o get; some other nation seeks
to prevent its betrayal; some other nation seeks to block us; someone
else would even murder us to gain a point--and our own employer would
not raise a hand to seek retribution, or even to acknowledge that we
had died in her cause. They laud the soldier who dies for his flag, but
he who dies in the secret service of a government is never heard of. He
disappears; for the peace or the reputation of nations his name is not
upon the public rolls of the good and faithful servants. It's risky,
Marston; it's thankless; it's without glory and without fame;
nevertheless it's a fascinating game; the stakes are incalculable, the
remuneration is the best."

"You're quite right as to those high up in the service," Marston
remarked, "the remuneration, I mean, but not as to us poor devils who
are only the pawns. We not only have no glory nor honour, but
considering the danger and what we do we are mightily ill paid, my lady,
mightily ill paid. The fascination and danger of the game, as you say,
is what holds us. At any rate, it's what holds me--and the pleasure of
working sometimes with you, and what that means."

"And we always win when together because we are in accord," she smiled,
holding out her hand to him. "Team work, my good friend, team work!"

He took the hand, and bending over raised it to his lips with an air of
fine courtesy and absolute devotion.

"And we shall win this time, Marston," she went on, "we shall sail for
Europe before the week is ended--I'm sure of it."

"I shall be satisfied if we never sail--or sail always," he returned,
and slowly released her fingers and stepped back.

She paid him with a ravishing smile; and Madeline Spencer, when she
wished, could smile a man into fire--and out again. It was too soon for
the "out again" with Marston. He was very useful--he was not restless,
nor demanding, nor sensitive, nor impatient of others, nor jealous. He
was like a faithful dog, who adores and adores, and pleads only to be
allowed to adore. Moreover, he was a capable man and trustworthy;
dependable and far above his class. Therefore she took care that his
chains should be silken, yet at the same time that he be not permitted
to graze too far afield.

"I wonder," Marston was saying, after a little thought, "if Carpenter,
the Chief of the Secret Bureau of their State Department, might be
purchasable--if we made him a good stiff bid?"

"I don't know," she answered. "It isn't l