ugh words," Griffiths interposed savagely.

Sir Henry ignored the interruption.

"I am listening, Philippa," he said calmly.

"It was my intention an hour ago to leave this place with Mr. Lessingham
to-night," she told him deliberately.

"The devil it was!" Sir Henry muttered.

"As for the reason, you know it," she continued, her tone full of
courage. "I am willing to throw myself at your feet now, but all the
same I was hardly treated. I was made the scapegoat of your stupid
promise. You kept me in ignorance of things a wife should know. You even
encouraged me to believe you a coward, when a single word from you
would have changed everything. Therefore, I say that it is you who are
responsible for what I nearly did, and what I should have done but for
him--listen, Henry--but for him!"

"But for him," her husband repeated curiously.

"It was Mr. Lessingham," she declared, "who opened my eyes concerning
you. It was he who refused to let me yield to that impulse of anger.
Look at my coat there. My bag is on that table. I was ready to leave
with him to-night. Before we went, he insisted on telling me everything
about you. He could have escaped, and I was willing to go with him.
Instead, he spent those precious minutes telling me the truth about you.
That was the end."

"Lady Cranston omits to add," Lessingham put in, "that before I did
so she told me frankly that her feelings for me were of warm
friendliness--that her love was given to her husband, and her husband
only."

"How long is this to go on?" Griffiths asked harshly. "I have
the authority here and the power to take that man. These domestic
explanations have nothing to do with the case."

"Excuse me," Sir Henry retorted, with quiet emphasis, "they have a great
deal to do with it."

"I am Commandant of this place--" Griffiths commenced.

"And I possess an authority here which you had better not dispute," Sir
Henry reminded him sternly.

There was a moment's tense silence. Griffiths set his teeth hard, but
his hand wandered towards the back of his belt.

"I am now," Sir Henry continued, "going to announce to you a piece
of news, over which we shall all be gloating when to-morrow morning's
newspapers are issued, but which is not as yet generally known. During
last night, a considerable squadron of German cruisers managed to cross
the North Sea and found their way to a certain port of considerable
importance to us."

Lessingham started, His face was