Ambrose Lavendale, Diplomat

t some queer intuition seemed to have suddenly awakened within his subconscious mind a sense of the mysterious, something close at hand, unaccount

he misc

oval eyes rested for a moment upon the crumpled failure of Lavendale's tie. Without a word he took another from an open drawer, came softly across the room and reached upwards. Before Lavendale knew w

once more around. 'The tie's all right, but who the

d to assert itself in the subtle ease w

'I am the friend of y

l me where on earth Perki

r. I am his messenger. I undertook to bring you news of him and to do what I could, in my poor way, to fil

dale repeated. 'What

r at the Chinese Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus. As we left the place, he faltered; he fainted in the passage. I called a taxicab

e dickens m

, military attaché to the Japanese Embassy. He has gone

glancing once more into the mirror. 'All the same, I thin

ousers pockets but Niko

ins may be away for a week. I shall wai

arked. 'Better answer that bell, then. If i

ay and returne

nounced, 'is in t

e room. Suzanne de Freyne was standing facing the door as h

bly punctual!'

ittle abruptly, 'how long

ed. 'He is a substitute. My own man was ta

ained, 'who has succeeded in puzzling me i

h for an explanation, and

ace. Your valet is perfectly well-known t

ced uneasily t

ate prejudices, but I am full of t

tention seemed to have suddenly wandered.

go. And yet, remember this. Temporary servants ar

g with the front door wide open, his

in the morning, sir,' he promis

osed softly behind them. At the b

ridiculous idea I have abou

f particular-I will not say value,

ul servant, and I am sure he would never have sent any one who wasn't reliable. As regards

m Lavendale's mind. They dined in a quiet corner at the

rds the end of their meal, 'that you

dded a

es

ely successful in our enterprise, but at least we prevented that marvellous secret from ever reaching an enemy's hands. Then you disappeared. I heard nothing from you

ce,' she

have you b

to my own

that?' he a

tte and watched the smoke for a minute. He was absorbed in the study of her hands-her

he said, 'I hav

replied. 'We might be

e and France only. England is our very dear ally. England is a splendid and an honourable nation, but it is France's future welfare in

ieve that she was dragged into this war without wanting it, but, on the other hand, as I told you once before, I am for America and A

so far outside

go has become impossible to-day. We have our political interests in every country, and, however slow and unwilling we ma

ou are for America and I am for France. Now tell me, a

with the great genius for progress that Germany has shown is not to some extent justified by taking up the sword to hew a larg

e was looking a little languidly across th

she remarked quietly, 'I could show you how

l me

'look at those three men and

le prominent. He wore evening clothes of the most correct cut, his shirt and links were unexceptionable. His two companions were men of a different stamp. The one who seemed to dominate the party was a huge man, clean-shaven, with puffy face and small eyes. He wore a dark flannel sui

r chair was a foreigner-a Russian, for choice. The other two are, of cour

ted papers,' she told him. 'That is Jacob P. Weal

His manner had bec

Jenkins, the secretary to the Weald Co

dorf. He is a persona grata at the Russian E

his is getting interesting. He

us!' she

me-it's reall

n is probably giving, or has given, an enormous order for ammunition. Yet there is something behind t

erly, but she was silent

emind her, 'a few minutes ago, that the

ards him. Her hand rest

d, speaking very softly, 'that one of us

r ran through him. For a single second her face was almost

earnest!'

her belongings and allowed him to a

e alternative,' she said calmly. 'I

understand,'

ou?' she answ

e going? We spoke of a

at the Empire,

taxi when she suddenly paused.

,' he told

d suddenl

ted. 'Tell him to drive

r without hesitation. A moment la

of yours!' s

abou

knew his face. I ha

el

hé at the Japanese Embassy.

e was my

?' he asked i

certain,' s

be a friend of Perkins and

are clever at it, too, the Japs. Tell me, have

ted, 'but no one else has a

hi, too! Tell me, are these papers poli

re, yes!' h

street in which his

d, as they ascended the stairs. 'Niko

one his work, without a doubt.

s. In the sitting-room he unlocked his safe and peered in. One by one he examin

disturbed,' he ann

er head for a moment inside the

declared. 'If everything is there, it is because he had no n

w this?' he ask

forget one thing. Niko forgot that his clothes and fingers, even his breath, have alway

it when he came in,' L

side that safe ag

rged, his face was troubled. H

right,'

he lock in a dazed manner. He turned to Suzanne. She had sea

reminded her, 'about this fellow

as your temporary valet, the man who in your absence has opened your safe, why, it

Club!' Lavendale expostulated. 'He

sy. Then he disappeared. No one quite knew what had become of him. I once had a

the lock-unscratched, bearing so

s a miracle,

little forward, 'was there any document in that safe likely

dark with mingled s

ow that they did any particular good, but, anyway, it's a subject I have studied closely. That paper I had my fingers on just now contains every possible scrap of information as to our standing army, our volunteer forces, ou

ck in her cha

e understand how Niko's eyes

e soft footsteps of the intruder across the hall. The door of the room in which they were was quietly opened and closed. Still with that same amazing stealthiness, a small, dark figure crossed the room and stood before the safe. Then there was a pause

slightly. Then he drew himself up to his full height of five feet four. He stood in front of the safe with his eyes fixed upo

pitcher that goes once too often to the well, you know. Was it something

contents for a moment. Then he swung the door to and slipped some cartridges into the little revolver which he had taken from the top

inesse rather than muscle. By a stroke of genius you have read a certain document in that safe. That document

ed his s

e confessed. 'It was my busin

nterest to you, and your Government will highly appreciate a résumé of its contents. At

phinx. Suzanne leaned a little further

erhaps a fortunate country. These little qualms about human life which I can clearly see

vely, 'free, I am thankful to say

onour,' Lavendale continued, 'that

therefore it would do you no good. I shall be frank with you. There is no way you can prevent my report being

rked, throwing his revolver upon the table. 'You had

ovement. Suzanne rose to he

y,' she asked, 'tell us

bow

had some faint misgivings as to the resetting of the lock. I came back to examine it. That is my answer. Y

f for a moment to her lips. Niko's he

outgrow one's er

nted impatiently towards the door. He took a

n chivalry. The information I have gained I shall use. No promise of mine to the contrary would avail you. But there i

rward. Her cigarette burnt

pass. My country lays no seal upon my lips. What I know I pass on to you. A hundred million cartridges and five thousand tons of heavier ammunition, which might otherwise have

f!' Suzan

nd moved tow

suspicions are just. The greatest plant in America is kept producing munitions by day an

his hand upon the door.

well,'

*

document which he had been examining

was smoking a cigar at the other end of the room, 'tha

replied anxiously. 'What's this y

've had it straight from the British War Office to go right along ahead and give Russia everything we can turn out. Well, Russia's

ervant announced Mr. Ambrose Lavendale. Lavendale, follow

l things you've been doing in the way of producing ammunition, they

fault. We don't come in there. Our friends have their

already, haven't they

eald said pleasantly. 'However, I got the n

understand that Baron Ossendorf is coming he

nd there's a magnum of the best standing there i

asking him one question-jus

he company-and I, have got no crooked ideas about this business. We are going to bring a few million dollars into our own pockets,

and promptly entered. He held out a hand each to Weal

Mr. Weald explained. 'Mr. Ambrose Lavendale-Baron Ossendor

and held out his long,

the most cordial sentiments of friendship. It is a pleasure to us to think that we are able, at these terrible times, to be of service to one another.... You have the contr

oment's silence whilst his pen spluttered across the paper.

dition, Baron, which it is not proposed to put officially into

s head. His eyes ha

l mean

ix months, with option of continuance until the end of the war. Shipments are to be made weekly b

my young friend,' Osse

Ossendorf in the face, 'that you should change the wireless operator

ast string of the bottle. Jenkins was standing with his mouth open, a little dazed. Ossendorf shrank

ou mean?'

o have supplied an army, have gone to the bottom. I mean, sir, that every one of those remaining nine boats on whic

seemed suddenly to have grown thinner. His mouth was open. He glared at La

r hours, either by a representative of Russia other than Baron Ossendorf, or by the secreta

incapable of c

altered, 'that he is

endale suggest

ghtly between them. There was a loud report, the room seemed filled with smoke. They all three looked in a dazed manner at the figu

e said, 'but your stuff's wanted somewhe

ter was to be hushed up. Lavendale lingered with Mr. Weald, who was walking

kept on mutteri

and firmly upon his

rench. This man was outside the pale. He was a black and dastardly traitor, the pariah of humanity, he tra

convincing. His eyes wandered towards the champagne

murmured, 'perhap