rene lalage made his way blindly up to the roof, where he lay breathless under the shadow of a chimney. it was too dark to study any further plan of escape, and too dark for a free dash for liberty. a false step and he might be dashed to the ground. better be caught and taken back to gaol than that.
he waited for what seemed a long time, but was only a few minutes after all. then there were voices coming nearer and nearer, one with a hoarse note of triumph as the ladder leading to the roof was found.
"this is the way," another gruff voice said. "he's here for any money."
a police helmet appeared cautiously above the skyline, followed by a bulky body. then a lane of light played all over the roof. closer and closer rené nestled up in the shadow of the chimney. he was in the centre of the gleaming light now, and presently his figure grew distinct and clear.
"come out of it, my lad," said the gruff one good-humouredly. "we've got you."
rené rolled down the roof to a long ledge that the light had shown him. if he could run along that he could gain the next house, and go a deal further. then he might slip down another ladder, and so through a sleeping household to safety. he rocked unsteadily over on the ledge with his feet hanging perilously over the parapet; the next instant one of the police officers, at the risk of his neck, was upon him. rené would have wriggled for his knife, but he dared not move.
"come quietly," the officer suggested. "if you want to commit suicide go on acting like that. and if you drag me down that won't save your life."
lalage saw the beautiful force of the argument. besides, he was not anxious to die yet. his own bitter regret was that he had not completed his mission. if he had only known that his dalliance with opportunity had proved his own undoing he would have been moved to a deeper and fiercer anger.
"i'll come quietly," he said between his teeth. "have you got the woman?"
the officer shook his head in a puzzled kind of way. he knew nothing about any woman. perhaps those below had accounted for her. there were lights all over the house when lalage was led down with the handcuffs on his wrists.
"have you got the woman?" he asked again.
nobody had seen anything of any woman. a light began to dawn upon rené.
"i'm coming quietly," he said. "to show my friendly feeling, i don't mind telling you that you have made an important capture. now, during the last hour have you heard anything of an escape from holloway?"
the sergeant in charge of the party had heard all about that.
"party of the name of lalage?" he said. "what do you know about him?"
the prisoner struck his breast theatrically.
"simply because i am that distinguished individual," he said. "i tell you that because in any case you must have found that out before long. my liberty comes to me in a way that is likely to prove useful. i came here to take a great revenge. pah, i may be what you call criminal, but i am not a burglar. i have not sunk to that yet. i came here to see a woman. have you got her?"
"seen nothing of a woman," growled the sergeant.
"oh, then i begin to have still deeper suspicions. how did you know i was here? i was certain that i was never tracked."
"somebody in the house," the sergeant explained sketchily. "caretaker or something of that kind, or so we imagined. call on the telephone."
rené broke out into sudden exultation. he saw it all now. he had been lulled into a false position of security, and leona had slunk away and called for assistance on the telephone. he had not known that there was such a thing in the house. how she must have smiled at him in her sleeves all the time, knowing that his capture was certain, and that she had her own avenue of escape.
"what's this about a woman?" the sergeant asked.
rené checked himself. he grew suddenly calm, but the effort threw him into a violent perspiration. well, his time should come yet.
"take me back to holloway," he said, sullenly, "and ask your prout to see me in the morning. say it will be worth his while."
prout came up smiling in the course of the next afternoon. he was disposed to chaff his prisoner in a mild kind of way.
"the experience was worth the money," the latter said. "my friend had arranged everything. i got our dear balmayne in our clutches within an hour. and i said to him, 'dog, where is leona lalage?' and he professed not to know. but we had means of our own, you understand, to make him speak. and he spoke at last. he told me where to find her. and where do you think it was?"
"well," prout said thoughtfully, "seeing that you were traced to lytton avenue, i suppose that you found her there?"
"i did. so you see that she has not escaped from london. perhaps you knew that before you came here. anyway i have told you. and i'll tell you more if you are not aware of it already. leona lalage and the spanish gipsy of the corner house are one and the same woman."
prout nodded. all this was no news to him. lalage paced up and down the cell fiercely. his eyes were full of sullen fire.
"and she killed my brother," he said. "oh, yes, there is no doubt about that. if i had not been a fool i should have been avenged last night."
"and spoilt my game," prout said coolly. "oh, you are going to have all you need in the way of revenge, but in a legitimate way. within a few hours london is going to learn the mystery of the corner house."
