the visitor she was
expecting should be come and gone before the marriage party came out of
the Cathedral; yet when she had seen how surprised, and even hurt, both
her dear ladies had been on learning of her intention to stay at home
this morning, she had nearly told them the truth! Everything was
different now--Willi would not, could not, mind!

What had restrained her was the memory of how strongly Alfred Head had
impressed on her the importance of secrecy--of secrecy as concerned
himself. If she began telling anything, she might find herself telling
everything. Also, Mrs. Otway might think it very strange, what English
people call "sly," that Anna had not told her before.

And yet this matter she had kept so closely hidden within herself for
three years was a very simple thing, after all! Only the taking charge
of a number of parcels--four, as a matter of fact--for a gentleman who
was incidentally one of Willi Warshauer's chiefs.

The person who had brought them to the Trellis House had come in the
March of 1912, and she remembered him very distinctly. He had arrived in
a motor, and had only stayed a very few minutes. Anna would have liked
to have given him a little supper, but he had been in a great hurry, and
in fact had hardly spoken to her at all.

From something which he had said when himself carefully bringing the
parcels through the kitchen into her bedroom, and also from a word
Willi had let fall, she knew that what had been left with her was
connected with some new, secret process in the chemical business. In
that special branch of trade, as Anna was aware, the Germans were far,
far ahead of the British.

And as she stood there by the window, waiting, staring across the now
deserted green, at the group of carriages which stood over near the gate
leading to the Cathedral, she began to wonder uneasily if she had made
it quite clear to Mr. Head that the man who was coming on this still
secret business must be sure to come to-day! The lady and gentleman to
whom the house had been let were arriving at six, and their maids two
hours before.

* * * * *

Suddenly the bells rang out a joyous peal, and Anna felt a thrill of
exasperation and sharp regret. If she had known that her visitor would
be late, then she, too, could have been present in the Cathedral. It had
been a bitter disappointment to her not to see her gracious lady married
to Major Guthrie.

Letting the curtain fa