“I’ve been here long enough and have just time to get to the station.”

There was silence for a few moments and Foster felt his heart beat.  He meant to finish the interview as it had begun, without doing anything unusual, but if this was impossible, he had another plan.  His muscles were stiffened ready for a spring; he would pin the fellow to his desk while he seized the letters.  Though he meant to look calm, his face got very grim; but Graham carelessly pushed the letters towards him.

“Very well!  You will take the responsibility if there’s any trouble.”

“I will,” said Foster, as coolly as he could, and picked up the envelopes.  “Sorry if I’ve detained you.  Good afternoon.”

He was half afraid to turn his back to the other, but there was no avoiding this and he heard no suspicious movement until he reached the door.  Then, as he expected, the telephone bell rang, and Foster, running down the steps, drew a breath of relief when he reached the street.  It was now dark, but he felt comforted as he saw Pete’s tall figure in the gloom.

“Look behind you now and then and tell me if anybody follows us,” he said, and knowing that Pete’s eyes could be trusted, carefully reviewed the situation when they turned into a busy street.

It was obvious that the conclusions he had come to by the peat-stack were correct, and the police, who were obviously watching him, thought he might know something about the Hulton tragedy.  If so, his movements had not been calculated to allay their suspicions.  He had now papers that were probably dangerous in his pocket, and it he were caught before he got rid of them, it would be difficult to prove his innocence.  The safe line would be to make for the nearest police station and give up the documents.  So long as he kept them, he had as much to fear from the police as from Daly’s gang.  But he did not mean to give them up just yet.

His duty to the State was plain, but he was frankly determined to save his comrade first, and imagined that he could do so, although the thing would be difficult.  For all that, Daly must be forced to keep Lawrence’s secret.  Then he had, to some extent, discredited Daly with his accomplice by informing Graham that he was engaged upon some profitable private business.  It looked as if Graham did not know what the fellow’s object was; after all, the gang might not trust each other very far.  The trouble was that Daly might not be easily found, and in the meantime Foster had two dangers to guard against; but he meant to be careful, and to tell the police all he knew as soon as he had dealt with Daly.