Cheerful prospect, wasn't it? The adventure
had ceased to have any droll side to it.
"Aha!" cried the base minion of the law. "_Here_ you are, then!
Hello, everybody! Hello!" he bawled.
Caught! Here we were, the Blue Domino and myself, the Grey Capuchin,
both of us in a fine fix. Discovery and ejection I could have stood
with fortitude and equanimity; but there was bad business afoot. There
wasn't any doubt in my mind what was going to happen. As the girl
said, there would be flaring head-lines and horrid pictures. We were
like to be the newspaper sensation of the day. Arrested and lodged in
jail! What would my rich, doting old uncle say to that, who had
threatened to disinherit me for lesser things! I felt terribly sorry
for the girl, but it was now utterly impossible to help her, for I
couldn't help myself.
And behold! The mysterious stranger I had met in the curio-shop, the
fellow who had virtually haunted me for six hours, the fellow who had
masqueraded as Caesar, suddenly loomed up before me, still wearing his
sardonic smile. At his side were two more policemen. He had thrown
aside his toga and was in evening dress. His keen glance rested on me.
"Here he is, Mr. Haggerty!" cried the policeman cheerfully, swinging me
around.
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