he Kid listened
intently; thanking Heaven, not for the first time in his life, that
some one with a grain of common sense had had him taught French and
German by a method other than the Public School one. The predilection
of his aunt's gardener for pens, ink, and paper would not have helped
him much in that conversation.

"Beer, you fool," grunted the Colonel to the stolid servant. "Then,
go."

Impatiently he waited till the orderly's footsteps died away, and then
he turned savagely on the other officer.

"I tell you, Lieutenant Rutter, we _must_ know," he snarled. "A
girl--what is a girl, when big issues are at stake? There are many
more girls, Lieutenant Rutter; many more girls. Be very careful lest
not only does this one die, but you also meet with an accident. Dead
men cannot make love to those other girls." He banged his fist on the
table and glared at the Lieutenant, who was staring moodily in front of
him.

"I know that, Excellency," he returned after a moment. "But there is a
proverb about bringing a horse to the water and not being able to make
him drink."

"Bah! There are methods, my friend, of drowning the brute with water,
if it won't drink willingly. And those methods will have to be adopted
in this case."

"They are doubtless effective in killing the horse; but they will not
lead us very much farther in our inquiries."

"Which is the reason why I have allowed you so much rope. I know as
well as you do that willing information is worth ten times as much as
when it is forced. You have made love to the girl, you have been
playing the fool for six weeks with her, and we are no nearer than when
we started." He sneered openly. "Since when have we become so
dilatory, my friend? You seem to have lost your form with the fair
sex."

The Lieutenant flushed, and his fist clenched. "Don't mention those
others. I love this girl."

"No doubt thinking of marriage?" The sneer was even more in evidence.

"Yes, Excellency, I am thinking of marriage." His voice was ominously
quiet.

"I am afraid, Lieutenant Rutter, it will remain in the beautiful and
nebulous realms of thought, unless----" He paused and drained his beer
ostentatiously, though all the while his eyes never left his
companion's face.

"Unless," repeated the Lieutenant drearily, "she agrees to do some
charming and honourable spying work for us on the other side of the
lines."

"You speak very strangely, Lieutenant Rutter."