e
smile that accompanied his words, however, robbed them of any sting
they might have contained.

"Why don't you take the Skipper into your confidence, Sage?" enquired
Walton, as they walked towards the Duke of York's steps.

"Vanity, chief, sheer vanity," was the response. "We have never failed
him yet, and if I started barking up the wrong tree, he'd never again
have confidence in Department Z. I suppose," he added irrelevantly,
"that some day we shall be taken over altogether by the colonies. It
would not be a bad thing for the British Empire, either. John Dene
might be our first president."

There was one man who was deeply thankful for the disappearance of John
Dene. Mr. Blair went about as if he had received a new lease of life.
He became almost sprightly in his demeanour, and no longer looked up
apprehensively when the door of his room opened. Sir Bridgman North
commented on the circumstance to Sir Lyster Grayne and, as he passed
through Mr. Blair's room, openly taxed him with being responsible for
the kidnapping of John Dene. Mr. Blair smiled a little wearily; for to
him John Dene was no matter for joking.

When Mr. McShane's question with regard to the disappearance of John
Dene came up for answer, the Home Secretary replied that for the
present at least it was not in the public interest to give the
information required.

"That's tantamount to an acknowledgment," cried Mr. McShane, springing
to his feet. "It's a scandal that public money----"

He got no further, as at this point he was called to order by the
Speaker.

It was clear that the House was not satisfied. In the lobbies Mr.
McShane's question and the answer given were discussed to an extent out
of all proportion to their apparent importance. The feeling seemed to
be that if John Dene were of such value to the Government, he should
have been guarded with a care that would have prevented the possibility
of his disappearance. If on the other hand the Government had no
interest in the enormous reward offered for information concerning him,
then a statement to that effect should have been made. Whatever the
facts, the Government was obviously in the wrong. That was the general
impression.

The next day several newspapers commented very strongly upon the
incident. There seemed to be a determination on the part of the press
to make an "affaire John Dene" out of the Canadian's disappearance.
The Government was attacked for adopting Ger