ion. At
last our chief said: "You have never seen these papers?"

"No, sir."

"Then I had better make clear to you, in strict confidence, that they
reveal to us urgent pressure on the part of the emperor to induce
England to intervene with France in our sad war. The English cabinet,
most fortunately, is not unanimously hostile, and Lord John Russell is
hesitating. Our friends are the queen and the great middle class of
dissenters, and, strange to say, the Lancashire operatives. The
aristocracy, the church, finance, and literature are all our enemies,
and at home, you know, things are not altogether as one could wish.
Just now no general, no, not the President, is of such moment to us
as our minister in London. He has looked to us for information. We
could only send back mere echoes of his own fears. And now"--he struck
the pile of papers with his hand--"here is the whole story. Mr. Adams
must have these without delay. I should like to see his interview with
Lord John. You seemed to me to have in mind something further to say.
I interrupted only to let you feel the momentous character of this
revelation."

"As I understand it," replied Merton, "you assume that the Foreign
Office here will be sure these papers are in your hands."

"We may take that for granted. They are not stupid, and the matter as
it stands is for them, to say the least, awkward."

"Yes, sir, and they will know what a man of sense should do with these
papers and do at once. I may assume, then, that the whole resources
of the imperial police will be used, and without scruple, to prevent
them from leaving Paris or reaching London."

"Yes," said the chief, "of that we may be certain."

"And if now," said Merton, "some one of note, or two persons, go with
them to London, there is a fair probability of the man or the papers
being--we may say--mislaid, on the way."

"It is possible," said the minister, "quite possible."

"I think, sir," said I, "that is probable, oh, quite certain, and we
cannot accept the least risk of their being lost. No copies will
answer."

"No. As you all are aware--as we all know, Captain Merton, affairs are
at a crisis. The evidence must be complete, past doubt or dispute,
such as to enable Mr. Adams to speak decisively--and he will."

"May I, sir," said Merton, "venture to further suggest that some one,
say the first secretary, take a dummy envelop marked 'Important and
confidential,' addressed to Mr. Adams, and be not