aped at him. He
ordered his satellites to release her and, as they reluctantly did so,
Millie nodded her head at them.

"You leave me where I'm to! He can take up his own part," she told
them.

The KAISER addressed her sternly.

"Presumptuous woman," he said, "it is not written that you shall be
the cause of my death. There is something much higher in store for
me. You deserve worse than death at my hands; but since you are from
England I will squeeze from you all the information I require and bend
you to my uses."

All this was obviously wasted on Millie, who heard nothing. Having
waited politely until his lips stopped moving in speech, she again
cracked him on the head with the coal-hammer.

The KAISER ignored this uncivil retort and spoke again.

"You shall go back to your matchless country and tell them there that
we have plenty of matches in Germany; that we have kept on good terms
with Stockholm, and our matches are made in Sweden. We have all we
need to kindle every fire in hell. Now are you convinced that you are
beaten?"

He was interrupted by another blow from the coal-hammer, which made
him bite his tongue, for Millie was becoming exasperated and put all
her strength into the stroke. The KAISER stepped back.

"Poor fool! You are wasting your strength, even as HAIG wastes _his_
in blow after blow on the Western front."

But even as he uttered the lying boast he tottered and fell back
unconscious into the arms of LITTLE WILLIE.

The Generals and Statesmen gathered round their stricken master,
gabbling purest Prussian.

Millie appeared satisfied at last, although the CROWN PRINCE had
scarcely glanced at her, for she was not his type. She took advantage
of the commotion to procure two boxes of matches which had been thrown
carelessly on the table. These she bestowed mysteriously beneath her
overall.

"He deserved it too!" she muttered contentedly as she hobbled to the
door; "and I don't believe so much about all his matches either. You
can only get two boxes at a time even here." With this reflection she
unostentatiously departed.

* * * * *

Again that familiar knock....

I was back in my little sitting-room in Cornwall and Millie entered
with my candle, which she put down on the table rather noisily. I
gave her the usual grin and nod of acknowledgment, and she wished me
good-night and went.

In the tray of the candlestick there was a box of matches. I picked