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."Don't you trust me?" he asked."No," she replied."Quite right," he approved; "anyway I'll see you to the cab andyou can tell the driver to go to Charing Cross station and on yourway you can change your direction.""And you promise you won't follow me?" she asked."On my honour," he swore; "on one condition though.""I will make no conditions," she replied haughtily."Please come down from your great big horse," he begged, "andlisten to reason.The condition I make is that I can always bringyou to an appointed rendezvous whenever I want you.Honestly,this is necessary, Belinda Mary.""Miss Bartholomew," she corrected, coldly."It is necessary," he went on, "as you will understand.Promiseme that, if I put an advertisement in the agonies of either anevening paper which I will name or in the Morning Port, you willkeep the appointment I fix, if it is humanly possible."She hesitated a moment, then held out her hand."I promise," she said."Good for you, Belinda Mary," said he, and tucking her arm in hishe led her out of the room switching off the light and racing herdown the stairs.If there was a lot of the schoolgirl left in Belinda MaryBartholomew, no less of the schoolboy was there in thisCommissioner of Police.He would have danced her through the fog,contemptuous of the proprieties, but he wasn't so very anxious toget her to her cab and to lose sight of her."Good-night," he said, holding her hand."That's the third time you've shaken hands with me to-night," sheinterjected."Don't let us have any unpleasantness at the last," he pleaded,"and remember.""I have promised," she replied."And one day," he went on, "you will tell me all that happened inthat cellar.""I have told you," she said in a low voice."You have not told me everything, child."He handed her into the cab.He shut the door behind her and leantthrough the open window."Victoria or Marble Arch?" he asked politely."Charing Cross," she replied, with a little laugh.He watched the cab drive away and then suddenly it stopped and afigure lent out from the window beckoning him frantically.He ranup to her."Suppose I want you," she asked."Advertise," he said promptly, "beginning your advertisement 'DearTommy."'"I shall put 'T.X.,' " she said indignantly."Then I shall take no notice of your advertisement," he repliedand stood in the middle of the street, his hat in his hand, to theintense annoyance of a taxi-cab driver who literally all but ranhim down and in a figurative sense did so until T.X.was out ofearshot.CHAPTER XVIIThomas Xavier Meredith was a shrewd young man.It was said of himby Signor Paulo Coselli, the eminent criminologist, that he had agift of intuition which was abnormal.Probably the mystery of thetwisted candle was solved by him long before any other person inthe world had the dimmest idea that it was capable of solution.The house in Cadogan Square was still in the hands of the police.To this house and particularly to Kara's bedroom T.X.from timeto time repaired, and reproduced as far as possible the conditionswhich obtained on the night of the murder.He had the samestifling fire, the same locked door.The latch was dropped in itssocket, whilst T.X., with a stop watch in his hand, madeelaborate calculations and acted certain parts which he did notreveal to a soul.Three times, accompanied by Mansus, he went to the house, threetimes went to the death chamber and was alone on one occasion foran hour and a half whilst the patient Mansus waited outside.Three times he emerged looking graver on each occasion, and afterthe third visit he called into consultation John Lexman.Lexman had been spending some time in the country, having deferredhis trip to the United States."This case puzzles me more and more, John," said T.X., troubledout of his usual boisterous self, "and thank heaven it worriesother people besides me.De Mainau came over from France theother day and brought all his best sleuths, whilst O'Grady of theNew York central office paid a flying visit just to get hold ofthe facts.Not one of them has given me the real solution, thoughthey've all been rather ingenious
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