sure we can trust absolutely to her discretion."

"We can. But please remember that I don't know what the business is all
about."

"I'm coming to that. Oh, by the way, there is one question more:
To-morrow night your cousin is giving a costume party or a fancy-dress
party of some sort or other, isn't she?"

"Yes; an All Fools' Day party; not a very large one though."

"And you will be going to it, won't you?"

"Yes, indeed! I'm doing the decorating and acting as sort of assistant
director of the affair. But what can my cousin and her April Fools' Day
party and all that have to do with the matter that brings you here?"

"A good deal, I hope. But I expect I had better go back to the beginning
and tell you the tale in some sort of orderly way. Of course I am
telling it to you as one responsible representative of our Government to
another."

"I understand. But go ahead, won't you? My curiosity is increasing by
the moment."

"Well then, here it is: Six days ago there arrived from the conference
at Versailles a high army officer, acting for this occasion as a
confidential messenger of the Administration. He brought with him a
certain communication--a single small sheet or strip of parchment paper
containing about twelve or fifteen typewritten lines. But those few
lines were about as important and, under certain circumstances, as
dangerous a collection of typewritten lines as it is possible to
conceive of."

"Weren't they in code?"

"Naturally. But the signature was not. The signature was in the
handwriting of the man--let us say the personage--who dictated the
wording of the dispatch. You would know that handwriting if you saw it.
Nearly every man, woman and child in this country who can read would
know it and would recognise it at a glance. Even between us, I take it
that there is no need of mentioning the name."

"No. Please go on. The thing has a thrilling sound already."

"That communication dealt directly with perhaps the most important
single issue now in controversy at the Peace Conference--a phase of the
Asiatic muddle. In fact, it was an outline of the private agreement that
has been reached as between our envoys and the envoys representing
sundry friendly powers in regard to this particular question. If it
should fall into the hands of a certain other power--and be
translated--the entire negotiation would be jeopardised. Almost
inevitably at least one Oriental nation would withdraw from the
conferenc