alry? Where are they?"

_I._ "Septeuil's cavalry of the second division lie between
Elsasshausen and the Grosserwald; Michel's brigade of heavy cavalry
camps at Eberbach; the second division of cavalry of the reserve,
General Vicomte de Bonnemain, should arrive to-night and go into
bivouac between Reichshofen and the Grosserwald."

There was a long pause; I lighted a cigar and waited. After a while
the instrument began again:

_Jarras._ "The Empress desires to know where the chateau called La
Trappe is."

_I._ "La Trappe is about four kilometres from Morsbronn, near the
hamlet of Trois-Feuilles."

_Jarras._ "It is understood that Madame de Vassart's group of
socialists are about to leave La Trappe for Paradise, in Morbihan. It
is possible that Buckhurst has taken refuge among them. Therefore you
will proceed to La Trappe. Do you understand?"

_I._ "Perfectly."

_Jarras._ "If Buckhurst is found you will bring him to Paris at once.
Shoot him if he resists arrest. If the community at La Trappe has not
been warned of a possible visit from us, you will find and arrest the
following individuals:

"Claude Tavernier, late professor of law, Paris School of Law;

"Achille Bazard, ex-instructor in mathematics, Fontainebleau
Artillery School;

"Dr. Leo Delmont, ex-interne, Charity Hospital, Paris;

"Mlle. Sylvia Elven, lately of the Odeon;

"The Countess de Vassart, well known for her eccentricities.

"You will affix the government seals to the house as usual; you will
then escort the people named to the nearest point on the Belgian
frontier. The Countess de Vassart usually dresses like a common
peasant. Look out that she does not slip through your fingers. Repeat
your instructions." I repeated them from my memoranda.

There was a pause, then click! click! the instrument gave the code
signal that the matter was ended, and I repeated the signal, opened my
code-book, and began to translate the instructions into cipher for
safety's sake.

When I had finished and had carefully destroyed my first pencilled
memoranda, the steady bumping of artillery passing through the street
under the windows drew my attention.

It proved to be the expected batteries of the reserve going into park,
between the two brigades of Raoult's division of infantry. I
telegraphed the news to the observatory on the Col du Pigeonnier, then
walked back to the window and looked out.

It had begun to rain again; down the solitary street of Morsb