but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected. On the contrary, for a small street in a quiet neighborhood, it was remarkably a

tograph becomes a double-edged weapon now. The chances are that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr. Godfrey Nor

e, in

nt about a woman's dress. She knows that the King is capable of having her waylaid and searched. Two atte

re,

. Why should she hand it over to anyone else? She could trust her own guardianship, but she could not tell what indirect or political influence might be brought to bea