Rene Lalage made his way blindly up to the roof, where he lay breathless under the shadow of a chimney. It was too dark to study any further plan of escape, and too dark for a free dash for liberty. A false step and he might be dashed to the ground. Better be caught and taken back to gaol than that.

He waited for what seemed a long time, but was only a few minutes after all. Then there were voices coming nearer and nearer, one with a hoarse note of triumph as the ladder leading to the roof was found.

"This is the way," another gruff voice said. "He\'s here for any money."

A police helmet appeared cautiously above the skyline, followed by a bulky body. Then a lane of light played all over the roof. Closer and closer René nestled up in the shadow of the chimney. He was in the centre of the gleaming light now, and presently his figure grew distinct and clear.

"Come out of it, my lad," said the gruff one good-humouredly. "We\'ve got you."

René rolled down the roof to a long ledge that the light had shown him. If he could run along that he could gain the next house, and go a deal further. Then he might slip down another ladder, and so through a sleeping household to safety. He rocked unsteadily over on the ledge with his feet hanging perilously over the parapet; the next instant one of the police officers, at the risk of his neck, was upon him. René would have wriggled for his knife, but he dared not move.

"Come quietly," the officer suggested. "If you want to commit suicide go on acting like that. And if you drag me down that won\'t save your life."

Lalage saw the beautiful force of the argument. Besides, he was not anxious to die yet. His own bitter regret was that he had not completed his mission. If he had only known that his dalliance with opportunity had proved his own undoing he would have been moved to a deeper and fiercer anger.

"I\'ll come quietly," he said between his teeth. "Have you got the woman?"

The officer shook his head in a puzzled kind of way. He knew nothing about any woman. Perhaps those below had accounted for her. There were lights all over the house when Lalage was led down with the handcuffs on his wrists.

"Have you got the woman?" he asked again.

Nobody had seen anything of any woman. A light began to dawn upon René.

"I\'m coming quietly," he said. "To show my friendly feeling, I don\'t mind telling you that you have made an important capture. Now, during the last hour have you heard anything of an escape from Holloway?"

The sergeant in charge of the party had heard all about that.

"Party of the name of Lalage?" he said. "What do you know about him?"

The prisoner struck his breast theatrically.

"Simply because I am that distinguished indivi............