Virginia stood back a little, and a slip of paper, weighted with a stone, fell accurately at her feet. She unfolded it and read: “_My dear_ (Anthony had written),—_I’m in a tight place, but I mean to win through. Will you trust me and come to me?_” For quite two minutes Virginia stood there, immovable, reading those few words over again and again. She raised her head, looking round the well-appointed luxury of the bedroom as though she saw it with new eyes. Then she leaned out of the window again. “What am I to do?” she asked. “The detectives are the other side of the house, outside the Council Chamber. Come down and out through this side door. I will be there. I have a car waiting outside in the road.” Virginia nodded. Quickly she changed her dress for one of fawn tricot, and pulled on a little fawn leather hat. Then, smiling a little, she wrote a short note, addressed it to Bundle and pinned it to the pincushion. She stole quietly downstairs and undid the bolts of the side door. Just a moment she paused, then, with a little gallant toss of the head, the same toss of the head which her ancestors had gone into action in the Crusades, she passed through. 26 The 13th of October At ten o’clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 13th of October, Anthony Cade walked into Harridge’s Hotel and asked for Baron Lolopretjzyl who was occupying a suite there. After suitable and imposing delay, Anthony was taken to the suite in question. The Baron was standing on the hearthrug in a correct and stiff fashion. Little Captain Andrassy, equally correct as to demeanour, but with a slightly hostile attitude, was also present. The usual bows, clicking of heels, and other formal greetings of etiquette took place. Anthony was, by now, thoroughly conversant with the routine. “You will forgive this early call I trust, Baron,” he said cheerfully, laying down his hat and stick on the table. “As a matter of fact, I have a little business proposition to make to you.” “Ha! Is that so?” said the Baron. Captain Andrassy, who had never overcome his initial distrust of Anthony, looked suspicious. “Business,” said Anthony, “is based on the well-known principle of supply and demand. You want something, the other man has it. The only thing left to settle is the price.” The Baron looked at him attentively, but said nothing. “Between a Herzoslovakian nobleman and an English gentleman the terms should be easily arranged,” said Anthony rapidly. He blushed a little as he said it. Such words do not rise easily to an Englishman’s lips, but he had observed on previous occasions the enormous effect of such phraseology upon the Baron’s mentality. True enough, the charm worked. “That is so,” said the Baron approvingly, nodding his head. “That is entirely so.” Even Captain Andrassy appeared to unbend a little, and nodded his head also. “Very good,” said Anthony. “I won’t beat about the bush any more——”