constant supply of new bodies to defile and souls to corrupt. The more victims they can offer up, the greater becomes their power.'
`Apart from that, is Mother right in what she told me last night, about their being a menace to all established Governments that stand for freedom and decency?'
`Yes, if she was speaking of the high direction of the show, she was. Of course, there are lots of little outer circles, or covens, as they are called. They are generally run by ordinary crooks who have muscled in on the game. Most of the time their object is blackmail. They get hold of paederasts, lesbians and over sexed people of all ages, and provide them with the chance to indulge their secret vices. Then in due course they put on the squeeze and make quite a bit of money by it. Pedaling dope is another of their activities and generally proves a pretty useful side line.'
C. B, paused to fiddle. with his pipe, then went on, `But the big shots are right up and away above that sort of thing. In most cases I doubt if they even know the chiefs of the little covens. Anyhow, they leave it to their subordinates to supervise them and pick likely lads to form new ones. Their job is to use occult forces to destroy good influences. Their usual line is to cause the illness or death at a time of crisis of the key man who might be able to tide it over; or, alternatively, to produce conditions which will favour some unscrupulous individual getting control of the situation. The best example I can give you of an ace high Black Magician in modern times is the monk Rasputin. He did more than all the Bolsheviks put together to bring about the Russian revolution; and I don't need to tell you the extent of the evil that has brought to Russia, and may yet bring to the rest of the world.'
Molly rejoined them at that moment, and as John got up to get her a drink she enquired how he had enjoyed his day.
`Oh, all right,' he replied casually. `We found a nice place to picnic, but as a matter of fact we slept for most of the afternoon.'
`Dear me, you must have been bored then.' With a smile she turned to C. B. `This business really is rather hard luck on Johnny. Three days of his holiday have gone already, and he hasn't had a moment yet to look up his old friends or hit any of .the high spots along the coast. I think he is being very sweet to devote all his time to this poor girl.'
`Perhaps he doesn't find her as boring as you think,' C. B. smiled back; and, standing up, he carefully removed a long brown hair from the open collar of John's pale blue sweat shirt.
`Well played, Sherlock,' John laughed. `But don't let that little souvenir give either of you any wrong ideas. It signifies only the sealing of the sort of deal that Hitler used to call “A pact of Eternal Friendship” when it suited his book to enter into a political understanding with someone for a few weeks.' He told them about his phony engagement to Christina, and the reason that had prompted him to suggest it.
`Now I'm here, I'll be able to get the French police moving, should we need them,' C. B. commented, `but all the same it was quite a sound idea.'
Then Molly added, `Christina showed me your father's ring and explained why she was wearing it directly we got upstairs. She told me, too, about Count Jules' visit after I left this morning.'
`John has just given me particulars of that.' C. B. stretched out his long legs, and went on thoughtfully, `In view of young de Grasse's threat, I think we ought to set a watch to night, just in case they attempt a snatch. We could put an armchair on the landing outside her room. I need very little sleep, so I can easily sit up reading until two. Then if John relieved me until five, I'd come on again then. By seven your bonne will be about, so I could get another couple of hours shut eye before breakfast. How about it, John; are you game to do the three hours before dawn?'
`Sure. Longer if you like. After all, now she is my fiancee I don't have to stay outside her door, do I?'
`Any nonsense of that kind, and I'll pack you off back to England,' his mother said severely.
He gave a mock sigh and shot an injured look at the Colonel. `You see, sir, how old fashioned she is in her ideas about the latitude that should be allowed to engaged couples. I do wish you would try your hand at educating her up a bit for me.'
Both of them picked up the innuendo. C. B. let his gaze fall to his big feet. Molly flushed and said quickly, `I really came down to say that if you want to change tonight, it is time we went up.'
The Colonel levered himself out of his chair. `It is just as you like, my dear. As I always have a tub before dinner,
I find it no more trouble, and considerably more enlivening to the mind, to get into le smoking, as they call it out here.'
`I know you do,' she smiled, `so while you are with us I have put dinner back to eight thirty. But you and John will have to share the guests' bathroom, and it is nearly half past seven now.'
Finishing up their drinks, they followed her out. An hour later they reassembled.
John was first down, and having switched on the lights he mixed another round of cocktails. When his mother joined him he noted with secret amusement that she was considerably more made up than usual, and was wearing a very pretty frock that he had not seen before. C. B. came in a moment later, gave her one appraising glance, and said
`Molly, my dear, you're looking positively stunning. If it wasn't for John, here, I'd stake my oath that you couldn't be a day over thirty.'
She gave a happy laugh. `Well, they say a woman is as old as she looks and a man is as old as he feels, so perhaps we had better leave it at that. But you're not looking so bad yourself. I don't wonder you like to change in the evenings. Dark, well cut clothes instead of those baggy things you wear in the day time take at least ten years off you.'
`You sweet children,' purred John, as he handed them
their cocktails. `How I wish I were your age; then I should have so many new experiences to look forward to.'
`You insolent pup!' C. B. made a pretence of cuffing him; and they continued laughing together until the gong went.
`Christina has been an awfully long time dressing,'
Molly remarked, `but we will give her a few minutes' grace.'
They shared out the remaining contents of the shaker, but still Christina had not appeared; so Molly said to John, `I think you had better slip up and find out how much longer your fiancee is going to spend titivating herself for your benefit.'
'Right oh!' he nodded, and, leaving the room, ran upstairs. A minute later he came pounding down again, shouting as he came, `She isn't there! Her room's empty! She's gone!'
8
Kidnapped?
As John burst into the room, C. B. gave him a rueful smile. `Seems we've been caught on the hop. Any sign of a struggle?'
`I don't think so: I didn't notice any.'
`We should have heard it if there had been,' said Molly.
`I doubt if we would have taken any notice, while we were up there dressing, unless she had let out a shout; and we might not even have heard that during the past ten minutes while we've been joking together down here.'
`She must have been gone longer than that. Her evening frock is still on the bed. Come up and see.' Turning, John hurried from the room.
`After you, my dear.' C. B. politely stood aside for Molly. He had not so far raised his voice, and his movements, although actually as quick as those of the others, appeared quite leisurely.
Upstairs they halted together in the doorway of the big room at the back of the house that Christina had been given. At first glance there was nothing to suggest that she had been forcibly removed; neither was there any paper prominently displayed, which might have been a note left by her, giving a reason for her having left of her own accord.
`I suppose she has gone?' C. B. murmured. `Better look in the bathroom, though. I've known young women faint in hot baths before now.'
Swinging round, Molly ran to a door on the opposite side of the passage and thrust it open. The bathroom was empty. Hastily she tried the W.C. next door, but that was empty too. Her face showed her distress as she
