ut they
reached a shrubbery near the house quite unmolested.

The blinds of the dining-room window were up. There was a large company
assembled round the table. The port was passing from hand to hand. It
seemed a normal, pleasant company. Through the open window scraps of
conversation floated out disjointedly on the night air. It was a heated
discussion on county cricket!

Again Tommy felt that cold chill of uncertainty. It seemed impossible
to believe that these people were other than they seemed. Had he been
fooled once more? The fair-bearded, spectacled gentleman who sat at the
head of the table looked singularly honest and normal.

Tommy slept badly that night. The following morning the indefatigable
Albert, having cemented an alliance with the greengrocer's boy, took the
latter's place and ingratiated himself with the cook at Malthouse.
He returned with the information that she was undoubtedly "one of
the crooks," but Tommy mistrusted the vividness of his imagination.
Questioned, he could adduce nothing in support of his statement except
his own opinion that she wasn't the usual kind. You could see that at a
glance.

The substitution being repeated (much to the pecuniary advantage of the
real greengrocer's boy) on the following day, Albert brought back the
first piece of hopeful news. There WAS a French young lady staying in
the house. Tommy put his doubts aside. Here was confirmation of
his theory. But time pressed. To-day was the 27th. The 29th was the
much-talked-of "Labour Day," about which all sorts of rumours were
running riot. Newspapers were getting agitated. Sensational hints of a
Labour coup d'etat were freely reported. The Government said nothing. It
knew and was prepared. There were rumours of dissension among the Labour
leaders. They were not of one mind. The more far-seeing among them
realized that what they proposed might well be a death-blow to the
England that at heart they loved. They shrank from the starvation and
misery a general strike would entail, and were willing to meet the
Government half-way. But behind them were subtle, insistent forces at
work, urging the memories of old wrongs, deprecating the weakness of
half-and-half measures, fomenting misunderstandings.

Tommy felt that, thanks to Mr. Carter, he understood the position fairly
accurately. With the fatal document in the hands of Mr. Brown,
public opinion would swing to the side of the Labour extremists and
revolutionists. Faili