he had once been face to face with the
father at a supreme crisis in his life, now he was face to face with the
son. Had Paul seized that moment of stupefaction, he might have escaped,
but he made no effort. And the moment passed.

"Who showed you this place? Who brought you here?" demanded Zuker,
himself again.

"No one; I found it out myself."

"How?"

"That is my secret."

Zuker's hand went to his breast, to a weapon concealed there.

"Be careful how you answer, boy. You're not now in school, and you
haven't a school-master to deal with. Is this the first time you've been
here?"

"No."

Zuker started in spite of himself.

"Not the first time! How many times have you been here before then, may
I ask?"

"Once."

"_Ach!_ Now I understand. It is through you my plans have been defeated.
It is through you my man--_mein_ Brockman--has been arrested. It is
through you that I have scarcely dared venture from this hole for two
days past. You have been a mean, dirty spy."

"As you were to my father when I was a child." The words were upon
Paul's lips, but he forced them back. Then aloud, "I've not been a spy.
I've told no one."

Zuker looked searchingly into Paul's face.

"Who has told, then--who has given information to the police, to what is
called your Secret Investigation Department--if it is not you?"

Paul was silent. He now understood Mr. Moncrief's letter. It must have
been Mr. Weevil who had given information to Mr. Moncrief, it must have
been he who had kept him informed of Zuker's doings. Mr. Weevil was not
a traitor to his country, after all. Nay, it seemed as though he had
striven, in his peculiar way, to defend it against traitors.

"Silent, eh? I can see what you've told me is false. You have worked
against me from the first. It was you who outwitted me once before. It
was you who got that packet through to the man who has always stood
between me and my plans, the Admiralty man, Moncrief. All would have
been over; I should have got all through had it not been for that. _Ach
Himmel_, you will not have the chance of blabbing any more secrets! I
have you now--tight in the Fox's Hole--and you will not leave it alive.
Let me see what your school is good for. I will give you five minutes
to get ready for _sterblichkeit_. _Ach_, it is a long word! Do you know
what it means?"

Paul knew what it meant. It was the German word for mortality.

"Thank you," answered Paul simply. "That is longer than m