The Saint Meets His Match (She was a Lady)

hear?' he snarled.

A look of fear came into the eyes of Albert George.

'I didn't 'ear nuffin', s'welp me, I didn't.'

'Liar!' said Flash Arne delicately.

'S'welp me,' wailed the prisoner, 'I didn't 'ear nuffin'.'

Harver chuckled throatily.

'I'll s'welp you,' he said, 'if you don't remember some­thing. Who told you to come here?'

'S'welp me—'

Harver drove his fist into the man's chest, sending him reeling back against the wall.

'I promised I'd s'welp you,' he said, 'and I have. Now, are you going to talk?'

He followed up his victim with measured, ponderous strides, and the slighter man cowered back. Arne and Keld and Ganning stood watching dispassionately. The prisoner shrank away, his face contorted with terror. And as Harver came within striking distance again and his fist went back for another blow, Albert George voiced a sharp, shrill yelp of panic.

'S'welp me!'

He ducked frantically, and Harver's fist smashed shat­teringly into the wall. George scuttled into a corner and crouched there, but Harver turned like an enraged bull and came after him.

'I'll talk,' screamed the prisoner. 'Don't hit me again——'

Harver seemed about to refuse the offer, but Essenden put himself between the two men.

'Wait a minute,' he said. 'There'll be time for that later. We'll hear what he's got to say.'

Albert George huddled against the wall.

'It's a cop,' he said, between breaths that came in labouring gasps. 'But it wasn't my idea. It was a bloke I met this morning in Seven Dials. 'E told me there was a man 'e wanted beaten up, name of Essenden. Is one of you gents Mr. Essenden?'

'Go on,' growled Harver.

'There was a lot of money for it, and 'e said there wasn't no risk. I'd just got to open a winder on the ground floor, an' get in. 'E told me where the alarms was, an' 'e drew me a plan of the 'ouse, an' 'e marked the bedroom, an' 'e says, 'You just go in that room and slosh 'im one, an' I'll be waitin' for yer at the Lodge gates wiv a car to tyke yer back to London.' '

'He said he'd be waiting at the Lodge gates with a car?'

Albert George swallowed.

'Yus. What's the time? 'E said 'e'd be there at ten o'clock.'

'What was this man's name?'

'I dunno. 'E was a toff. All dressed up, 'e was, like 'im.' He pointed to Flash Arne.

'Was there anyone with him?'

'Yus. There was a woman with 'im. She was a toff, too. She'll be in the car, too—she said she would.'

Ganning took his hand away