The Secret Adversary

forty pounds will last a long time. Luckily the weather was fine, and "walking is cheap,"

hursday the advertisement had duly appeared. On Frida

uch letters if they did arrive, but to repair to the Nationa

f on a red velvet seat, and gazed at the Turners with unse

el

ford provokingly. "Which i

tch. Aren't the

ith a deep and somewha

ff. It's too bad. Good money wasted." He sighed. "Still, there it i

eamed Tuppence. "Give them to

the National Gallery. Government show, you know. And do remember, as

e stage!" finished T

ed to the full the reaction of joy after despair with which I have kindly pr

envelopes from him unceremoniousl

ks rich. We'll keep it to the

re. One, two

ped open the envelope, and

AR

be able to be of some use to you. Perhaps you could call and s

rs t

CART

ring to the address. "That's Gloucester Road

ng as is customary. He then says: 'Please take a seat, Mr.-er?' To which I reply promptly and significantly: 'Edward Whittington!' whereupon Mr. Carter turns purple in th

ow for the other letter. O

ounds instea

l re

AR

ld be glad if you would call r

rs t

P. HERSH

onaire of unfortunate ancestry? At all events we'll call at lunc

e nodde

ter. We'll h

d the door. She looked so respectable that Tuppence's heart sank. Upon Tommy's request for Mr. Carter, she showed them into a small study on the ground floor

. His smile was distinctly attra

smiled at her encouragingly. There was something in the qualit

to open the conversation,

d you be so kind as to tell us a

red to reflect. "Well, the questi

drew he

that's got anyth

in his tired way, and continued reflectively. "So that br

something to have advertised as you did?" He leaned forward a little,

rter's personality. Tuppence seemed to shake h

do that, coul

r up. His eyes were fixed on Mr. Carter, and his t

't be any good to you, sir. But su

d out Tuppenc

nd in his chair. His

y no

in France when I was with the Intelligence.

r held up

e's willing to lend it to me sometimes when it's a case of working on strictly unoffici

ce," directed Tommy

le lady, o

telling the whole story from the forming

manner. Now and then he passed his hand across his lips as t

g so, you're a curious young couple. I don't know-you might succeed wh

moment, and

would you like to work for me? All quite unoffici

er lips parted, her eyes

e have to do?"

rter s

hat you're doing n

-who is J

er nodde

titled to know

s legs, brought the tips of his fingers

greement-treaty-call it what you like. It was drawn up ready for signature by the various representatives, and drawn up in America-at that time a neutral country. It was dispatched to England by a special messenger s

skin. It was on that particular voyage that the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk. Danvers was among the list of those mis

After the torpedo struck the ship, in the few moments during the launching of the boats, Danvers was seen speaking to a young American girl. No one actually saw him pass anything to her

ed likely that Danvers had been closely shadowed on the way over. Was this girl in league with his enemies?

us. She was an orphan, and had been what we should call over here a pupil teacher in a small school out West. Her passport had been made out for Paris, where she was going to join the staff of a hospital. She had offered her services voluntarily, and

ft treaty-as might very easily have been done-and we therefore came to the conclusion that Danvers had, after all, destroyed it. The war entered on another phase, the diplomatic aspect changed

, and Tuppence br

l cropped up again

ess came into Mr

royed after all, and that they might be resurre

ared. Mr. C

-not with Germany this time! That is an extreme possibility, and I do not believe in its likelihood myself, but that document undoubtedly implicates a number of our statesmen whom we cannot afford to have discredited in any way

and then sa

hat there is Bolshevist influence at

nce n

e dark for his own ends. The Bolshevists are behind the Labour unrest-but this man is behind the Bolshevists. Who is he? We do not know. He is always spoken of by the unassuming title of 'Mr. Brown.' But o

ed German?"

in history. We have no clue as to his real personality. It is reported that even his own followers are ignorant of it. Where we have come across his tracks, he has always played a secondary part. Somebody else a

nce jumped.

es

's office. The clerk-he called

dded thou

name is usually mentioned. An idiosyncra

. He was quite ordinary

ighed in his

Brought a telephone message to the man Whittington

nce t

on't thi

inate. He overheard the whole conversation of course. Was it after that that

nce n

are pitting yourselves against? Possibly the finest criminal brain of the age. I don't quite lik

ppence assured

ter her, sir,

" retorted Tuppence, rese

t. On the other hand, they are clearly at fault about many of its provisions. The Government consider it as mere bluff on their part, and, rightly or wrongly, have stuck to the policy of absolute denial. I'm not so sure. There have been hints, indiscreet allusions, that seem to indicate that the menace is a real one. The position is much as though they had got h

ha

roduce a Jane Finn of their own-say at a pensionnat in Paris." Tuppence gasped, and Mr. Carter smiled. "No one knows in the least what she looks like

the supposition fully-"that it was as Jane

iled more wea

oincidences, yo