ut the intriguers here? Can you not deal with them?"

"I have them under observation," replied the colonel. "I already knew
the leaders, Souza's lieutenants in Lisbon, and I can put my hand upon
them at any moment. If I have not already done so it is because I find
it more profitable to leave them at large; it is possible, indeed, that
I may never proceed to extremes against them. Conceive that they have
enabled me to seize La Fleche, the most dangerous, insidious and skilful
of all Napoleon's agents. I found him at Redondo's ball last week in the
uniform of a Portuguese major, and through him I was able to track down
Souza's chief instrument--I discovered them closeted with him in one of
the card-rooms."

"And you didn't arrest them?"

"Arrest them! I apologised for my intrusion, and withdrew. La Fleche
took his leave of them. He was to have left Lisbon at dawn equipped with
a passport countersigned by yourself, my dear adjutant."

"What's that?"

"A passport for Major Vieira of the Portuguese Cacadores. Do you
remember it?"

"Major Vieira!" Sir Terence frowned thoughtfully. Suddenly he
recollected. "But that was countersigned by me at the request of Count
Samoval, who represented himself a personal friend of the major's."

"So indeed he is. But the major in question was La Fleche nevertheless."

"And Samoval knew this?"

Sir Terence was incredulous.

Colonel Grant did not immediately answer the question. He preferred to
continue his narrative. "That night I had the false major arrested very
quietly. I have caused him to disappear for the present. His Lisbon
friends believe him to be on his way to Massena with the information
they no doubt supplied him. Massena awaits his return at Salamanca, and
will continue to wait. Thus when he fails to be seen or heard of there
will be a good deal of mystification on all sides, which is the proper
state of mind in which to place your opponents. Lord Liverpool's
figures, let me add, were not among the interesting notes found upon
him--possibly because at that date they had not yet been obtained."

"And you say that Samoval was aware of the man's real identity?"
insisted Sir Terence, still incredulous. "Aware of it?" Colonel Grant
laughed shortly. "Samoval is Souza's principal agent--the most dangerous
man in Lisbon and the most subtle. His sympathies are French through and
through."

Sir Terence stared at him in frank amazement, in utter unbelief. "Oh,
impossible!" h