ted to ask what agency supplies ladies so accomplished
at a notice so brief?"

"Providence," said Blacklock promptly and simply. "Miss Holland had
never undertaken any such work before, and her name is on the books of
no bureau."

"I believe you entirely," said von Belke ironically. "You taught her
her trade then, I presume?"

"I did."

The German stared at him.

"Is there really any need to deceive me further?" he inquired.

"I am telling you the simple truth," said Blacklock unruffled. "I had
the great good fortune to make Miss Holland's acquaintance on the
mail-boat crossing to these islands. She was going to visit Mr
Craigie--that intellectual gentleman you met yesterday--under the
precise circumstances he described. I noticed Miss Holland the moment
she came aboard the boat." He paused for a moment, and then turned to
Eileen with a smile. "I have a confession to make to you, Miss
Holland, which I may as well get off my chest now. My mind, naturally
enough perhaps, was rather running on spies, and when I discovered that
you were travelling with a suit-case of German manufacture I had a few
minutes' grave suspicion. I now apologise."

Eileen laughed.

"Only a few minutes!" she exclaimed. "It seems to me I got off very
easily!"

"That was why I was somewhat persistent in my conversation," he
continued, still smiling a little, "but it quickly served the purpose
of satisfying me absolutely that my guns were on the wrong target. And
so I promptly relieved you of my conversation."

He turned again to von Belke.

"Then, Mr Belke, a very curious thing happened, which one of us may
perhaps be pardoned for thinking diabolical and the other providential.
Miss Holland happened to have met the real Mr Burnett and bowled me
out. And then I had another lucky inspiration. If Miss Holland will
pardon me for saying so in her presence, I had already been struck with
the fact that she was a young lady of very exceptional looks and brains
and character--and, moreover, she knew Germany and she knew German. It
occurred to me that in dealing with a young and probably not
unimpressionable man such an ally might conceivably come in useful."

"Robin," interrupted his old friend, with his rich laugh, "you are the
coldest-blooded brute I ever met!"

"To plot against a man like that!" agreed von Belke with bitter
emphasis.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of you," said Captain Phipps, with a gallant
glance at the lady.