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.And while Gugliemideliberated his next sentence, rocking gently in his chair, she listened inthe silence, and heard no other sound in the house.Probably it wasempty Gugliemi would not have risked leaving her ungagged in a place where shemight cry out and attract attention.He seemed to read her thoughts with the restless dark eyes that searched herface with blatant appreciation of her beauty."No," he said, "there is ho one here.We are in Lam-beth, and this is thecaretaker's room over an empty warehouse.You can cry out if you like, but noone will hear you.And as soon as you promise me that you will behaveyourself, I will take those straps away and you will be free.""So," she said calmly, "Mr.Templar hasn't been ar-rested?"He spread out his hands.Page 87ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"How should I know? That was a story I made up.When he left your house, I didnot follow him any more.I was not interested in him.Perhaps he has beenarrested, perhaps he has not.Who can say?"She grasped that one fact as a drowning man might clutch at a straw.And then, as if in answer to her thoughts, somewhere down in the depths belowthere was & thunder of knocking on the door.Chapter XIHOW SIMON TEMPLAR INTERRUPTED A PARTY,AND MR.CULLIS WAS AT HOMEGUGLIEMI must have thought that it was his friend return-ing, for his darkeyes opened wide when he saw Simon Templar."What do you want?" he demanded."Who are you?" inquired the Saint, inspecting him from crown to toe with adisparaging eye."I am the caretaker.""Then I hope you will take great care," said the Saint.The Italian was starting to push the door in his face, but Simon pushedharder, and walked in."What do you want?" asked Gugliemi again, and this time he asked it moredangerously.Simon carefully detached a fragment of cobweb from his sleeve.He was in hisdinner jacket, without hat or overcoat, and his shirt gleamed snowy white inthe dim light."I really don't want you to think me interfering, Signor Oleaqua," said theSaint diffidently."But don't you think it's time you let Miss Trelawney gohome?""I know nothing about Mees Trelawney.""But, my dear Signor Gazebo," protested the Saint, in accents of shockedinnocence, "think of the proprieties! Think of what the bishop would say if heknew that you were alone with a fair lady at this hour!""I do not understand," said Gugliemi stubbornly."I know no Mees Trelawney, Itell you."The Saint's eyebrows lifted half an inch."Really?" he said."But a friend of yours has just told me that he brought herhere with you."Gugliemi shrugged eloquent shoulders."Perhaps you make the fairy tale?" he said."Perhaps," agreed the Saint, "But of course you'll let me have a look round,just to make sure, won't you?""I shall not." Gugliemi straightened up."You have forced your way in here,and if you do not go quickly I will call for the police."Simon straightened up also."Your ideas of hospitality are deplorable," he remarked genially."But I'msure you don't mean it.You're just one of these strong men with no trimmings,and you wouldn't be really troublesome for the world, would you?"A shining automatic had appeared from nowhere in his hand.He flourished itairily, and Gugliemi became aware of an unpleasant sinking feeling."I'm not very used to these little toys," said the Saint mildly, as the gunflourished round and settled down directly opposite the sinking feeling."I ama man of peace, though nobody ever seems to believe it.But I understand thatif you squeeze these gadgets in the wrong place they go bang and make holes inthings.I should be frightfully interested to see if that's true.Do youhappen to know, by any chance?" His fingers flickered carelessly over thetrigger, and Gugliemi went pale."But what's the idea, my little andantecapriccioso? A spot of kidnaping? Some of this heavy desert love stuff you'veseen on the cine-matografo?"He waggled his automatic perilously with every ques-tion.Gugliemi reached behind him, but the Saint was a little quicker.He reachedPage 88ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlout and caught the Italian's wrist in time, and Gugliemi dropped his gun witha yelp of pain.Simon pushed him away and picked it up."And what are your views," asked the Saint conversationally, "on the subjectof supralapsarianism? They should be valuable.Only a few hours ago  ""All right," snarled Gugliemi."I find you Mees Tre-lawney.Only put that gunaway.""Not till I know you aren't going to pull any more slapstick comedy,sweetheart," said the Saint."Where is she?""Upstairs.""Dear me!" The automatic nuzzled again into Gug-liemi's fancy waistcoat."Ihope you haven't been forgetting your manners?""I will show you.""You certainly will," said the Saint pleasantly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]