aper of
the English Admiralty.

No sooner had he read the first lines than he started up in the most
violent excitement. His face had become dark red, a deep furrow showed
itself between his eyebrows.

"What is this?" he ejaculated. "For God's sake, Edith, how did you come
by this paper?"

"How did I come by it? Oh, that's quite a secondary consideration. The
chief thing is, whether it is of any value to you or not. But aren't you
pleased with it?"

Heideck was still staring like one hypnotised at the paper covered with
the regularly formed writing of a practised clerk's hand.

"Incomprehensible!" he murmured. Then, suddenly looking at Edith almost
threateningly, he repeated--

"How did you come by it?"

"You are questioning me like a magistrate. But you may know, for all
I care. The brother of the lady with whom I was staying in Dover is
private secretary to the Admiralty--a poor fellow, suffering from
disease of the lungs, whose one desire was to go to Egypt or Madeira, to
get relief from his sufferings. By finding him the means for this I
have done an act of philanthrophy. I asked him, in return for a further
present of money, to give me the copy of an important document connected
with his department."

She suddenly broke off, and Heideck burst out into a short, sharp laugh
which filled her with surprise and alarm.

"An act of philanthrophy!" he repeated in a tone of unspeakable
bitterness. "Did you know what this man was selling to you?"

"He said it was the English fleet's plan of attack, and I thought it
would interest you."

"But surely you must have known how far-reaching would be the
consequences of your act? Had you no suspicion that irreparable harm
might overtake your country, if this plan came to the knowledge of its
enemies?"

His voice quivered with fearful anxiety, but Edith did not seem to
understand his excitement.

"I understand you less and less," she said impatiently. "It can only be
one of two things. Either this paper is of importance to you, and then
you ought to feel the more grateful to me, the more important it is. Or
the secretary has deceived me as to its value. Then it isn't worth the
trouble of saying any more about it."

"Do you look at it in that light, Edith?" he said, mournfully. "Only in
that light? Did you only think of yourself and me, when you bribed an
unfortunate wretch to commit the most disgraceful of all crimes?"

"Oh, my dearest, what strong language! I w