"it shall be a secret between us, hein? Promise me
this, mon enfant!"

"Of course, I promise, if you like!" said Barbara, wonderingly.

At half-past eight the next morning Desmond Okewood found himself
in the ante-room of the Chief of the Secret Service in a cross
and puzzled mood. The telephone at his bedside had roused him at
8 a.m. from the first sleep he had had in a real bed for two
months. In a drowsy voice he had protested that he had an
appointment at the War Office at 10 o'clock, but a curt voice had
bidden him dress himself and come to the Chief forthwith. Here he
was, accordingly, breakfastless, his chin smarting from a hasty
shave. What the devil did the Chief want with him anyhow? He
wasn't in the Secret Service, though his brother, Francis, was.

A voice broke in upon his angry musing.

"Come in, Okewood!" it said.

The Chief stood at the door of his room, a broad-shouldered
figure in a plain jacket suit. Desmond had met him before. He
knew him for a man of many questions but of few confidences, yet
his recollection of him was of a suave, imperturbable
personality. To-day, however, the Chief seemed strangely
preoccupied. There was a deep line between his bushy eyebrows as
he bent them at Desmond, motioning him to a chair. When he spoke,
his manner was very curt.

"What time did you part from the Mackwaytes at the theatre last
night?"

Desmond was dumbfounded. How on earth did the Chief know about
his visit to the Palaceum? Still, he was used to the omniscience
of the British Intelligence, so he answered promptly:

"It was latish, sir; about midnight, I think!"

"They went home to Seven Kings alone!"

"Yes, sir, in a taxi!" Desmond replied.

The Chief contemplated his blotting-pad gloomily. Desmond knew it
for a trick of his when worried.

"Did you have a good night?" he said to Desmond, suddenly.

"Yes," he said, not in the least understanding the drift of the
question. "... though I didn't mean to get up quite so early!"

The Chief ignored this sally.

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the night, I
suppose?" he asked again.

Desmond shook his head.

"Nothing that I know of, sir," he said.

"Seen Strangwise this morning?"

Desmond gasped for breath. So the Chief knew about him meeting
Strangwise, too!

"No, sir!"

A clerk put his head in at the door.

"Well, Matthews!"

"Captain Strangwise will be along very shortly, sir," he said.

The Chief looked up quickly