e was a tense, strained note in his voice.

Miss Thorne's blue-gray eyes had grown mistily thoughtful; the words
startled her a little and she turned to face him.

"It may be that you and I shall never meet again," Mr. Grimm went on.

"We _will_ meet again," she said gravely. "When and where I don't know,
but it will come."

"And perhaps then we may be friends?" He was pleading now.

"Why, we are friends now, aren't we?" she asked, and again the smile
curled her scarlet lips. "Surely we are friends, aren't we?"

"We are," he declared positively.

As they started forward a revenue cutter which had been hovering about
Sandy Hook put toward them, flying some signal at her masthead. Slowly
the great boat on which they stood crept along, then the clang of a bell
in the engine-room brought her to a standstill, and the revenue cutter
came alongside.

"I leave you here," Mr. Grimm said again. "It's good-by."

"Good-by," she said softly. "Good-by, till we meet once more."

She extended both hands impulsively and he stood for an instant staring
into the limpid gray eyes, then, turning, went below. From the revenue
cutter he waved a hand at her as the great _Lusitania_, moving again,
sped on her way. The prince joined Miss Thorne at the rail. The scowl
was still on his face.

"And now what?" he demanded abruptly. "This man has treated us as if we
were a pair of children."

"He's a wonderful man," she replied.

"That may be--but we have been fools to allow him to do all this."

Miss Thorne turned flatly and faced him.

"We are not beaten yet," she said slowly. "If all things go well we--we
are not beaten yet."

The _Lusitania_ was rounding Montauk Point when the wireless brought her
to half-speed with a curt message:

"Isabel Thorne and Pietro Petrozinni aboard _Lusitania_ wanted on
warrants charging conspiracy. Tug-boat will take them off, intercepting
you beyond Montauk Point.

"CAMPBELL, Secret Service."

"What does _that_ mean?" asked the prince, bewildered.

"It means that the compact will be signed in Washington in spite of Mr.
Grimm," and there was the glitter of triumph in her eyes. "With the aid
of one of the maids in the depot at Jersey City I managed to get a
telegram of explanation and instruction to De Foe in New York, and this
is the result. He signed Mr. Campbell's name, I suppose, to give weight
to the message."

An hour later a tug-boat came alongside, and they went aboard.

XX