unwillingness to leave the Trellis House this morning, even to attend
her beloved mistress's wedding. She, and Rose too, had been hurt, and
had shown that they were hurt, at old Anna's obstinacy.

"We have reason to suppose," said Mr. Reynolds slowly, "that the
explosives in question have been stored for some considerable time in a
large roomy cupboard which is situated behind your servant's bed. As a
matter of fact, the man who had come to fetch them away was already
under observation by the police. He has spent all the winter in a
village not far from Southampton, and he is registered as a Spaniard,
though he came to England from America just before the War broke out. Of
course, these facts have only just come to my knowledge. But both this
Miss Forsyth and your cousin, Mr. Hayley, declare that they have long
suspected your servant of being a spy."

"Suspected my servant? Suspected Anna Bauer?" repeated Mrs. Guthrie, in
a bewildered tone.

"Then you," went on Mr. Reynolds, "have never suspected her at all, Mrs.
Guthrie? I understand that but for the accidental fact that Witanbury is
just, so to speak, over the border of the prohibited area for aliens,
she would have _had_ to leave you?"

"Yes, I know that. But she has been with me nearly twenty years, and I
regarded her as being to all intents and purposes an Englishwoman."

"Did you really?" he observed drily.

"Her daughter is married to an Englishman."

Mr. Reynolds, in answer to that statement, remained silent, but a very
peculiar expression came over his face. It was an expression which would
perchance have given a clue to Major Guthrie had Major Guthrie been able
to see.

Mrs. Guthrie's face had gone grey with pain and fear; her eyes had
filled with tears, which were now rolling down her cheeks. She looked
indeed different from the still pretty, happy, charming-looking woman
who had stepped into the car a few minutes ago.

"I should not have ventured to disturb you to-day--to-morrow would have
been quite time enough----" said Mr. Reynolds, speaking this time really
kindly, "were it not that we attach the very greatest importance to
discovering whether this woman, your ex-servant, forms part of a
widespread conspiracy. We suspect that she does. But she is in such a
state of pretended or real agitation--in fact, she seems almost
distraught--that none of us can get anything out of her. I myself have
questioned her both in English and in German. All she