'Which is the cupboard you hid in, Bundle?'
'This one.'
Jimmy went to it and flung the door open.
The same collection of miscellaneous glassware covered the shelves.
'We shall have to shift all this stuff,' he murmured. 'Run down and get Bill, Loraine. There's no need for him to keep watch outside any longer.'
Loraine ran off.
'What are you going to do?' inquired Bundle impatiently.
Jimmy was down on his knees, trying to peer through the crack of the other cupboard door.
'Wait till Bill comes and you shall hear the whole story. This is his staff work – and a jolly creditable bit of work it is. Hallo – what's Loraine flying up the stairs for as though she'd got a mad bull after her?'
Loraine was indeed racing up the stairs as fast as she could. She burst in upon them with an ashen face and terror in her eyes.
'Bill – Bill – Oh, Bundle – Bill!'
'What about Bill?'
Jimmy caught her by the shoulder.
'For God's sake, Loraine, what's happened?'
Loraine was still gasping.
'Bill – I think he's dead – he's in the car still – but he doesn't move or speak. I'm sure he's dead.'
Jimmy muttered an oath and sprang for the stairs, Bundle behind him, her heart pounding unevenly and an awful feeling of desolation spreading over her.
Bill – dead? Oh, no! Oh, no! Not that. Please God – not that.
Together she and Jimmy reached the car, Loraine behind them.
Jimmy peered under the hood. Bill was sitting as he had left him, leaning back. But his eyes were closed and Jimmy's pull at his arm brought no response.
'I can't understand it,' muttered Jimmy. 'But he's not dead. Cheer up, Bundle. Look here, we've got to get him into the house. Let's pray to goodness no policeman comes along. If anybody says anything, he's our sick friend we're helping into the house.'
Between the three of them they got Bill into the house without much difficulty, and without attracting much attention, save for an unshaven gentleman, who said sympathetically:
'Genneman's 'ad a couple, I shee,' and nodded his head sapiently.
'Into the little back room downstairs,' said Jimmy. 'There's a sofa there.'
They got him safely on to the sofa and Bundle knelt down beside him and took his limp wrist in her hand.
'His pulse is beating,' she said. 'What is the matter with him?'
'He was all right when I left him just now,' said Jimmy. 'I wonder if someone's managed to inject some stuff into him. It would be easily done – just a prick. The man might have been asking him the time. There's only one thing for it. I must get a doctor at once. You stay here and look after him.'
He hurried to the door, then paused.
'Look here – don't be scared, either of you. But I'd better leave you my revolver. I mean – just in case. I'll be back just as soon as I possibly can.'
He laid the revolver down on the little table by the sofa, then hurried off. They heard the front door bang behind him.
The house seemed very still now. The two girls stayed motionless by Bill. Bundle still kept her finger on his pulse. It seemed to be beating very fast and irregularly.
'I wish we could do something,' she whispered to Loraine. 'This is awful.'
Loraine nodded.
'I know. It seems ages since Jimmy went and yet it's only a minute and a half.'
'I keep hearing things,' said Bundle.
'Footsteps and boards creaking upstairs – and yet I know it's only imagination.'
'I wonder why Jimmy left us the revolver,' said Loraine. 'There can't really be danger.'
'If they could get Bill –' said Bundle and stopped.
Loraine shivered.
'I know – but we're in the house. Nobody can get in without our hearing them. And anyway we've got the revolver.'
Bundle turned her attention back again to Bill.
'I wish I knew what to do. Hot coffee. You give them that sometimes.'
'I've got some smelling-salts in my bag,' said Loraine. 'And some brandy. Where is it? Oh, I must have left it in the room upstairs.'
'I'll get it,' said Bundle. 'They might do some good.'
She sped quickly up the stairs, across the gaming room and through the open door into the meeting place. Loraine's bag was lying on the table.
As Bundle stretched out her hand to take it, she heard a noise from behind her. Hidden behind the door a man stood ready with a sand-bag in his hand. Before Bundle could turn her head, he had struck.
With a faint moan, Bundle slipped down, an unconscious heap, upon the floor.
Chapter 31
THE SEVEN DIALS
Very slowly Bundle returned to consciousness.
She was aware of a dark, spinning blackness, the centre of which was a violent, throbbing ache. Punctuating this were sounds. A voice that she knew very well saying the same thing over and over again.
The blackness span less violently. The ache was now definitely located as being in Bundle's own head. And she was sufficiently herself to take an interest in what the voice was saying.
'Darling, darling Bundle. Oh, darling Bundle. She's dead; I know she's dead. Oh, my darling. Bundle, darling, darling Bundle. I do love you so. Bundle – darling – darling –'
Bundle lay quite still with her eyes shut. But she was now fully conscious. Bill's arms held her closely.
'Bundle darling – Oh, dearest, darling Bundle. Oh, my dear love. Oh, Bundle – Bundle. What shall I do? Oh, darling one – my Bundle – my own dearest, sweetest Bundle. Oh, God, what shall I do? I've killed her. I've killed her.'
Reluctantly – very reluctantly – Bundle spoke.
'No, you haven't you silly idiot,' she said.
Bill gave a gasp of utter amazement.
'Bundle – you're alive.'
'Of course I'm alive.'
'How long have you been – I mean when did you come to?'
'About five minutes ago.'
'Why didn't you open your eyes – or say something?'
'Didn't want to. I was enjoying myself.'
'Enjoying yourself?'
'Yes. Listening to all the things you were saying. You'll never say them so well again. You'll be too beastly self-conscious.'
Bill had turned a dark brick-red.
'Bundle – you really didn't mind? You know, I do love you so. I have for ages. But I never have dared to tell you so.'
'You silly juggins,' said Bundle. 'Why?'
'I thought you'd only laugh at me. I mean – you've got brains and all that – you'll marry some bigwig.'
