We ought never to have let him get out of
our sight. For all we can tell to the contrary, the constable
himself--may only be one of Colonel Clay's confederates!"
And we drove in trepidation all the way to Bow Street.
XII
THE EPISODE OF THE OLD BAILEY
When we reached Bow Street, we were relieved to find that our
prisoner, after all, had _not_ evaded us. It was a false alarm.
He was there with the policeman, and he kindly allowed us to
make the first formal charge against him.
Of course, on Charles's sworn declaration and my own, the man was
at once remanded, bail being refused, owing both to the serious
nature of the charge and the slippery character of the prisoner's
antecedents. We went back to Mayfair--Charles, well satisfied that
the man he dreaded was under lock and key; myself, not too well
pleased to think that the man I dreaded was no longer at large, and
that the trifling little episode of the ten per cent commission
stood so near discovery.
Next day the police came round in force, and had a long consultation
with Charles and myself. They strongly urged that two other persons
at least should be included in the charge--Cesarine and the little
woman whom we had variously known as Madame Picardet, White Heather,
Mrs. David Granton, and Mrs.
Pages:
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268