It was Mrs. Malplaquet who broke the silence. Suddenly her nerves
snapped under the strain, and she screamed aloud.
"A--ah!" she cried, "look! There are two of them! No, no, it
can't be!"
And she sank half fainting on the sofa.
Behrend whipped out a pistol from his hip pocket and thrust it in
Mortimer's face.
"Is this another of your infernal surprise packets?" he demanded
fiercely.
All the spies seemed on a sudden to be armed, Desmond noted, all,
that is, save Mrs. Malplaquet who lay cowering on the settee.
Mortimer had pulled out his super-Mauser; No. 13, who was
guarding the door, had a revolver in his hand, and Behrend, as
has been stated, was threatening Mortimer with his Browning.
Now Max advanced threateningly into the room, a long seaman's
knife in his hand..
"Put that blarsted shooting-iron awiy!" he snarled at Mortimer,
"and tell us wot's the little gime, will yer! Come on, egpline!"
With absolute self-possession Mortimer turned from the stranger
to Desmond.
"I think it is up to the twins to explain," he said almost
nonchalantly, "suppose we hear what this gentleman, who arrived
so surprisingly through the book-shelves, has to say?"
Though threatened with danger from two sides, from the gang and
possibly, as far as he knew, from the stranger, Mortimer was
perfectly calm.
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