I nodded. A thing I liked about Albeury was that he made up his mind almost instantly—that he never hesitated a moment. "All the same, Mr. Osborne," he added quickly, "you must pardon my saying that I consider you barely sane. It's no business of mine, I know, but do for God's sake think what you are doing before you bind yourself for life to such a woman—think of it, _for life!_" "That's all right," Jack answered quietly. "Don't distress yourself. I know exactly what I am doing, and—" He paused, looking hard at Albeury. "From now onward," he said slowly, "Jasmine Gastrell will be a wholly different woman. I am going away with her at once, Albeury; to-morrow, at latest—we may even leave to-night. We shall not return to England for a year—that I promise you. For a year I shall see neither Berrington nor you nor any of my friends. But in a year's time you and Berrington and I, and Jasmine too, will meet again, and then—" The telephone in the flat rang loudly. Albeury sprang up. An instant later he was in the hall, preventing Simon from answering the call. Quickly he returned, while the bell continued ringing. "What's your code—Morse?" he said sharply to the men. "No—secret," the elder man answered. "Quick, then—go; if it's not for you, say so." Carefully the man Albeury had cross-questioned unhooked the receiver. He held it to his ear, and an instant later nodded. Then, with the pencil which hung down by a string, he tapped the transmitter five times, with measured beat. Still holding the receiver to his ear, he conversed rapidly, by means of taps, with his confederates at the other end. From where we stood, close by, the taps at the other end were faintly audible. For nearly five minutes this conversation by code continued. Then the man hung up the receiver and faced us. "I done it," he said. "Now me and my pal can get away from here at once—and both of you," indicating Albeury and Osborne. "We shall meet our pals who've watched this house—we shall meet them in Tottenham Court Road in half an hour. I've told them we've done out Mr. Berrington and his man. They think you both dead. It's a deal, then?" "What's 'a deal'?" I asked. "That you and your man stick in here until after the gang has been taken." "Yes, that's understood." "And that you won't answer any bell, or knock, nor any telephone, nor show any sign of life till after they've been took?" "Of course. That's all arranged." "Then we'll go, and—and good luck to you." A few moments later we heard them going down the stairs. At once Albeury called Osborne and myself into the room we had just left. Then he rang for Simon.