love the girl, you believe implicitly in her, and you are desperately
anxious to get her out of the hands of that blackguard, Fenwick. From
some morbid idea of self sacrifice, your wife continues to lead this life
of misery rather than betray what she would probably call a trust. It
seems to me that you would be more than foolish to hesitate longer."

"Come along, then," Venner said. "Let's see what we can do."

The key was in the lock at length, and the big door thrown open,
disclosing a luxurious suite of rooms beyond. So far as the explorers
could see at present, they had the place entirely to themselves. No
doubt Fenwick's servants had taken advantage of his absence to make a
holiday. For the most part, the rooms presented nothing out of the
common; they might have been inhabited by anybody possessing large
means. In one of the rooms stood a desk, carefully locked, and by its
side a fireproof safe.

"No chance of getting into either of those," Gurdon said. "Besides, the
attempt would be too risky. Don't you notice a peculiar noise going on?
Sounds almost like machinery."

Surely enough, from a distant apartment there came a peculiar click and
rumble, followed by a whirr of wheels, as if someone was running out a
small motor close by. At the same time, the two friends noticed the
unmistakable odor of petrol on the atmosphere.

"What the dickens can that be?" Gurdon said. "Its most assuredly in the
flat, and not far off, either."

"The only way to find out is to go and see," Venner replied. "I fancy