Adventure stories; Imaginary places -- Fiction; Kings and rulers -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction; Love stories
"Well, I got up from the seat, and I was just looking round to see
where the refreshment room was, when I suddenly caught sight of two
men staring at me like anything."
"What--not our two comic opera pals?" exclaimed Tony.
Isabel nodded emphatically. "Yes," she said, "that's who it was.
They were standing over by the bookstall talking together. They
turned away directly I looked at them, but I knew perfectly well they
were watching me. I had never seen either of them before and it made
me feel horribly frightened again. I thought that perhaps Uncle had
telephoned up to London, and that they were two policemen who had
come to fetch me back."
"You can always tell an English policeman when he is in plain
clothes," interrupted Tony. "He looks so fearfully ashamed of
himself."
"I didn't know," said Isabel. "I was too upset to think much, and
when they came after me into the refreshment room I could simply have
screamed. I thought they were going to speak to me then, but they
didn't. They just sat there while I had my tea, and then followed me
out on to the platform. I asked a porter what was the best way to
get to Long Acre, and he told me to take the tube to Leicester
Square. I hoped and hoped I'd manage to lose them, but it was no
good. They came along in the same carriage and got out at Leicester
Square, too."
"I wish I'd been with you," said Tony regretfully. "I have never
been traced or shadowed or anything like that. It must be a
wonderful feeling."
"It was awful in the lift," said Isabel. "I hadn't the least notion
which way to go when I got out, and I felt certain they would come up
and speak to me. I was so desperate that just as the lift stopped I
turned round to the lady who was standing next me and asked her if
she could show me the way to Long Acre. You can imagine how pleased
I was when she said she was going in that direction and I could walk
along with her."
"I suppose they crept stealthily after you," said Tony. "People
always do that in books when they are shadowing anybody."
"I suppose they did," said Isabel. "I was much too frightened to
look round. I just walked along with the lady till we got to the
door of the flats, and then I thanked her very much and ran upstairs
as fast as I could. Miss Watson's number was right at the top of the
building. There was no bell, so I hammered on the knocker, and then
I stood there panting and trying to get my breath, and thinking every
moment I should hear them coming up the stairs after me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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