looking round, discovered a large box with Holland's label on it,
a note, and a half-sheet of paper--all decorating the table in the
centre of the room.

I examined the half-sheet of paper first. It contained several dirty
thumb-marks and the following message, roughly scrawled in pencil:

"sir the lady with the hat cum for you about for aclock i told her as
you was out and she rote this leter gerty."

Hastily picking up the envelope, I slit open the flap, and pulled out
the "leter" from inside. It covered two sides, and was written in
Sonia's curious, sloping, foreign-looking hand.

"I have to go away with my father until the end of next week. By that
time, if you have succeeded with your invention, there will be nothing
to stop our plans. I would have explained everything to you today if
you had been here. As it is, _on no account give your secret to any
one_ until I have seen you. I shall come down to Tilbury either on
Friday or Saturday, and within a few hours we can be utterly beyond
the reach of any further danger or difficulties. Until then, my
lover--SONIA."

I read it through twice, and then slowly folding it up, thrust it back
into the envelope.

"It seems to me," I said, "that I'm going to have quite an interesting
house-party."

CHAPTER XVII

THE WORKSHOP ON THE MARSHES

I gave Gertie her hat next morning when she brought me up my
breakfast. It was a gorgeous thing--rather the shape of a dustman's
helmet, with a large scarlet bird nestling on one side of it,
sheltered by some heavy undergrowth. Gertie's face, as I pulled it out
of the box, was a study in about eight different emotions.

"Oo--er," she gasped faintly. "That ain't never for me."

"Yes, it is, Gertrude," I said. "It was specially chosen for you by a
lady of unimpeachable taste."

I held it out to her, and she accepted it with shaking hands, like a
newly-made peeress receiving her tiara.

"My Gawd," she whispered reverently; "ain't it just a dream!"

To be perfectly honest, it seemed to me more in the nature of a
nightmare, but wild horses wouldn't have dragged any such hostile
criticism out of me.

"I think it will suit you very nicely, Gertie," I said. "It's got just
that dash of colour which Edith Terrace wants."

"Yer reely mean it?" she asked eagerly. "Yer reely think I'll look orl
right in it? 'Course it do seem a bit funny like with this 'ere frock,
but I got a green velveteen wot belonged to Mrs. Oldbury's nie