Red In The Morning by Dornford Yates

pack of lies.”
    “That’s all right,” said Mansel. “We’ll wash this evening out.”
    “I shan’t – ever,” said The Stoat.
    Her voice was none too steady, and Mansel began at once to commend her car, quietly comparing her manners with those of other makes and remembering other models which were not so good.
    We had covered perhaps two miles when the girl burst out.
    “I can’t let you go like this. Listen. When my uncle heard you were here, there was the most frightful scene… Gedge has a pull with him – that’s perfectly true – and so can use the château from time to time. But – honour among thieves: and to lead anybody to Arx was a hideous breach of faith. Anyway, the damage was done, and the only way to repair it was to eliminate you. My uncle wouldn’t mourn Gedge: but until you are dead, he won’t rest – and that is the truth.”
    There was a little silence. Then –
    “Thank you very much,” said Mansel.
    No more was said until we had reached the farm, where Mansel and I got out, and the girl took the driving seat. I slid her pistol into the pocket beside her and shut the door. Then I stood back beside Mansel.
    The girl leaned out of her window as though she had something to say.
    We moved to her side.
    “I’m soppy enough,” she said, “to hope that you two will think of me by another name. I’m not going to give you my own, for my father commanded his Regiment and died by Ypres. But I had a stage name once. It was Mona Lelong.”
    “Good night, Miss Lelong.”
    The girl caught her breath.
    Then she smiled and nodded, and let in her clutch…
    As her tail light flicked out of sight –
    “We shall see her again,” said I.
    “I hope so,” said Mansel. “Nothing like having a friend in the enemy’s camp.”
    “You handled her devilish well.”
    “It wasn’t so very hard. I was almost sure she was lying: and then she put a foot wrong. She said Brevet talked in his cups… And I will lay any money that Brevet can carry his wine. So I fired my big gun at once – as you and I know, the only gun that I’d got. I let her see that I knew that she was The Stoat. She at once assumed that I knew all about her and had been playing with her from first to last. And so she went off the deep end and then broke down.” Here the Lowland came up and he waved her into the yard. “We’re on to something, William. I wish I knew what. But it must be of some importance if ‘our beloved Horace’ regards us as trespassers.”
     
    The next morning I drove to Sarrat, a neighbouring town, while Mansel kept observation upon the Château of Arx. And John Bagot with him.
    I was taking the Lowland to a garage, for she had a fault in her wiring we could not find. With me was Bell.
    It was market day at Sarrat, and the old-fashioned streets were full. As we were picking our way, I saw Gedge’s Lowland some thirty paces ahead. But I could not see who was in her, and, since the traffic was checked, I told Bell to take the wheel and whipped out of the car.
    Under cover of vehicles, I was able to draw pretty close, to see that Lousy was driving, with Punter sitting beside. The back of the car was empty. At that moment the line of traffic began to move again, but slowly enough for me to follow on foot. Then, twenty yards farther on, Lousy drew in to the kerb and Punter prepared to alight. This meant that he would look back before he opened his door, so I drew back behind a lorry and out of his sight. And as I did so, the lorry began to move.
    If I was not to be seen, there was only one thing to be done, and that was to board the lorry, whose tailboard was down. This I accordingly did, and flung myself down on some sacks which, I think, contained meal. What such as observed me would think, I did not care, but I hoped very much that no one would take any action until I was away from the car. Almost at once the lorry was checked again, and whilst I was lying there, jerking like any puppet to the tune of an