"Certainly--if you wish."
Then both men went forth, descending the steps to the pavement,
whereupon a second man, who sprang from nowhere, joined them instantly,
while "Mr Murray" said, in a calm and quite determined voice--
"Mr Sainsbury, we are officers of the Criminal Investigation
Department, and we arrest you upon a warrant charging you with certain
offences under the Defence of the Realm Act."
"What!" gasped Jack, staring at them absolutely dumbfounded. "Are you
mad? What tomfoolery is this?"
"I will read the warrant over to you at Bow Street," answered the man
who had called himself Murray.
And, as he uttered the words, a taxi that had been waiting a few doors
away drew up, and almost before Sainsbury could protest, or seek
permission to return to his fiancee and explain the farce in progress,
he was, in full view of Littlewood, bundled unceremoniously into the
conveyance, which, next instant, moved swiftly down the hill in the
direction of Swiss Cottage station, on its way to Bow Street Police
Station.