Whole
villages have been wiped out to provide him with a little excitement.
The man was a Nero without any of Nero's amiable weaknesses. He was
obsessed with the idea that he himself was in danger of assassination,
and saw an enemy even in his trusty servant. Undoubtedly the chauffeur
Poropulos was in touch with several Continental government circles. You
understand," said the Minister in conclusion, "that I am telling you
this, not with the idea of expecting you, to relax your efforts to find
the murderer and clear up the mystery, but in order that you may know
something of the possible motive for this man's murder."

T. X. spent an hour going over the decoded diary and documents and left
the Home Office a little shakily. It was inconceivable, incredible. Kara
was a lunatic, but the directing genius was a devil.

T. X. had a flat in Whitehall Gardens and thither he repaired to change
for dinner. He was half dressed when the evening paper arrived and
he glanced as was his wont first at the news' page and then at the
advertisement column. He looked down the column marked "Personal"
without expecting to find anything of particular interest to himself,
but saw that which made him drop the paper and fly round the room in a
frenzy to complete his toilet.

"Tommy X.," ran the brief announcement, "most urgent, Marble Arch 8."

He had five minutes to get there but it seemed like five hours. He
was held up at almost every crossing and though he might have used his
authority to obtain right of way, it was a step which his curious sense
of honesty prevented him taking. He leapt out of the cab before it
stopped, thrust the fare into the driver's hands and looked round for
the girl. He saw her at last and walked quickly towards her. As he
approached her, she turned about and with an almost imperceptible
beckoning gesture walked away. He followed her along the Bayswater Road
and gradually drew level.

"I am afraid I have been watched," she said in a low voice. "Will you
call a cab?"

He hailed a passing taxi, helped her in and gave at random the first
place that suggested itself to him, which was Finsbury Park.

"I am very worried," she said, "and I don't know anybody who can help me
except you."

"Is it money?" he asked.

"Money," she said scornfully, "of course it isn't money. I want to show
you a letter," she said after a while.

She took it from her bag and gave it to him and he struck a match and
read it with diffic