, they forced open the door--to
the thrilling interest of a spectacled typewriteress, who had no
business on that landing at all, but she usually made assignations
there with the lift man. And on the writing table in the outer
office they found a note addressed to Miss Annie Kenney, which said
inside: "Dear Annie. If you should chance to look in between your
many imprisonments and find me out, you will know I am away on the
Firm's business, livening up the racing establishments of the Right
Honble Sir ---- ----, Bart. Bart. No one knows anything about this
at No. 94."

(This note was purely unnecessary--a bit of swagger perhaps, lest
Miss Kenney should think Vivie never did anything dangerous, but
only planned dangerous escapades for others. Like the long letter of
Vivie to Michael Rossiter, written on the last day of December,
1910, which he had imperfectly destroyed, it was a reminder of that
all-too-true saying: "Litera scripta manet.")

If the outer door of Michaelis's office was locked how could Miss
Kenney be expected to call and find this note awaiting her? Why,
_here_ came in the "No. 94" of the scrap of paper. There was an
over-the-roofs communication between the block of 88-90 and House
No. 94. The policemen in fact found that the large casement of the
partners' room was only pulled to, so that it was easily opened from
the outside. From the parapet they passed to the fire-escapes and
through the labyrinth of chimney stacks to a similar window leading
into the top storey of 94, the office of Mr. Algernon Mainwaring,
Hygienic Corset-maker. This office at the time of their unexpected
entry was fairly full of Suffragettes planning all sorts of direful
things. So the plain-clothes policemen had a rare haul that day and
certainly had Mrs. Rossiter to thank for rising to be Inspectors and
receiving some modest Order of later days. It was about the worst
blow the W.S.P.U. had; before the outbreak of War turned suddenly
the revolting women into the stanchest patriots and the right hands
of muddling ministers. For in addition to many a rich find in No. 94
and a dozen captives caught red-handed in making mock of the
Authorities, the plain-clothes policemen made themselves thoroughly
at home in Mr. Michaelis's quarters till the following Monday. And
when in the fore-noon of that day, Mr. Michaelis entered his rooms,
puzzled and perturbed at finding the outer door ajar, he was
promptly arrested on a multiform charge of