of the back view of our servant, I made quite certain it was
she. I watched them till they reached a farm about quarter of a mile
away, and turned into the house, and then I said to myself--

"There can be no danger now!"

And thereupon I unlocked my door, walked boldly downstairs, and went
into the front parlour.

I saw a vastly different scene from yesterday. A fresh breeze rippled
the blue waters, patches of sunshine and cloud-shadow chased each other
over sea and land, and distinct and imposing in its hateful majesty lay
the British fleet. A light cruiser of an interesting new type was
firing her 6-inch guns at a distant target, and for about five minutes
I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And then I heard a sound.

I turned instantly, to see the door opening; and very hurriedly I
stepped back behind the nearest window curtain. And then in came our
servant--_not_ the lady I had seen departing from the house, I need
scarcely say! I was fully half exposed and I dared not make a movement
to draw the curtain round me; in fact, even if I had, my feet would
have remained perfectly visible. All I could do was to stand as still
as a statue and pray that Heaven would blind her.

She walked in briskly, a middle-aged capable-looking woman, holding a
broom, and glanced all round the room in a purposeful way. Among the
things she looked at was me, but to my utter astonishment she paid no
more attention than if I had been a piece of furniture. For a moment I
thought she was blind; but her sharp glances clearly came from no
sightless eyes. Then I wondered whether she could have such a horrible
squint that when she seemed to look at me she was really looking in
another direction. But I could see no sign of a cast in those eyes
either. And then she picked up an armful of small articles and walked
quickly out, leaving the door wide open.

What had saved me I had no idea, but I was resolved not to trust to
that curtain any longer. In the middle of the room was a square table
of moderate size with a cloth over it. Without stopping to think
twice, I dived under the cloth and crouched upon the floor.

The next instant in she came again, and I found that my table-cloth was
so scanty that I could follow her movements perfectly. She took some
more things out, and then more again, and finally she proceeded to set
the furniture piece by piece back against the wall, till the table was
left lonely and horribly conspicuous in the