oo long a story.'

'Clara?'

'_She's_ all right. By Jove! Carruthers--never mind.'

We found a night-bell at the villa door and rang it lustily. A window
aloft opened, and 'A message from Commander von Bruening--urgent,' I
called up.

The window shut, and soon after the hall was lighted and the door
opened by Dollmann in a dressing-gown.

'Good morning, Lieutenant X--,' I said, in English. 'Stop, we're
friends, you fool!' as the door was flung nearly to. It opened very
slowly again, and we walked in.

'Silence!' he hissed. The sweat stood on his steep forehead and a
hectic flush on either cheek, but there was a smile--what a
smile!--on his lips. Motioning us to tread noiselessly (a vain ideal
for me), he led the way to the sitting-room we knew, switched on the
light, and faced us.

'Well?' he said, in English, still smiling.

I consulted my watch, and I may say that if my hand was an index to
my general appearance, I must have looked the most abject ruffian
under heaven.

'We probably understand one another,' I said, 'and to explain is to
lose time. We sail for Holland, or perhaps England, at five at the
latest, and we want the pleasure of your company. We promise you
immunity--on certain conditions, which can wait. We have only two
berths, so that we can only accommodate Miss Clara besides yourself.'
He smiled on through this terse harangue, but the smile froze, as
though beneath it raged some crucial debate. Suddenly he laughed (a
low, ironical laugh).

'You fools,' he said, 'you confounded meddlesome young idiots; I
thought I had done with you. Promise me immunity? Give me till five?
By God, I'll give you five minutes to be off to England and be damned
to you, or else to be locked up for spies! What the devil do you take
me for?'

'A traitor in German service,' said Davies, none too firmly. We were
both taken aback by this slashing attack.

'A tr--? You pig-headed young marplots! I'm in _British_ service!
You're wrecking the work of years--and on the very threshold of
success.'

For an instant Davies and I looked at one another in stupefaction. He
lied--I could swear he lied; but how make sure?

'Why did you try to wreck Davies?' said I, mechanically.

'Pshaw! They made me clear him out. I knew he was safe, and safe he
is.'

There was only one thing for it--a last finesse, to put him to the
proof.

'Very well,' I said, after a moment or two, 'we'll clear
out--silence, Davies!--as it appears