man bureaucratic methods.
"A dark age of bureaucracy is settling down upon the country," said
_The Morning Age_. "The real danger of Prussianism is not military,
but bureaucratic."

The Government was called upon to lift the curtain of mystery with
which it had surrounded itself. If it were responsible for the rewards
offered, then let it say so. If, however, these rewards were in no way
connected with the Government, then a denial should immediately be
made. At the moment everybody regarded the Government as responsible
for the tremendous press campaign resulting from John Dene's
disappearance.

Malcolm Sage read the newspapers with obvious relish. Mr. Llewellyn
John, on the other hand, frowned heavily at finding his administration
attacked. The Home Secretary rang up the Deputy-Commissioner at
Scotland Yard, telling him that something must be done, and the
Deputy-Commissioner had replied with some heat that if the Home
Secretary would step across to the Yard, he would see what actually was
being done. He further intimated that the whole work of the Yard had
been disorganised.

The Prime Minister sent over for Colonel Walton. "Look here, Walton,"
he cried as the chief of Department Z. entered the room. "This affair
is getting rather out of hand, and it looks dangerous. You've seen the
papers?"

Colonel Walton nodded. He was a man to whom words came with difficulty.

"Well, I don't like the look of it," continued Mr. Llewellyn John.
"Sir Roger has just rung through that he's been urging Scotland Yard to
greater efforts."

"They can do no harm," remarked Colonel Walton drily.

"I want Sage to go round and see the Deputy-Commissioner."

"I doubt if he'll do it," was the grim response.

"Not do it!" cried Mr. Llewellyn John, with a note of anger in his
voice.

"In fact, I'm quite sure he won't."

"If you tell him that those are my instructions----" began Mr.
Llewellyn John.

"It's no use, sir, he'll merely resign. He's as independent as an
American boot-boy."

Mr. Llewellyn John flopped down in a chair, and sat gazing at Colonel
Walton. "But he's got us into this muddle," he began.

"I've never known Sage's judgment at fault yet," replied Colonel Walton.

"Then you advise----" began Mr. Llewellyn John.

"I never venture to advise," was the reply.

"Now look here, Walton," said Mr. Llewellyn John persuasively, "this is
a very serious matter. It has already been magnified out of all
prop