n to both about you.

A. V. D. W.

Twice Armitage read it and then he folded it carefully and placed it in
his breast pocket, a curious smile playing over his face.

"We think," he said, addressing himself under his breath, as was his
wont upon occasion, "we think we shall keep this for future reference.
For we never know how soon we may need a job."

It has been observed ere this how many truths are sometimes spoken in
jest.

CHAPTER VI

AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SPY

At the door of the church, Thornton met a retired rear admiral and his
wife, whose daughter he knew. So he paused and was affably solicitous
whether they found the glorious August weather conducive to their
general well-being. Armitage bowed and drew to one side, just as the
Wellington party passed out into the churchyard and walked down the
path to their motor panting at the curb.

The Prince helped Mrs. Wellington and her daughter into the tonneau
with easy grace and then motioned the two boys to precede him. He was
not at all bad looking, Armitage decided. Tall and rather wasp-waisted
he was, nevertheless well set up, and his tailor easily might have left
a pound or so of padding out of the blue jacket and still have avoided
the impression that the Prince was narrow-backed. His manner certainly
bore every impress of courtly breeding and the insolence of rank was by
no means lacking, as Armitage learned the next instant, when a man
whose back was strangely familiar, suddenly appeared at Koltsoff's side
and, with hat in hand, essayed to address him.

Armitage, watching eagerly, saw the Russian's form stiffen, saw his
eyes, as cold and steady as steel discs, fix themselves unseeingly over
the man's head, who bowed awkwardly and turning hurriedly with a
flushed face, stumbled against a horse post.

A low exclamation leaped from Armitage's lips. He hesitated just an
instant and then fairly ran out of the doorway and down the path to the
street. He caught up with the fellow before he had gone a hundred
feet. Looking back to see that the Wellington car had gone, he touched
him on the arm.

"Look here, Yeasky," he said, as the man wheeled in nervous haste, "who
was that chap you spoke to at that motor car?"

Yeasky hesitated a moment and then looked the officer full in the eyes.

"I do not know," he said; "I thought it was Commander Harris. I was
going to ask him about those coils which have not come yet. When I
found I mistook, I