wall in token of my abject shame--that my doubts had
never glanced in his direction; a most humiliating confession, since I
couldn't deny, reviewing the past in this new light, that circumstances
had afforded me every opportunity to guess the truth.

There was no time, however, for dwelling on my deficiencies. The next
half hour would be an uncommonly lively one, I felt quite sure. I might
call the thing bizarre, fantastic; I might dub it an extravaganza; the
fact remained that I was shut up in this lonely spot with four entirely
able-bodied Germans and must match wits with them over some affair
that apparently was of international consequence; for if it had been
a twopenny business, Herr von Blenheim, the star agent of the kaiser,
would never have thought it worth his pains.

With all my fighting spirit rising to meet the odds against us, I cast a
speculative eye over the Teutons, who had now dissolved their group.
Van Blarcom himself--Blenheim, rather--descended in a leisurely fashion
while one of his friends, remaining on the staircase, fixed me with a
look of intentness almost ominous and the other two placed themselves
as if casually before the door. They were stalwart, well set-up men,
I acknowledged as I surveyed them. Though not bad at what our French
friends call _la boxe_, I was outnumbered. It was obviously a case of
strategy--but of what sort?

A much defaced table, flanked with a few battered chairs, stood near me,
and with a premonition that I should want two hands presently, I set my
candle there. Then I drew a chair forward and turned to the girl with
outward coolness.

"Please sit down, Miss Falconer," I invited. I wanted time.

She inclined her head and obeyed me very quietly. She was not afraid; I
saw it with a rush of pride. As she sat erect, her head thrown back,
on gloved hand resting on the table, she was a picture of spirit and
steadiness and courage. If I had needed strength I should have found it
in the fact that her eyes, oddly darkened as always when her errand was
threatened did not rest on our captors, but turned toward me.

"We'll all sit down," Franz von Blenheim agreed most amiably. It
evidently amused him to retain the late Mr. Van Blarcom's dialect and
air. "We can fix this business up in no time; so why not be sociable?"
He strolled to a chair and sank into it and motioned me to do the same.

"Thanks," I returned, not complying. "If you don't mind, I'd like first
to untie that