The last to do so, No. 1, removed her mask, and Bundle looked without surprise into the beautiful, dark face of Countess Radzky. "I might have known," said Bundle resentfully, "that you were too completely the beautiful foreign adventuress to be anything of the kind really." "But you don't know the real joke," said Bill. "_Bundle, this is Babe St. Maur_--you remember my telling you about her and what a ripping actress she was--and she's about proved it." "That's so," said Miss St. Maur in pure transatlantic nasal. "But it's not a terrible lot of credit to me, because Poppa and Momma came from that part of Yurrup--so I got the patter fairly easy. Gee, but I nearly gave myself away once at the Abbey, talking about gardens." She paused and then said abruptly: "It's--it's not been just fun. You see, I was kinder engaged to Ronny, and when he handed in his checks--well, I had to do something to track down the skunk who murdered him. That's all." "I'm completely bewildered," said Bundle. "Nothing is what it seems." "It's very simple, Lady Eileen," said Superintendent Battle. "It began with some of the young people wanting a bit of excitement. It was Mr. Wade who first got on to me. He suggested the formation of a band of what you might call amateur workers to do a bit of secret service work. I warned him that it might be dangerous--but he wasn't the kind to weigh that in the balance. I made it plain to him that any one who came in must do so on that understanding. But, bless you, that wasn't going to stop any of Mr. Wade's friends. And so the thing began." "But what was the object of it all?" asked Bundle. "We wanted a certain man--wanted him badly. He wasn't an ordinary crook. He worked in Mr. Wade's world, a kind of Raffles, but much more dangerous than any Raffles ever was or could be. He was out for big stuff, international stuff. Twice already valuable secret inventions had been stolen, and clearly stolen by someone who had inside knowledge. The professionals had had a try--and failed. Then the amateurs took on--and succeeded." "Succeeded?" "Yes--but they didn't come out of it unscathed. The man was dangerous. Two lives fell victim to him and he got away with it. But the Seven Dials stuck to it. And as I say, they succeeded. Thanks to Mr. Eversleigh, the man was caught at last red-handed." "Who was he?" asked Bundle. "Do I know him?" "You know him very well, Lady Eileen. His name is Mr. Jimmy Thesiger, and he was arrested this afternoon." CHAPTER XXXIII BATTLE EXPLAINS Superintendent Battle settled to explain. He spoke comfortably and cozily.