*

"What is this, Smithson?" said Mrs. Dashwood, as the parlourmaid handed
her an envelope when she reached home.

"Mademoiselle asked me to give it to you as soon as you arrived, ma'am,"
said the maid, and she opened the letter.

"My husband and I are much obliged to you for your
hospitality," the German girl had written in scornful mood. "We
shall not trouble you any further, as we have learned all we
came to know. Gott strafe the English, and in particular your
detestable little boy.

"OTTILIE VAN DRISSEL."

"Good heavens! What vile ingratitude!" exclaimed Mrs. Dashwood. "I have
harboured spies!"

* * * * *

A drizzling rain blurred the Channel, and it was high tide.

The lap of the wavelets on the pebbles sounded in the ears of a sentry
who swung suddenly round and challenged, rather surprised to see by the
scarlet band that the man who had approached to within two paces of him
unheard was a staff officer.

"That's all right, my boy, you needn't look so flurried," said the
"brass hat." "Do you know if the boat has gone over yet?"

"I ain't seen her, sir, but, then, you can't see much in this drizzle.
But I'll tell you what happened last night, sir; them there lights
showed again up yonder."

"That is precisely what I have been sent down to investigate," said his
interrogator.

"We are all certain there's something going on," said the sentry,
"though they ain't been seen for ten days now."

They stood side by side looking inland, and the staff officer, with his
hands behind the back of his drab mackintosh, pressed the button of a
tiny electric torch rapidly three times.

The sentry was only a boy, and he talked volubly, not heeding the
melancholy call of a sea-bird from the water.

"Ah, well, I think we shall have them to-night," said the staff officer.
"I see you have still got the old Mark II.?"

"Yes, sir," smiled the unsuspecting lad. "They took the others away from
us when we came down on this job."

"Let me look at it," said the staff captain, holding out his hand, and
the moment his fingers closed round the rifle the boy dropped senseless
on to the stones, felled by a smashing blow from the heavy butt.

"You'll do!" said his assailant, and, laying the rifle down and
gathering up the skirts of his mackintosh, he walked deliberately into
the sea!

A collapsible boat, rowed by two men in German naval uniforms, was
rising and fall