eep your own boat?"

"We've got another piece of work to do--if we can leave our friends
to your guarding," said Harry.

"Well have the wrecking tugs and divers in twenty minutes."

Harry and Pauline climbed back to the motorboat and sped up the bay.

"What did you mean another piece of work?" asked Pauline as she clung
to his arm.

"My car is at the Navy Yard pier," was his only answer.

She still clung to him in tremulous uncertainty as the motor sped them
up through Broadway, into Fifth avenue, and on to the door of Mlle. de
Longeon's hotel.

She and the diplomatic grandee who had held the confidential conference
with her in the conservatory at the naval ball were together in her
suite.

"And you have the plans actually in your possession?" he said.

"Yes. It has been a tedious process. It was easy to make him fall in
love, but he is so fearfully scrupulous about his work. It took even
his valet three months to locate the secret hiding place of the
papers."

"A little more caution mingled with his scruples and he would not now
be dead at the bottom of the bay."

"Oh, this is the day, is it?" asked Mlle. de Longeon, wearily. "After
all, it is rather cruel to Catin."

"To die for his country?"

"Nonsense! He dies because he knows he would be killed in a crueler
way if he refused to obey you."

The diplomat smiled. "Will you give me the plans?"

"Yes--why, Marie, what is it?"

A maid had entered with cards. "I am not at home today."

Mlle. de Longeon moved to her writing desk, removed from it a packet of
papers, and, with a little courtesy gave it into the eager hands of the
diplomat.

"It has been a splendid achievement, Mademoiselle," he said,
enthusiastically. "I shall see that--what? Who is this?" he
exclaimed, as Harry and Pauline burst into the room.

"Marie, Marie, I told you that I was at home to no one!" screamed Mlle.
de Longeon.

"How dare you intrude in these apartments?" demanded the diplomat.

"I dare, because I want those papers," declared Harry.

The packet was still in the diplomat's hands. He tried to thrust it
into his pocket, but Harry was upon him. They clinched, broke from
each other's grasp and struggled furiously.

As the last resource the diplomat drew the packet from his breast and
flung it across the room toward Mlle. de Longeon. She pounced upon
it. But Pauline was beside her. Stronger both in body and in spirit
than the adventuress, she grasped he