Ambrose Lavendale, Diplomat

which the country was groaning. The usual fashionable little throng about the entrance to the Carlton, was represented by a few sombrely-dressed women and one or two wounded warriors. The glan

e, in his light grey suit and straw hat, sunburnt, over six feet tall, broad and athletic, seemed somehow a strange figure as he passed along through streets which appeared destitute of a single

r a uniform, si

le replied, watching a t

ican,

,' Lavenda

oked him up and

, that don't seem to have much stomach for fig

He made his way to the War Office and found Captain Merrill in his

en't you? A recruiting sergeant in Trafalgar Square has just gently inti

s he tossed his c

on't seem to be exactly spo

e lit a

es and there's a sort of gloomy satisfaction in seeing every one else in the same box. The chap who goes out to provoke a fight is wo

re right,' Mer

Lavendale continued. 'I'll only remind you that, even when those truculent forefathers

verywhere this morning. The Chief's been round to see the Prime Minister and on to the Admiralty. Th

t, I suppose,' Lavend

a t

knocked the ash f

en, the history of the unrecorded things. Gee, that would make people gossip if they could get hold of only a few chapters of it! You know th

ected anoth

ere you come in

ght in strange ways sometimes. Last night I had a cable from a

el

ions of Russian stock,' Lavendale continued slowly, 'that

to preserve his expre

le,' he murmured, 'who r

hrugged his

actly my sho

e,' Merrill re

hy

apan and Germany you'll have to face-you can take my word for that-and I hope

mple words, y

r so simple as

cigarette and stretched

ning a little towards your side of the show. Anyhow, I've no reason to keep secret the little I know about this affair-in fact I ca

Merrill confessed doggedly

rose to

sion are one of the strangest features of the war, but there it is at the present moment, in the streets and the clubs and the restaurants-wherever you turn. I've noticed nothing like it since the beginning

ead as he resumed h

in and see me again, Ambrose, when you

aces of the passers-by seemed indicative of some new apprehension. He bought an early paper, but there was no word in it of any

Milan for a few minutes. The same fe

asked an American press

per man no

he is going to have it on generous terms. They say that negotiations are going on

igns of her to-day, however. He gave his order and leaned back in his place. Then some fancy impelled him to glance towards the glass entrance doors on his left. He sprang at once

What luck! You are going t

th a little sigh she relapsed into it. She was plainly dressed

e sighed. 'Order something-anything,' she added, b

humour for trivialities. He gave a brief order to

,' he assured her.

rs rested upon his strong brown hand, the tenseness passed from her m

ing under her breath, 'and I had an escape, a very narrow escap

choose,' he replied.

. Your car-it

ay before yesterday-sixty miles on

to get me down to the east

t pa

hesi

d Blakeney, between

ured i

ore to Fakenham, saving a little on both runs if we e

your

five minutes awa

another sig

ared. 'You will not mind if we commit our

e assured her, 'if one can use

eeks. Towards the end of the meal, however, she glanced often a

or a moment,' she said briskly. '

cour

xi, drove to the garage, and in less than half-an-hour London lay behind them, and the car was gathering speed at every moment. They pass

delicious rest,

u like some tea

you can,' she begged. 'What

the clock on t

ght through,' he said, 'you s

nd which gripped

I will sleep a little. Until I reached my rooms at twelve o'clock to-day I

the Norwich road, then round to the left to Brandon, across the miles of heath with the stunted pine trees and miles of heather, into the more luxurious pastoral country of eastern Norfolk. It was half-

re we?'

with half-an-hour to spare

she sighed, shaking he

tairs into the old-fashioned coffee-room. She drank tea and toyed with her b

ughtfully. 'There is no wind at all.

illage of Blakeney, set amidst the marshlands, and beyond, the open sea. Suzanne was all alertness now and sat up by his side, gazing eagerly towards the line of whit

declared. 'It has come to meet h

rked, 'but I wouldn't have taken his dust

ughed

ame errand that we are. It is on its way

ime, anyway,' was

by a soldier with drawn bayonet. A non-commissioned officer by the side was talking to the driver. Close at hand, a man in c

well-the man in mufti, I mean! He is one o

more about this before I can

n, after which they, too, followed down the village street, which terminated abruptly in a small dock, reached by an arm of the sea. Lavendale turned his car into the gateway of the inn, and together, a few moments later, they strolled down to the harbour. Only a thin stream of water covered the bottom of the es

t could cross the North Sea to come

no

t they will not wait for the deep water. They will anchor outside and sail u

alike on sea and land and sky. A thin handful of cattle was stretched across the dyke-riven plain, a crowd of seagulls flapped their wings wearily o

she exclaim

ing of the estuary. Beyond, almost on

'not the full tide, that is. They will come up as

le inquired, 'will

lashed for

said solemnly, 'who seek

ips. They watched the tidal way grow deeper every minute. On either side of them the narrow dykes and curving waterways grew fuller and fuller with the tendrils of the sea. About a mile fro

tell me a little more of

be empowered to put certain propositions before the Russian Ambassador here, which he in his turn can convey to the Tsar in code. Those proposit

a little co

,' he assured her. 'Russia isn'

aster, and then-- These terms, they say, are to be left over for a month. Think of the t

. The white-sailed boat was already c

claimed, 'we m

the narrow places with the soft swirl of salt-water. When they reached the raised path by the side of the estuary, the

is,' she

n. Just at that moment the latter turned his hea

bout him,' Lavendale muttere

ook he

' she

ust as the boat was dra

drive slowly up the street, just past the guardroo

s they drew up, Major Elwell l

yne,' he said softly. 'Are you going t

ghed de

he whispered. 'He will tak

d keenly at Lave

this,' he observed. 'Maybe our in

d was brought to a standstill only a foot behind th

ago,' he protested. 'What's that othe

ixed bayonet, slipped into the little space between th

aid, 'but I must ask you to step

t with me?' was

ional thing to do anyway,' Major Elwell explained. '

her declared. 'I have my passport

oublesome, but there are some new enactments which have to be considered. We shall have to ask y

in the car had suddenly become tense. Lavendale,

med-'Leonard Johnson! You reme

the car nod

these parts, I wish you'd persuade this officious gentlema

ted. 'I'm hung up myself for some piff

was the b

y,' you are only wasting time by this discussion with your friend. B

t the whole affair at the Embassy directly I arrive in London. I'm well enough

shook his

,' he remarked. 'I'll answer for it, though,

f your nationality,' Major Elwell said firm

though the brakes had failed to hold, was suddenly swung to the right. The front wing caught the soldier who was standing on guard, and the car, plunging forward with one wheel upon the pavement, threw him off his bal

e to all the places en route to London, car number LC

he grim reply. '

other car. As they passed the church they saw it a speck in the dist

'We shall see which way they go. Hold

sixty miles an hour. They swung round the corner, and through a tiny village, a cloud of

ounced. 'That's Letheringsett. He'll le

,' Major Elwell remarked, 'and

l creeping upwards. They missed a hay wagon by a few i

muttered. 'I could catch him now, if I wante

rds dividing them. Once, at some cross-roads, the car in front seemed to hesitate and they shot up to within fi

Lavendale exclaimed. '

od across the thoroughfare. With a grinding of brakes and ponderous swaying of the foremo

he asked Lavenda

hand fell upo

ose sight of you again

n interfering with an America

' Major Elw

' Johnson snapped. 'However, we can't talk in the stree

ront and Major Elwell bringing up the rear. The coffee-room was empty. They r

addressing Major Elwell. 'Who the mischief are you

olland, Mr. Johnson,' was the quiet reply. 'Your present posi

o you want?' Jo

' Major Elwell announced, 'I sh

from his pocket. His m

ouble you can have it. I don't recognize the ri

where Johnson was standing, looking all the ti

ing out of this window? No, you can keep your weapon-I

Half a dozen soldiers were l

if you please,' the M

try was standing with drawn bayonet. Johnson stare

y, 'this censor business don

Berlin. You omitted to mention, however, that you have since joined the German Secret Service. As that fact is well-known to us, y

l for a moment. He seem

yours is a bluff, I

the English Secret Service. You have, I trust, one of the first qualifications for useful servic

standing at the window with his hands

d curtly, 'you've got me

esent laws, be treated as an ordinary indiscreet traveller-

and a pocket-book upon the table. Major Elwell glanced

s a couple of minute

minutes the door behind them was thrown open.

' he shouted-'the

wn the yard and das

r?' he asked one of t

he man replied. 'The chauffeur drove i

e procession. The man in charge of th

Delauney-Belleville,' he informed them. '

towards Lavendale

d, 'and he's done us in! The documen

*

enty minutes ahead, and at Newmarket they learnt that the driver had called at the station, found there was no train for an hour and continued his journey. From Newmarket, through Six-Mile-Bottom and

ndon here,' he

t and stooped down in the road. In less than a

red. 'I fancy, somehow,

e, on a distant hillside far in front, they caught the fl

fiercely. 'We've twenty miles

re they saw the light, this time a little nearer. Then they skidded crossing an unexpected railway track, took a few seconds to right themselves, and the light shot ahead. They passed through Royston and shot up the hill, scarcely slackening speed. It was a little before moonlight now, and the heath stretching away on their left seemed like some silent and frozen sea on which the mists r

im forward,' he explained to Suzanne. 'I'm afraid

n nothing of blazed out f

ed fiercely. 'He is alive, i

as staggered. He was fee

uch as he!' she continued, almo

w garage receipts for petrol, a handkerchief, a penknife and a large cigarette case-not another thi

!' he m

ale st

him,' he pronounced-'fracture of the leg.

he ordered. 'Come he

rang up into the dismantled car

pockets,' s

est. Suddenly Suzanne gave a little cry. She bent closer over the driving cushion, pulled at a little hidden tab, opened it. There reposed a l

Excel

it into

e've found what we want. We

the police-station and gave information about the accident. Then they ran up to the hotel and stood

?' he

the seal-huge a

she sighed, 'yet everything is ready for the second. T

d placed it in the sma

lease,' she begged,

*

estless and kept glancing at the clock, lighting cigarettes and throwing t

frown?' sh

point of view. You are going to open a friend's letter-that's what it comes to. You're on fire to see whether y

a standstill

e their significance to the man or woman who works for his country as I have done, as you have commenced to do. I am for France alone, and for France's sake I have no character. F

man entered, closing the door behind h

he answer?'

peered inside for a moment, doubtfully. Then her whole face relaxed, her eyes flashed with joy. She held the envelo

cried, 'and the answer of our ally!