ut six months after my curious motoring adventure in Essex I sent to
the _Berliner Tageblatt_, in Berlin, an advertisement, offering myself
as English valet to any German gentleman coming to England, declaring
that I had excellent references, and that I, Henry Dickson, had been in
service with several English noblemen.

The replies forwarded to me caused us considerable excitement. Vera was
with us at New Stone Buildings when the postman brought the bulky
packet, and we at once proceeded to read them one by one.

"Holloa!" she cried, holding up one of the letters. "Here you are, Mr.
Jacox! The Baron Heinrich von Ehrenburg has replied!"

Eagerly we read the formal letter from the German aristocrat, dated from
the Leipziger Strasse, Berlin, stating that, being about to take up his
residence in London, he was in want of a good and reliable English
servant. He would be at the Ritz Hotel in four days' time, and he made
an appointment for me to call.

"Good!" cried Ray. "You must ask very little wages. Germans are a stingy
lot. The Baron has been acting as a secret agent of the Kaiser in Paris,
but had to fly on account of the recent Ullmo affair at Toulon. He's a
very clever spy--about as clever, indeed, as Hartmann himself. Why he is
coming to England is not quite clear. But we must find out."

For the next four days I waited in great anxiety, and when, at the
appointed hour, I presented myself at the "Ritz" and was shown into the
private salon, the middle-aged, fair-haired, rather elegant man eyed me
up and down swiftly as I stood before him with great deference.

I was about to play a dangerous game.

After a number of questions, and an examination of my credentials, all
of which, I may as well admit, had been prepared by Ray and Vera, he
engaged me, and that same evening I entered upon my duties, greatly to
the satisfaction of Vera and her lover.

Fortunately I was not known at the "Ritz," and was therefore able for
the first week or so to do my valeting, brushing my master's clothes,
polishing his boots, getting out his dress-suit, and other such duties,
undisturbed, my eyes, however, always open to get a glimpse of any
papers that might be left in the pockets or elsewhere.

Twice he drove to Pont Street and dined with Hartmann. The pair were in
frequent consultation, it seemed, for one afternoon the chief of the
German spies in England called, and was closeted closely with my master
for fully two hours.

I s