uth of the explanation
she had heard.

On the other hand, there was his appearance on the lake, an hour or more
after the episode on the campus. Might it not occur to her that, had he
already secured the papers, he would have had no object in the further
pursuit of the Japanese? But, perhaps she would think that he was seeking
Arima to sell the papers back to him; or that, in spite of his appearance
of surprise, he had been a witness of her abduction and had gone out on
the water to save her. There were so many things she might think! Indeed,
that dubious word "unless" might even signify, "unless he has secured the
papers since I last saw him." But no; she would gather from the situation
in which she found her enemies that the envelope had not been out of
their possession since it was taken from the tree. Orme shut his lips
together hard. Her doubt of him would have to be endured, even though it
shattered his pleasant dream of her complete and sympathetic
understanding.

Alcatrante, meantime, was studying the girl with curious eyes. His look
was both perplexed and admiring.

"Do you mind telling me how you happened to come to this place?" he
asked.

She answered indifferently: "Supposing that the Japanese had stolen the
papers, I searched Maku's room at our house. There was a torn envelope
there, with the name 'Arima' printed in the corner."

Alcatrante bowed. "You are cleverer than most Americans, my dear young
lady," he said. His lips curved into a smile that disclosed his fangs.

"That," she replied, "is as it may be. But I have not your admiration for
trickery, Mr. Alcatrante."

Again he smiled. "Ah," he exclaimed, "trickery is the detail work of
diplomacy." Then with a shade of seriousness in his voice, he asked: "Why
did you use that word 'unless'?"

"Why, indeed?" She made this noncommittal answer, and if Alcatrante had
hoped to soothe her into friendliness and draw from her a clue to her
suspicions, he was disappointed.

There was another period of silence, broken at last by the Japanese. "The
fact that we have failed, my dear young lady," he said, "makes
concealment unnecessary. I know, of course, that this matter will never
become public. You understand that the representatives of great nations
often have to take steps which, as private citizens, they would never
think of."

"Yes," she answered, "I understand. There is no more to be said.
Good-day."

There was a step and the sound of the door cl