g
upon the instructions of the Souza faction, whose tool he had become."
And Colonel Grant proceeded to relate precisely what he knew of Samoval.

Lord Wellington sat awhile in silence, cogitating. Then he rose, and
his piercing eyes looked up at the colonel, who stood a good head taller
than himself.

"Is this the evidence of which you spoke?"

"By no means," was the answer. "The evidence I have secured is much more
palpable. I have it here." He produced a little wallet of red morocco
bearing the initial "S" surmounted by a coronet. Opening it, he selected
from it some papers, speaking the while. "I thought it as well before
I left last night to make an examination of the body. This is what I
found, and it contains, among other lesser documents, these to which I
would draw your lordship's attention. First this." And he placed in
Lord Wellington's hand a holograph note from the Prince of Esslingen
introducing the bearer, M. de la Fleche, his confidential agent, who
would consult with the Count, and thanking the Count for the valuable
information already received from him.

His lordship sat down again to read the letter. "It is a full
confirmation of what you have told me," he said calmly.

"Then this," said Colonel Grant, and he placed upon the table a note in
French of the approximate number and disposition of the British troops
in Portugal at the time. "The handwriting is Samoval's own, as those who
know it will have no difficulty in discerning. And now this, sir." He
unfolded a small sketch map, bearing the title also in French: Probable
position and extent of the fortifications north of Lisbon.

"The notes at the foot," he added, "are in cipher, and it is the
ordinary cipher employed by the French, which in itself proves how
deeply Samoval was involved. Here is a translation of it." And he placed
before his chief a sheet of paper on which Lord Wellington read:

"This is based upon my own personal knowledge of the country, odd scraps
of information received from time to time, and my personal verification
of the roads closed to traffic in that region. It is intended merely
as a guide to the actual locale of the fortifications, an exact plan of
which I hope shortly to obtain."

His lordship considered it very attentively, but without betraying the
least discomposure.

"For a man working upon such slight data as he himself confesses," was
the quiet comment, "he is damnably accurate. It is as well, I think,
th