et me try to show you how matters stand. We will suppose that your
suspicions were correct and I thought fit to make representations to the
Government of this country. What do you think would happen?"

"They'd be forced to investigate your statements."

"Exactly. The head of a department would be asked to report. You probably
know that every official whose business brings him into touch with it is
in the coaling company's pay; I imagine there is not a foreign trader
here who does not get small favors in return for bribes. Bearing this in
mind, it is easy to understand what the report would be. I should have
shown that we suspected the good faith of a friendly country, and there
would be nothing gained."

"Still, you can't let the matter drop," Dick insisted.

"Although you have given me no proof of your statements, which seem to be
founded on conjectures, I have not said that I intend to let it drop. In
the meantime I am entitled to ask for some information about yourself.
You look like an Englishman and have not been here long. Did you leave
home after the war broke out?"

"Yes," said Dick, who saw where he was leading, "very shortly
afterwards."

"Why? Men like you are needed for the army."

Dick colored, but looked his questioner steadily in the face.

"I was in the army. They turned me out."

The Vice-Consul made a gesture. "I have nothing to do with the reason for
this; but you can see my difficulty. You urge me to meddle with things
that require very delicate handling and with which my interference would
have to be justified. No doubt, you can imagine the feelings of my
superiors when I admitted that I acted upon hints given me by a stranger
in the employ of Americans, who owned to having been dismissed from the
British army."

Dick got up, with his face firmly set.

"Very well. There's no more to be said. I won't trouble you again."

Leaving the house, he walked moodily back to the end of the line. The
Vice-Consul was a merchant and thought first of his business, which might
suffer if he gained the ill-will of corrupt officials. He would, no
doubt, move if he were forced, but he would demand incontestable proof,
which Dick feared he could not find. Well, he had done his best and been
rebuffed, and now the temptation to let the matter drop was strong. To go
on would bring him into conflict with Kenwardine, and perhaps end in his
losing Clare, but he must go on. For all that, he would leave the
Vice-C