The Devil's Cocktail Read Online Free

Hugh.
    â€˜Are you sure?’ he demanded.
    â€˜Certain! I chased him from Trafalgar Square. The worst of it is that he almost bumped into me there, and if I hadn’t been day-dreaming, I would have had him.’
    â€˜Moral: don’t day-dream!’ said Spencer. ‘But I can’t think how the little blighter got back to England. Why we saw him snugly off for Russia on board the Druid only ten days ago.’
    â€˜Nevertheless he is back.’
    They walked on together, each deep in his own thoughts.
    â€˜Why didn’t you nab him in that building?’ asked Spencer suddenly.
    Hugh hesitated a moment before replying, then:
    â€˜I searched the top of the place, where I naturally thought he had gone—’
    â€˜While he ran straight on I suppose, climbed through a window, over a wall, and dropped into Somers Lane!’
    â€˜How do you know?’
    â€˜This district is a pretty open book to me. I wish I had been with you, or had followed you in.’
    â€˜I wish you had. No use searching the lane I suppose?’
    â€˜Not a bit. Kamper is in a taxi by now, tearing down towards the East End. Well, we know he’s back, and that’s something. I’ll get straight down to the Yard, and warn them. Coming that way?’
    Hugh nodded, and the two strolled down Whitehall. Theyparted near the Foreign Office, Hugh turning into the building which housed the mighty organisation of the department, which most people did not know existed, the British Secret Service, while Spencer continued on his way to Scotland Yard.
    The Inspector went straight to his own office, and sat down before his desk.
    â€˜I wonder how the devil Kamper came back,’ he muttered, ‘and why?’

CHAPTER FOUR
Confidences
    Two days later Hugh received a long letter from Mahommed Abdullah appointing him to the post of Professor of English Literature of Sheranwala College, and asking him to make arrangements to leave for India as soon as possible. Abdullah himself was leaving practically at once, and hoped that Captain Shannon would not be long behind him. He added that a sum of seventy pounds would be immediately placed to Hugh’s credit in Grindlay’s Bank, and expressed his satisfaction that he would have the assistance of such an able man to help him build up the fortunes of Muslim education in Northern India.
    Hugh passed the letter across to Joan with a smile. She read it with great seriousness, and then looked at her brother.
    â€˜I suppose I must congratulate you, Hugh,’ she said; ‘but please tell me why you are doing this!’
    â€˜I have already told you that I want to get back to India, and this job rather appealed to me.’
    â€˜Is there no other reason?’
    He hesitated a moment before replying.
    â€˜No!’ he said.
    She regarded him searchingly.
    â€˜You are not telling me the truth,’ she said seriously. ‘I don’t see why you shouldn’t take me into your confidence: it cannot be because you are ashamed of something.’
    He smiled across the breakfast table at her.
    â€˜I can’t understand why you should think I have any other reasons,’ he said. ‘You say yourself that I cannot find anything to do at the Foreign Office. Isn’t it likely that I want to go somewhere, where I shall find something to do?’
    She rose, and, coming round to his side of the table, put her hands on his shoulders.
    â€˜I suppose you have your reasons,’ she said, ‘and perhaps you cannot divulge them, even to me. But I want to know that you are doing nothing to be ashamed of.’
    He stood up and looked straight into her eyes.
    â€˜No, Joan,’ he said; ‘there is no shame attached to what I am going to do – rather the reverse.’
    â€˜Well, I won’t be inquisitive any more,’ she declared. ‘Now I suppose I must commence to get ready my outfit. What are you going to do?’
    â€˜There is so