een a violent quarrel between the dead man and this
Douglas Guest concerning money. Guest had been seen to enter the London
train secretly at the nearest large station. His arrest was only a
matter of a few hours. The police knew exactly where to put their hands
upon him. A description followed. The girl and her companion exchanged
stealthy glances.

The buzz of voices continued. Covering Douglas all she could, the girl
called for more wine. The barmaid, seeing his pale face, nodded across
towards him.

"Your friend don't look well," she said.

"Had too much yesterday," the girl answered, promptly. "He was fairly
on 'the do,' and he ain't strong. He'll be all right when he gets a
drop of this inside him."

The barmaid nodded and turned away. The girl made him drink and then
roused him.

"Can you walk?" she said shortly. "We're best away from here."

He nodded.

"Yes."

She rose and paid for the last drinks. He followed her out on to the
pavement and stood there, dazed, almost helpless. She looked at him
critically.

"Come, pull yourself together," she said. "You've had a bit of a knock,
I guess, but you don't want to advertise yourself here. Now listen.
You'd best get some quiet lodging and lie low for a bit. I don't know
anything and I don't want to know anything, but it's pretty clear you're
keeping out of the way. I'm not going to take you down my way. For one
thing, you ain't exactly that sort, I should say, and for another, the
coppers are on to us like hot bricks when any one's wanted. Do you know
London at all?"

"I was never here before this evening," he answered, in a low tone.

She looked at him critically.

"You're a bit of a green 'un," she said, bluntly. "You don't need to go
giving yourself away like that, you know. Come along. I'm going to
take you out to a quiet part that'll do for you as well as anywhere."

He walked by her side passively. Once he stopped and bought an evening
paper, and under the next gas lamp he read a certain paragraph through
carefully. She waited for him without remark. He folded the paper up
after a minute or two and rejoined her. Side by side they threaded
their way along Pall Mall, across the Park and southwards. A walk
which, an hour or two ago, would have filled him with wonder and
delight, he undertook now with purely mechanical movements and unseeing
eyes. When they reached Chelsea she paused.

"Look here," she said, "are you feeling all right now?"

He