the clue. We abandon to Germany everything that we
have a claim to west of this line. It does not come to very much," in
answer to an involuntary movement on Rendel's part; and he swept his
hand across the coast of the Gulf of Guinea as though wiping out of
existence the Gold Coast, Ashanti, Sierra Leone, and all that had
mattered before. "Germany abandons to us everything that she lays claim
to on the east of it, including therefore the whole course of the Cape
to Cairo Railway."

"But has Germany agreed?" said Rendel, stupefied with surprise.

"Germany has agreed," said Stamfordham. "We have just heard from
Berlin."

Rendel felt as if his breath were taken away by the rapid motion of the
events.

"That means peace, then?" he said.

"Yes," Stamfordham said; "peace."

"Then when is this going to be given to the world?" said Rendel.

"Some of it possibly to-morrow," said Stamfordham. "The Cabinet Council
will meet this evening, and the King's formal sanction obtained. Of
course," he went on, "the broad outlines only will be published--the
fact of the understanding at any rate, not necessarily the terms of the
partition. But it is important for financial reasons that the country
should know as soon as possible that war is averted."

"Of course, of course," said Rendel. "Immeasurably important."

Stamfordham took up his hat and held out his hand with his air of
courtly politeness as he turned towards the door.

"I may count upon you to do this for me immediately?"

"This instant," said Rendel, taking up the papers. "Shall I take them to
your house as soon as they are done?"

"Please," said Stamfordham. "No, stay--I am going back to the German
Embassy now, then probably to the Foreign Office. You had better simply
send a messenger you can rely upon, and tell him to wait at my house to
give them into my own hand, as I am not sure where I shall be for the
next hour. Rendel, I must ask you by all you hold sacred to take care of
those papers. If that map were to be caught sight of before the
time----"

Rendel involuntarily held it tighter at the thought of such a
catastrophe.

"Good Heavens!--yes," he said. "But that shan't happen. Look," and he
dropped the paper through the slit in the closed revolving corner of
his large writing-table, a cover that was solidly locked with his own
key so that, though papers could be put in through the slit, it was
impossible to take them out again without unlocking the cover