his
honest intentions; he actually laughed, but it was uneasily.

He went out, walked about; at night he turned into a music hall, but
variety turns did not interest him; he could not raise a laugh and
returned to the hotel by ten o'clock. Jane's face haunted him; no
woman had ever so obsessed him. It made him angry that he, Carl
Meason, should be caught in the toils, discover that a woman had a hold
over him.

Gradually he pushed her into the background and thought over the work
he had in hand. It was of great importance and dangerous. When war
came he might be shot at any time if his doings were discovered. He
was accustomed to dangers; many times had he risked his life; bad
though he was, there was nothing cowardly about him. He had some
contempt for death, although he dearly loved life. There are bad men
who are brave, and such was he--brave, that is, in so far as he cared
little for risks so long as he reaped rewards.

He passed a restless night. When he sank into a troubled sleep he
imagined he was laid by the heels and about to be shot suddenly. In
some unaccountable way Jane rushed up as the soldiers were about to
fire, with a reprieve. He awoke quivering with joyful excitement at
being saved from sudden death. It gave him an appetite for breakfast.

The _Nottingham Guardian_ was perused; from it he learned that
Valentine Braund, the American steel magnate, had purchased Mr. Alan
Chesney's famous horse, Mameluke, for thirty thousand pounds and his
destination was New York. He was more interested in reading that Mr.
Braund had been Mr. Chesney's guest at Trent Park for a few days and
was returning to London on Saturday.

"That suits me," said Carl to himself. "I'll get back to Little Trent
that day; I'll drop a note to surly Abel and advise him."

Before noon he motored to Derby; from there he went to Haddon Hall and
Chatsworth. He was fond of beautiful scenery and Derbyshire pleased
him. He was, however, more familiar with Norfolk and the coast towns;
roads running from the coast interested him and he knew most of them
from Hunstanton as far north as Scarborough. He was later to make
sinister use of the knowledge.

CHAPTER XI

THE BARON'S TIP

War clouds were gathering when the royal meeting began at Ascot, but
very few people imagined they would burst so soon.

Alan Chesney had a strong team for the fashionable gathering; and, as
usual. Eve Berkeley had taken a house at Asco