t counting sheep, until the very thought of
mutton seemed to drive her mad.

Mr. Blair she hated the sight of, he was so obviously satisfied with
the course of events. Sometimes she found herself longing for the
return of John Dene, merely that he might "ginger-up" Sir Lyster's
private secretary.

Week after week passed and no news. The volume of questions in the
House died down and finally disappeared altogether. The state of
affairs at Scotland Yard returned to the normal. Newspapers ceased to
refer either to John Dene, or to his disappearance, and the tide of war
flowed on.

Marshal Foch had struck his great blow, and had followed it up with
others. The stream of Hun invasion had been stemmed, and slowly France
and Belgium were being cleared.

Mr. Montagu Naylor's comings and goings continued to interest
Department Z., and Apthorpe Road was still in the grip of the workman.

Day by day Dorothy seemed to grow more listless. It was the heat, she
explained to Mrs. West, whilst Marjorie nodded her wise little head,
but said nothing. Whenever she saw Dorothy she always "talked John
Dene," as she expressed it to herself. She could see that it was a
relief.

"You see, Rojjie darling, I should always be a little afraid of him,"
said Dorothy one day as they sat in John Dene's room. "I suppose that
is why I----" She paused.

Marjorie nodded understandingly, and continued to swing a dainty,
grey-stockinged leg.

"You--you see," continued Dorothy a little wistfully, "I've always had
to do the taking care of, and he----" Again she broke off. Then
suddenly jumping up she cried, "Let's go to the pictures. Bother John
Dene!" and Marjorie smiled a little smile that was really her own.

Finally there came the time when for a fortnight Dorothy would have no
one to say to her either "come" or "go," and she and Mrs. West went to
Bournemouth, Dorothy inwardly dreading two weeks with nothing to do.

II

Whilst the John Dene sensation was slowly fading from the public mind,
Malcolm Sage was continuing with unabated energy the task he had set
himself. He was aware that Finlay was being watched even more closely
than John Dene had been watched, and Sage realised that it was, in all
probability, impossible for him to communicate with headquarters.

By an ingenious device, however, Finlay had at length succeeded in
establishing contact with Department Z. It had been reported to Sage
that on two occasions Finlay