propose to share in our work. But you are not a woman: you are a Comrade,
and I shall take much interest in your paper."

We met Armitage coming up Red Lion Street. He greeted us with a look of
relief. "Where on earth have you been?" he exclaimed; "I went to the
address you gave me, but when I inquired for you the fellow looked as
scared as if he had seen a ghost, and said he knew nothing about you, that
I must have made a mistake; and when I insisted and showed him the address
you had written, seemed to lose his head, and rang a bell and called for
help as if I were going to murder him. I thought he must be mad or drunk,
and so turned on my heel and came away. In the yard I recognised some of
our friends the detectives, and I felt quite anxious about you. At
Slater's Mews the door is locked; there is no light, and nobody answered
when I knocked. I am quite relieved to see you. I was beginning to fear
you had all got run in."

"Well, you see we are still alive and in fighting form. As you say the
_Bomb_ has closed, I suppose Short has gone off to the music-hall
with Simpkins, as he hinted at doing. Anyhow, come home with me; you too,
Kosinksi, if you don't mind; there is a lot to say, and many things to
settle, and we can settle everything better there than here in the street."

My proposal was agreed to, and we all three repaired to Fitzroy Square,
where over a cup of tea we settled the last details of the move, including
the name of our new paper, which was to be known as the _Tocsin_.



CHAPTER VI