"Isn't that rather roundabout?"

Mr Taylor laughed jovially.

"My good James has his own ideas," said he. "As a matter of fact, I
fancy he knows the coast road and isn't sure of the other. However, we
needn't worry about that. With a car like this the difference in time
will be a flea-bite!"

He had provided the minister with another excellent cigar, and smoking
in comfort behind a glass wind-screen, with the dim country slipping by
and the first pale star faintly shining overhead, the pair fell into
easy discourse. Mr Taylor was a remarkably sympathetic talker, the
minister found. He kept the conversation entirely on his companion's
affairs, putting innumerable questions as to his habits and way of
life, and indeed his whole history, and exhibiting a flattering
interest in his answers. Mr Burnett said to himself at last, with a
smile, that this inquiring gentleman would soon know as much about him
as he knew himself.

Once or twice the minister wondered how fast they were really going.
They did not seem to him to be achieving any very extraordinary speed,
but possibly that was only because the big car ran so easily. In fact,
when he once questioned his companion, Mr Taylor assured him that
actually was the explanation. It was thus pretty dark when they struck
the coast road, and it grew ever darker as they ran northward through a
bare, treeless country, with the cliff edge never far away and the
North Sea glimmering beyond.

They had reached an absolutely lonely stretch of road that hugged the
shore closely when the car suddenly stopped.

"Hallo!" exclaimed Mr Taylor, "what's up?"

The chauffeur half-turned round and said in a low voice--

"Did you see that light, sir?"

"Which light?"

The chauffeur pointed to the dark stretch of turf between them and the
edge of the cliffs.

"Just there, sir. I saw it flash for a second. I got a glimpse of
some one moving too, sir."

Mr Taylor became intensely excited.

"A spy signalling!" he exclaimed.

"Looks like it, sir," said the chauffeur.

Mr Taylor turned to the minister with an eager, resolute air.

"Our duty's clear, Mr Burnett," said he. "As loyal subjects of King
George--God bless him!--we've got to have a look into this!"

With that he jumped out and stood by the open door, evidently expecting
the minister to follow. For a moment Mr Burnett hesitated. A vague
sense that all was not well suddenly affected him. "Do not go!"
something s