done with her. Nor can I tell why
you should wear nature-sandals, nor why you should wear such cheap plue
clothes. These are outside my instructions. Trifles, perhaps. Officially
they are to be ignored. Laties come and go--I am a man of ze worldt. I
haf known wise men wear sandals and efen practice vegetarian habits.
I haf known men--or at any rate, I haf known chemists--who did not
schmoke. You haf, no doubt, put ze laty down somewhere. Well. Let us get
to--business. A higher power"--his voice changed its emotional quality,
his magnified eyes seemed to dilate--"has prought you and your secret
straight to us. So!"--he bowed his head--"so pe it. It is ze Destiny of
Chermany and my Prince. I can undershtandt you always carry zat secret.
You are afraidt of roppers and spies. So it comes wiz you--to us. Mr.
Pooterage, Chermany will puy it."

"Will she?"

"She will," said the secretary, looking hard at Bert's abandoned sandals
in the corner of the locker. He roused himself, consulted a paper of
notes for a moment, and Bert eyed his brown and wrinkled face with
expectation and terror. "Chermany, I am instructed to say," said the
secretary, with his eyes on the table and his notes spread out, "has
always been willing to puy your secret. We haf indeed peen eager to
acquire it fery eager; and it was only ze fear that you might be, on
patriotic groundts, acting in collusion with your Pritish War Office zat
has made us discreet in offering for your marvellous invention through
intermediaries. We haf no hesitation whatefer now, I am instructed, in
agreeing to your proposal of a hundert tousand poundts."

"Crikey!" said Bert, overwhelmed.

"I peg your pardon?"

"Jest a twinge," said Bert, raising his hand to his bandaged head.

"Ah! Also I am instructed to say that as for that noble, unrightly
accused laty you haf championed so brafely against Pritish hypocrisy and
coldness, all ze chivalry of Chermany is on her site."

"Lady?" said Bert faintly, and then recalled the great Butteridge love
story. Had the old chap also read the letters? He must think him a
scorcher if he had. "Oh! that's aw-right," he said, "about 'er. I 'adn't
any doubts about that. I--"

He stopped. The secretary certainly had a most appalling stare. It
seemed ages before he looked down again. "Well, ze laty as you please.
She is your affair. I haf performt my instructions. And ze title of
Paron, zat also can pe done. It can all pe done, Herr Pooterage."