en the consequences which his
disobedience of orders was destined to have. If he had realized
what the result of his obstinacy would be, he would not have
hesitated to send a full report by Crook--and this story might
never have been written!

But if youth followed reason instead of impulse, the world would
stand still. Desmond was still at an age at which a man is
willing to take on anything and anybody, and he was confident of
bringing his mission to a successful conclusion without any
extraneous aid. So Crook, after changing Desmond's make-up and
giving him a further rehearsal of his role, packed up his pots
and paints and brushes in his black bag and returned to London
with "nothing to report" as the communiques say.

He repeated his visit every day for the next four days. Crook's
arrival each afternoon was the only break in the monotony of a
life which was rapidly becoming unbearable to Desmond's mercurial
temperament. He found himself looking forward to the wizened
little man's visits and for want of better employment, he threw
himself wholeheartedly into the study of his role under the
expert's able direction. Desmond's beard had sprouted
wonderfully, and Crook assured him that, by about the end of the
week, the tow substitute, which Desmond found a most unmitigated
nuisance, would be no longer necessary. He also showed his pupil
how to paint in the few deft lines about the eyes which completed
the resemblance between Bellward and his impersonator.

The time hung terribly heavily on Desmond's hands. He had long
since memorized and destroyed the list of Mr. Bellward's friends.
Every morning he spent at least an hour before the mirror in his
bedroom working up the role. With every day he felt more
confident of himself; with every day he grew more anxious to go
to London, and, taking the bull by the horns, boldly visit one of
Mr. Bellward's acquaintances and test the effect of his disguise.

But no orders came from Headquarters to release him from his
confinement. Moreover, no word arrived from Nur-el-Din nor did
Mortimer send any message or call again at the Mill House. The
silence of the two conspirators made Desmond uneasy. Suppose
Mortimer, who, he felt sure, had caught him out lying about
Nur-el-Din's presence in the house at the time of his visit, had
grown suspicious! What if Nur-el-Din had succeeded in making good
her escape to the Continent? He had had his chance of laying hold
of both suspects and h