The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

boy again.'

'Not me,' said the Saint. 'You must be thinking of someone else. I'll admit I've been to Paris, but——'

Teal's lower jaw ruminated rhythmically.

'Yes,' he said, 'some of it was in Paris.'

Simon leaned against the mantelpiece with a little twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

'Well?'

'In Paris,' said Teal, 'you doped Lord Essenden and took a couple of hundred thousand francs off him. Be­fore that, while acting as a police officer, you abandoned your duty and connived at the escape of a woman who's wanted for murder. You can't go on doing that sort of thing, Saint, I'm afraid I shall have to bother you again.'

'Well?'

The detective's shoulders moved in a ponderous shrug.

'The best thing about you, Templar,' he said, 'is that you always come quietly.'

Simon fingered his chin.

'What d'you mean—'come quietly'?' he asked, with childlike innocence.

'Come for a walk,' said Teal. 'Or, if you like, we'll take a taxi. I'm sorry to have to pull you in at this hour, but you were out when I called earlier, and if I left it till to-morrow morning you might have gone away again.

'And where are we going to take this walk—or this taxi drive?'

Mr. Teal blinked. He seemed to find it a tremendous effort to keep awake.

'Rochester Row police station.'

'In Pimlico?' protested the Saint. 'Not that. I'm only taken to West End police stations.'

'Not Pimlico,' said Teal. 'Westminster.'

'Worse still,' said the Saint. 'Members of Parlia­ment get taken there.'

Mr. Teal settled his hat, which, like the traditional detective, he had not removed when he entered the flat.

'Coming?' he inquired lethargically.

'Can't,' said the Saint. 'Sorry,  old  dear.'

'Simon Templar,' said Teal, 'I arrest you on a charge of——'

'Let's see it on the warrant.'

'Which warrant?'

The Saint grinned.

'The warrant for my arrest,' he said.

'I haven't got a warrant.'

'I guessed that. And how are you going to arrest me without a warrant?'

'I can take you into custody——'

'You can't,'