Gentlemen of Crime by Arthur Gask

"I assure you, monsieur," began Larose with a sigh, "that when the motor van had gone off with the others I realised what it meant for us to be saddled with that body here, and I was filled with consternation at the thought of the position in which we were placed. It was a terrible misfortune that I had had to kill that wretch, and for the moment it seemed the end of everything, and the complete ruin, at the very onset, of our plans." He looked with worried eyes at Vallon. "And then when I had searched the body and found that letter, the extent of the calamity appeared if possible to be worse. Here was a spy caught in our midst with most valuable information upon him, and we would have to shout it out everywhere and inform the whole world of the fact. It meant the end of all our secrecy and the enemy would know at once that we were unloosed upon his track."

"It was good and bad luck," said Vallon. "We are fortunate that Ravahol did not get away with the information that he possessed."