Ambrose Lavendale, Diplomat

ain Merrill from the War Office. Directly opposite to them was a narrow street running down to the Embankment, at the foot of which

at place?' Merrill asked curiously. 'M

ther

e remarked. 'I've never seen

hen,' Merrill observed, pointing a l

transfigured though it was, in a sense, by its air of furtiveness, was, without a doubt, the face of the girl who had been constantly in his thoughts f

g, Reggie,

ere

tions,' Lavendale b

way, Lavendale half a dozen paces ahead

complained, 'you might tel

d his speed for a

lared. 'Didn't you rec

shook

ely noti

ntion,' Lavendale explained. 'She wasn't there by accident, either. I caught her listening in t

hand upon his

't want us bothering over here. What are you going to say to her? Pre

he stairs. By this time they h

it for me-or clear out altogether, if you like. I want to have

ll si

mbled. 'All the same, I'm not at all sure

bering past them up to the top of the building. Lavend

be the one,'

em both that its shrill summons was ringing through empty spaces. There was no sound of any movement within. The door of the next flat,

bell. The only purpose you serve is to di

ure about that?'

olut

e at one of the windows a quarter o

The porter who has the letting of the flat is only on duty in the after

ow them,' Lavendale observed. 'I am lo

d and threw

pointing to a florid, over-buxom and untidy-looking woman who was struggling with an ancient typewriter. 'You find me hard at

eplied. 'You see, I am an

e is Somers-Keyne-Hamilton Somers-Keyne. My work, I

endale assented,

eemed littered with cigarette ends, scraps of letters and an emp

nced. 'Examine the room

enda

except that the myrmidon who collects it is unpleasantly persistent in his attention

,' Lavenda

oom, and a bathroom in the last stages of dilapidation. The rooms were undoubtedly empty, nor was there anywhere any sign of recent habitation. Lavendale stood

window, Reggie

t in the affair and did

'In any case, there's no one here now, and it's quite ce

ce more carefully, locked it up, and took the key back to Mr

trust, with the rooms?' he inquire

lied. 'Tell me, how long is it

his questioner from underneath his puffy eyelids, 'and they may have been shown occas

e been in them th

the confident answer. 'The ke

clared. 'I shall apply for a first night seat whe

ay, is familiar to me as a patron of the theatre. What are the chance

here are some other particulars I must have. I shal

y, too, Miss Brown-I think I mentioned Miss Brown's name?-is often nervous with an empty flat next door. I am out a great deal in the

, sir, we are returning for a moment or two to

as already reachin

o me. Misfortunes of various sorts-but I will not weary you with a relation of my troubles. If Tree rings up, Flo

ubject of Mr. Somers-Keyne's early triumphs upon the stage, which it appeared were numerous and remarkable. With every tumblerful of whisky and soda, indeed, he seemed to grow more forgetful of his home across the way. As he expanded he grew more untidy. His tie slippe

a Miss de Freyne, do you

tricken with an emotion of either fear or anger. His eyes narrowed. He set his glass down

' he repeated. '

d towards the wi

r ago I saw Miss de Freyne's face at the windo

. A splendid dignity guided his f

rmise now the reason for your excessiv

towards

avendale began, risin

ture, if a little theatrical, was fin

still possessed of a peculiar interest for him. He paused in the act of taking his place. At her same table, with a little pile of manuscript propped up in f

de F

prise. She seemed, indeed,

me, I hope?' he continue

the friend of that strange little creature

' Lavendale corrected, 'but

ript and laid it face downwards upon the table. Th

liged to leave London the next day and I have

ed, without a doubt

ravely. 'Tell me, had he given ov

dale

have handed it over at elev

nd amongst

ten line of

' she inquired, droppi

ted and glanced

'but you remember the man Ju

no

I was just wondering

and that he was in reality an Austrian. He was interned at once, of course, and I believe there was a certai

er eyebrows

here,' she remarked, 'is so

nly were prompt on that night. I understand that Jules wa

script towards her with a li

the formula, though

und to the Milan Mansions. A caretaker was established now in his office in the hall. He was a sm

a suite to let,' the latter

pulled o

t, sir,' he replied; 'nothing

t number t

aker shoo

irty-two i

led this morning and was allowed to look ov

e o'clock, at our head office,' the man told

e young lady's name?'

man answered shortly. 'With

pped a coin i

is no other suite in which I

the threshold he met Mis

raising his hat, 'to take po

er, a little curiously. It was as though she were tryi

, 'that we are playing at cross-purposes. You

' he a

n-Amer

N

sh-Ame

N

t th

eri

what that means

es-German-American or English-American-are misnomers. Wherever my personal sympathies may be,

si

that was your point of view. I am

e remarked, 'shoul

ld be easy. I am for France and for France only. You

e,' he ventured, 'has at

hat,' she said. 'If you are not busy, wil

narrow street and found

r interests clash. You know perfectly well, as I do, that Jules murdered that little chemist from Chicago and stole the formula. You know very well that the suite in which you take so much interest in the Milan Mansions, belongs to Jules. You

as far as that myself,' Lav

same point,' she continued. 'Now the question is, can we work together? W

ps tig

l you that,'

she went on. 'Well, let

urquoise clasp. From a very dainty pocket-book in the interior she drew out a crumpled sheet of pa

t is! Now you shall tell me wha

ed it firmly. Before she could stop him he had transf

return it to m

id not know you had discovered it-but since I have it, I want you to remember

in need of anything of

land has been living for many years in great peril, but there have been many who have recognized that. The peril of America is at least as great, and has remained almost altogether unrecognized. We have no army, a small navy, an immense seaboard, wealth sufficient to excite the cupidity of any nation. And we have no allies. We make the grave and serious mi

Freyne shoo

leave the gardens alive

th face was unwrinkled. She had the air o

ion,' she observed. 'Now watch. You see those two

el

in. The two men, also, had risen and were advancing towards

worthless scrap of paper, for that is precisely what you have carefully buttoned up in your pocket-book. I have f

ven with his slight knowledge of chemistry he w

n Grill-room to his rooms in the Milan Mansions, Jules managed to conceal somewhere or other the paper which he has taken from Hurn. If he passed it on

means?'

d her shoul

l you now? How can I even engage your

gloomily out

'let me help and I will be cont

sm

h this matter to be dealt with in any way officially. I am in perfect accord with the English Secret Service, but we do not wish to have the

ght Jules w

of friends. He will come to London in a motor-car, he will come at once to his rooms, and, although every inch of them has been searched, I am

yes f

' he repeated e

and rose

n for a minute. You can dine with me in the Grill-room at the M

*

he had chosen and the vintage of the champagne which he had selected. Their conversation was entirely general, almost formal. They had both lived for some time in Paris and found mutual acq

said, 'a quarter of an hour ago. I th

s bill and they lef

the narrow street. 'I am rather in the dark, you know. The idea is, isn't it, that Jule

' she

no answer. At the second summons, however, the door was cautiously opened. The untidy secretary admitted them. In her soiled black dress, shapeless and crumpled, with her fat, peevish face and dishevelled peroxi

d sharply, 'why, I wish you'd keep it, and that's straight. How are

Mr. Somers-Keyne insisted,

ment as she appreciated the sit

she begged. 'We can manage without you

sank back with

h awfully annoyed with me. Promishe

e of your helpers?

no

mind, we don't need h

e found a crack, pushed for a moment and a sliding door rolled back. She stretched out her hand through the darkness and turned a

aid, 'but how can we watch Ju

n holes near the top of the wardrobe. Lavenda

admitted. 'There's just

last flight of stairs. Her fingers gripped his arm for a moment. An excitement more poignant than any b

sunken, but he had lost, somehow or other, that bearing of graceful servility which had distinguished him in his former avocation. An expression of subdued cunning had taken its place. He looked around the apartment searchingly. His eyes rested for a moment upon a small print at the further end of the room, which was hang

t mean?' Laven

of fresher air was grateful to both of them. Then

him that he was being watched. You see, it is on one side. I am pe

al from

They could hear the door of the

-Keyne!' he

rd, within a few inches of them, on the other side of the wall, the sound of a click. She pr

oor,' she

in the corridor now, empty and silent. They could not even hear the sound of any one moving about in Mr. Somers-Keyne's room. Lavenda

rubbish for about an hour a day and talks drivelling, drunken piffle for

apparently tryi

n a few days, if you w

with that old drunkard blithering ar

mping footsteps and Mr. Som

Shimply asked you go out for a few minutes wh

shouted, suddenly opening the door, 'and yo

d with one hand and sticking hatpins in with the other. She stared ins

her shoulder. 'You'll have to get rid of them n

Jules stared at them in surprise. Mr. Somers-Keyne nodded his head pond

he tenant of the roomsh you looked over other day. Mr. Lavendale, don't like you. Don't want you here.

the old obsequiousness about his manner. Mr. Somers-Keyne swayed for a moment

ment,' he whispered t

ny one else in the street. He sprang to the other side of the way and saw at once the object of his pursuit, hurrying down towards the Embankment. He followed her as stealthily as possible. Without looking around she increased her own pace, cro

Miss Brown!'

flushed with the unusual exercise, a strand of her u

he shouted. 'Can't you leave m

you going

r business,' she sn

pon her wrist. He was a strong man, but she

d, 'the game's up. I want that

r gown. Before he could stop her, her fingers were making pulp of the paper which she had drawn up in crushed fragments. She threw it over the parapet into the black water. Then she c

e mocked. 'Any need to

down the little street. It suddenly pulled up wit

mula?' s

downwards t

troy

s almost on

ug here?' she

nod

hen they saw u

zed that the game was up-there in the room before me, a few minutes ago. He told

e smiled

ight enough,' he assented, 'but I

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