y effort was made to trace the young lady--but all in vain.
We tracked her across Ireland, but nothing could be heard of her after
she set foot in England. No use was made of the draft treaty--as might
very easily have been done--and we therefore came to the conclusion that
Danvers had, after all, destroyed it. The war entered on another phase,
the diplomatic aspect changed accordingly, and the treaty was never
redrafted. Rumours as to its existence were emphatically denied. The
disappearance of Jane Finn was forgotten and the whole affair was lost
in oblivion."

Mr. Carter paused, and Tuppence broke in impatiently:

"But why has it all cropped up again? The war's over."

A hint of alertness came into Mr. Carter's manner.

"Because it seems that the papers were not destroyed after all, and that
they might be resurrected to-day with a new and deadly significance."

Tuppence stared. Mr. Carter nodded.

"Yes, five years ago, that draft treaty was a weapon in our hands;
to-day it is a weapon against us. It was a gigantic blunder. If its
terms were made public, it would mean disaster.... It might possibly
bring about another war--not with Germany this time! That is an extreme
possibility, and I do not believe in its likelihood myself, but that
document undoubtedly implicates a number of our statesmen whom we cannot
afford to have discredited in any way at the present moment. As a party
cry for Labour it would be irresistible, and a Labour Government at this
juncture would, in my opinion, be a grave disability for British trade,
but that is a mere nothing to the REAL danger."

He paused, and then said quietly:

"You may perhaps have heard or read that there is Bolshevist influence
at work behind the present Labour unrest?"

Tuppence nodded.

"That is the truth. Bolshevist gold is pouring into this country for the
specific purpose of procuring a Revolution. And there is a certain man,
a man whose real name is unknown to us, who is working in the dark for
his own ends. The Bolshevists are behind the Labour unrest--but this
man is BEHIND THE BOLSHEVISTS. Who is he? We do not know. He is always
spoken of by the unassuming title of 'Mr. Brown.' But one thing is
certain, he is the master criminal of this age. He controls a marvellous
organization. Most of the Peace propaganda during the war was originated
and financed by him. His spies are everywhere."

"A naturalized German?" asked Tommy.

"On the contrary, I have ev