20
　　The way out
　　A man’s face suddenly appeared in the hole. Jack¹ would not have been able to recognize it but forone thing – the man wore an eyeglass in one eye!
　　‘The Count!’ thought Jack. ‘My word – what’s he doing, popping up in secret places in themiddle of the night?’
　　The man jumped down to the floor. A door at once opened near him and a woman came out.
　　Jack recognized her, too. Madame Tatiosa, the pretty woman who had pretended to be ill atQuarry Cottage – the wife of the Prime Minister!
　　This was evidently a secret meeting between her and her brother. Where had he come from?
　　Why was he so excited? The two of them spoke² rapidly together and Madame Tatiosa seemedvery pleased. She kissed her brother on both cheeks and patted him on the back.
　　‘Her plans seem to be going well, whatever they are!’ thought Jack. ‘I bet it’s something to dowith the King. They’ve probably arranged to capture him soon. That means that Gussy will behauled out of that room and made to sit on the throne. I don’t like the look of Count Paritolen.
　　He’s a nasty bit of work – and it’s quite plain he’s been up to something tonight!’
　　The brother and sister, still talking excitedly, went into the room from which Madame Tatiosahad appeared. The door shut. Jack heard the clink of glasses. They were going to celebratesomething, perhaps? Things were obviously moving.
　　Jack wished fervently³ that Bill was there with him. But Bill probably didn’t even guess that thefive of them were in Tauri-Hessia. He had no means of knowing that they had come over by plane.
　　He was probably hunting for them all over the place in England!
　　Jack looked at the hole in the wall. Where did it lead to? He felt impelled⁴ to go and look at it.
　　He could still hear clinking and talking in the room nearby. He ran across to the hole, clamberedon a chair and looked inside. He could see nothing, so he felt for his torch.
　　Then he saw the door of the room opening! There was only one thing to do – he must tumbleinside that hole and hope for the best!
　　So in went Jack, almost falling over himself in his hurry. He found that there were steps there,and he slid down them, landing with a bump at the bottom. He sat there and listened, full of alarm.

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