hose who are most sensitive to
gratitude and to other people's pains, are incessantly let in for
complications that never involve selfish or self-righteous persons.

As an executive of the law, he knew how many laws there are unwritten
and implied that make obedience to the law an experiment in
caddishness and ingratitude. There were reasons enough then to believe
that Marie Louise had meant no harm and had not understood the evil in
which she was so useful an accomplice. Even if she were guilty and her
bewilderment feigned, her punishment would be untimely at this moment
when the Americans who abhorred and distrusted Germany had just about
persuaded the majority of their countrymen that the world would be
intolerable if Germany triumphed, and that the only hope of defeating
her tyranny lay in joining hands with England, France, and Italy.

The enemies of England would be only too glad to make a martyr out of
Miss Webling if she were disciplined by England. She would be
advertised, as a counterweight to the hideous mistake the Germans made
in immortalizing with their bullets the poor little nurse, "_die_
Cavell."

Verrinder was not himself at all till he had bathed, shaved, and
clothed his person in clean linen and given his inner man its tea and
toast. Once this restoration was made, his tea deferred helped him to
the conclusion that the one wise thing was to restore Marie Louise
quietly to her own country. He went with freshened step and determined
mind to a conference with the eminent men concerned. He made his own
confession of failure and took more blame than he need have accepted.
Then he told his plans for Marie Louise and made the council agree
with him.

Early in the afternoon he called on Miss Webling and found the house a
flurry of undertakers, curious relatives, and thwarted reporters. The
relatives and the reporters he satisfied with a few well-chosen lies.
Then he sent his name up to Marie Louise. The butler thrust the
card-tray through the door as if he were tossing a bit of meat to some
wild animal.

"I'll be down," said Marie Louise, and she primped herself like
another Mary Queen of Scots receiving a call from the executioner. She
was calmed by the hope that she would learn her fate, at least, and
she cared little what it was, so long as it was not unknown.

Verrinder did not delay to spread his cards on the table.

"Miss Webling, I begin again with a question: If we should offer you
freedom a