“I don’t want to argue about the League either on one side or another. What I’m trying to get you to understand is simply this. You’ve got to go, and to go to-night, as soon as ever the Field Marshal is tucked up in his little bed and the house quiet. Listen to me now, and I’ll make the position plain to you. As long as I was here by myself I was more or less safe. The disappearance of one man doesn’t make much difference in a neighbourhood like ours; but when it comes to two men vanishing in the inside of one week there’s bound to be a fuss. The police will take the matter up to a certainty. If they come here--and they will come here when they’ve tried everywhere else--you and I will be shot by the Field Marshal.” He looked at Patsy as he spoke, and noticed with regret that he was producing little or no impression. “And what’s more, I’ll lose well over a hundred pounds; a hundred pounds that I want badly.” “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” said Patsy. “Is it likely now that I’d want to stand between you and a lump of money like that? I wouldn’t do it to any man, much less one like yourself, that I have a respect for. Give me the writings now that we were speaking of, and I’ll start at once.” “You can’t start till night; but I’ll write the notes at once if you like.” “And the one to the young lady along with the other two.” “I told you before,” said Dr. O’Grady, “that I won’t give you a note to her.” “Then I’ll stay where I am. It’s more than I dare to go back without a line of some sort to quiet her. Don’t I tell you she’d have me hanged? And when that’s done she’ll be down here after you with the police, and you’ll be as badly off as you were before.” “She’ll not be able to do that. Lord Manton would stop the police.” “She’ll come without them, then. That sort of a young lady would do anything.” “If she does,” said Dr. O’Grady, “the Field Marshal will shut her up too. He won’t do her any harm, and I’ll be delighted to have her here.” “You want her here along with you?” “I’d be glad to have her, of course. Don’t you know that she and I are engaged to be married?” “Well, aren’t you the queer man? Anybody’d think you were trying to hide yourself from her for fear she’d marry you against your will.” “Is that one of the lies you and Jimmy O’Loughlin have been telling Miss Blow?” “It is not, of course.” “Well, don’t let me catch you saying anything of the sort, or it’ll be the worse for you. Now, leave me in peace till I write the notes.” “I’m not going with them,” said Patsy; “so you needn’t trouble yourself to be writing.”