ne seemed to
take a delight in descending upon Sir Lyster's secretary.

Mr. Blair turned towards him with that expression he seemed to keep
expressly for John Dene. "Your meals," he stammered.

"Yes," replied John Dene, blowing volumes of acrid smoke towards the
sensitive nostrils of Mr. Blair. "Why was my order to the Ritzton
cancelled? That sort of thing rattles me."

"I'm afraid that I know nothing of this," said Mr. Blair, "but I will
enquire."

"Well, I'd like somebody to put me wise as to why he interferes with my
affairs," and John Dene stamped out of the room and back to Waterloo
Place.

II

"Shucks!" cried John Dene irritably. "You make me tired."

"I doubt if you appreciate the seriousness of the situation," was
Colonel Walton's quiet retort.

"I appreciate the seriousness of a situation that turns my 'phone into
a sort of elevator-bell, and makes my office like a free-drink saloon
at an election."

Colonel Walton smiled indulgently, Dorothy kept her eyes upon her
note-book.

"You get your notion about spies from ten cent thrillers," continued
John Dene scornfully. "Don't you worry about me. If there's a hungry
dog I believe in feeding it," he added enigmatically. "I might as well
be a lost baggage office. Every mutt that has ten minutes to waste
seems to blow in on me. You're the tenth this a.m."

"At that rate you will soon have exhausted all the Government
Departments," said Colonel Walton with a smile. "I doubt if any will
venture a second visit," he added quietly.

John Dene glanced across at him quickly. "Say, I didn't mean to make
you mad," he said in a conciliatory tone; "but all this rattles me. I
can't get along with things while they're playing rags on my 'phone.
It makes me madder'n a wet hen."

"I quite understand, Mr. Dene," said Colonel Walton, with that
imperturbable good-humour that was the envy of his friends. "You are
rather valuable to us, you see, and if we err on the side of
over-caution----" He paused.

"Sure," cried John Dene, thawing under the influence of Colonel
Walton's personality, then after a pause he added. "See here, your
boys seem to have a notion that I'm particular green goods. You just
let one of 'em try and corral me one of these nights, and when you've
explained things to the widow, you can just blow in here and tell me
how she took it."

"It's the insidious rather than the overt act," began Colonel Walton.

"The what?" John Dene