"I don't blame him!" said Dan. "I wonder he didn't knock you down."

"So?" and Pachmann's eyes took an ugly gleam. "I fear the interview is
at an end."

"I have another question to ask," said Dan quietly. "Where are Mr. Vard
and his daughter?"

Pachmann's eyes narrowed to mere slits and his face became positively
venomous.

"I was expecting that question," he sneered. "What do you know of Vard
and his daughter?"

"They are friends of mine. I saw them leave the pier with you. They have
not yet reached their apartment. Where are they?"

"I cannot tell you."

"You mean you will not?"

"Put it that way, if it pleases you."

A storm of rage was hammering in Dan's brain.

"I would advise you to tell me," he said, tensely.

"You threaten?"

"Yes," and Dan took a step toward the Admiral. "I would advise you to
tell me."

Pachmann did not stir. He glanced with ironic eyes from Dan's white face
to his working fingers. Then he threw back his head and laughed.

"But this is better fortune than I deserve!" he mocked. "I did not
know, I did not suspect ... even when the girl told me!" Then his mood
changed, his lips curled, his eyes flashed fire. "What a fool!" he
sneered. "What a fool! You thrust yourself upon us--you walk into our
trap--you are wholly in our power--and yet you think to frighten me with
your grand air and your twitching hands! Bah! To me you are merely a
speck of dust, to be blown aside--so! Now, more than ever! As an
ignorant young fool, who knew no better, I might perhaps in time have
let you go. But now...."

The anger had ebbed from Dan's brain, although his attitude had not
relaxed. Staring into Pachmann's leering face, he realised that he must
think and act quickly. The first thing was to escape; with a deep breath
he braced himself and sprang for the door--to plunge straight into the
outstretched arms of a man on guard there.

There was a moment's struggle; then Dan felt his feet kicked from under
him, and fell with a crash that shook the house. In an instant two men
were sitting on him, holding him down.

Then Pachmann came and looked down at him, his lips twitching with
triumph.

"Young fool!" he sneered. "Young fool!" And then, in German, to the two
men, "Take him away! In yonder!" and he pointed toward a door at the
rear of the hall.

CHAPTER XXV

THE TRAP

To Kasia Vard the day had been one of manifold excitements. Like Dan,
she had awakened to find the boat motio