k, the General
telephoned zestfully that he was going to bring out some company. His
English was so mangled and obscure that Coburn wondered cynically if
whoever listened to their tapped telephone could understand him. But,
said the General in high good humor, he was playing a good joke. He had
hunted up Helena, who was Coburn's secretary, and he had also invited
Dillon to pay a visit to some charming people he knew. It would be a
great joke to see Dillon's face.

There was a fire in the living room that night. The Greek servants had
made it, and Coburn thought grimly that they were braver men and women
than he'd have been. They didn't have to risk their lives. They could
have refused this particular secret-service assignment. But they hadn't.

A voice spoke from the living-room ceiling, a clipped American voice.
"Mr. Coburn, a car is coming."

That was standard. When the General arrived; when the occasional
delivery of telephoned-for supplies came; on the one occasion when a
peddler on foot had entered the ground. It lacked something of being the
perfect atmosphere for a honeymoon, but it was the way things were.

Presently there were headlights outside. The Greek butler went to greet
the guests. Coburn and Janice heard voices. The General was in
uproarious good humor. He came in babbling completely uncomprehensible
English.

There was Helena. She smiled warmly at Coburn. She went at once to
Janice. "How do you do?" she said in her prettily accented English. "I
have missed not working for your husband, but this is my fiance!"

And Janice shook hands with a slick-haired young Greek who looked
pleasant enough, but did not seem to her as remarkable as Coburn.

Then Dillon stared at Coburn.

"The devil!" he said, with every evidence of indignation. "This is the
chap--"

The General roared, and Coburn said awkwardly: "I owe you an apology,
and the privilege of a poke in the nose besides. But it was a
situation--I was in a state--"

Then the General howled with laughter. Helena laughed. Her fiance
laughed. And Dillon grinned amusedly at Coburn.

* * * * *

"My dear fellow!" said Dillon. "We are the guests this whole villa was
set up to receive! The last time I saw you was in Naousa, and the last
time Helena saw you you stuck pins in her, and--"

Coburn stiffened. He went slowly pale.

"I--see! You're the foam-suit people, eh?" Then he looked with hot
passion at the General. "Y