aited for me.

"I am anxious for a few minutes' conversation inside with you, Ducaine,"
the Duke said. "Angela, you had better perhaps not wait for me."

She nodded her farewell, a brief imperious little gesture, it seemed to
me, with very little of kindliness in it. Then the Duke followed me
into my sitting-room. I waited anxiously to hear what he had to say.

CHAPTER XXVI

"NOBLESSE OBLIGE"

The Duke selected my most comfortable easy chair and remained silent for
several minutes, looking thoughtfully out of the window.
Notwithstanding the fresh colour, which he seldom lost, and the trim
perfection of his dress, I could see at once that there was a change in
him. The lines about his mouth were deeper, his eyes had lost much of
their keen brightness. I found myself wondering whether, after all,
some suspicion of Lord Blenavon's doings had found its way to him.

"You are well forward with your work, I trust, Mr. Ducaine?" he said at
last.

"It is completed, your Grace," I answered.

"The proposed subway fortifications as well as the new battery
stations?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"What about the maps?"

"I have done them also to the best of my ability, sir," I answered. "I
am not a very expert draughtsman, I am afraid, but these are at least
accurate. If you would care to look them over, they are in the library
safe."

"And the code word?"

In accordance with our usual custom I scribbled it upon a piece of
paper, and held it for a moment before his eyes. Then I carefully
destroyed it.

"To-morrow," he said, "perhaps to-night, we have some railway men coming
down to thoroughly discuss the most efficient method of moving troops
from Aldershot and London to different points, and to inaugurate a fresh
system. You had better hold yourself in readiness to come up to the
house at any moment. They are business men, and their time is valuable.
They will probably want to work from the moment of their arrival until
they go."

"Very good, your Grace," I answered.

He turned his head and looked at me for a moment reflectively.

"You remember our conversation at the War Office, Mr. Ducaine?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"I do not wish you to have a false impression as to my meaning at that
time," he said coldly. "I do not, I have never, doubted your
trustworthiness. My feeling was, and is, that you are somewhat young
and of an impetuous disposition for a post of such importance. That
feeling was increased, of course