The man flushed to the roots of his hair, laid down on the table the things which had been taken from my pockets, saluted, and withdrew without a word.
"And now tell me what it all means, Herr Bastable."
"Which ears have you on, official or private?"
"Do you want it kept secret? You’ve given us a lot of trouble, you know. We have wired your description all over the country. Let us talk it over privately first." He was one of the few men in the police administration who refused to be ruled by red tape, and I knew I could rely absolutely on his word.
"For your private ear only," I replied; and then gave him a fairly full account of all that had passed, withholding only von Felsen’s name in connexion with the affair.
"I know that man they call the "doctor," and you may shake hands with yourself on your escape. And as for Dragen, every one of us knows about him. Who’s behind it?"
"Don’t ask me, even privately. Get Dragen first, and he’ll tell you. Dragen hasn’t a suspicion that I even know he was concerned in it."
He gave me a very shrewd sharp glance. "Nor Herr von Felsen either?"
"I mention no names. But tell me how did you hear about me?"
"Some one who took a considerable risk and came to me. We have had a hint to hold our hands for a while, or she would have remained as His Majesty’s guest. I won’t ask how she came to know so promptly that you were missing; but Herr Dormund is very sore about you."
It was Althea herself then. She had run this risk of imprisonment for me. The knowledge was worth all it had cost me.
"I don’t want any fuss made about the affair at present if it can be avoided, but I should like to know if you get hold of the men," I said as I rose.
"Of course. You had better let me have that jacket and the papers. They may help us. Well, congratulations again. And by the way, don’t run any more risks about the lady I referred to. She said she was at your house, and gave her word that if we had to do anything, she would either be found there or else would tell us where."
"Just one question, "When was I carried off?"
I drove home and found my sister in the deepest distress on my account. She was overjoyed to see me, and declared that she and Althea had passed a night of terrible agitation and suspense.