"that I should have
come blundering in as I did."

Sonia laughed venomously. "It was the sort of thing that would happen
to the doctor. The Devil looks after his friends."

"As a matter of fact," I objected, "I was thinking more of myself."

Sonia took no notice of my interruption. "Why, it meant everything
to him," she went on eagerly. "It practically gave him the power to
dictate his own terms to the Germans. You see, he knew something about
their plans. He knew--at least he could guess--that the moment war
was declared they meant to make a surprise attack on all the big
dockyards--just like the Japs did at Port Arthur. Well, think of the
difference an explosive as powerful as yours would make! Why, it would
put England absolutely at their mercy. They could blow up Portsmouth,
Sheerness, and Devonport before any one really knew that the war had
started."

She spoke rapidly, almost feverishly, leaning forward and gripping the
edge of the table, till the skin showed white on her knuckles. I think
I was equally excited, but I tried not to show it.

"Yes," I said; "it sounds a promising notion."

"Promising!" she echoed. "Well, it was promising enough for the
Germans to offer us anything we wanted the moment we could give them
the secret. Now perhaps you can understand why we were so hospitable
and obliging to you."

"And you believe McMurtrie never meant to keep his word to me?" I
asked.

She laughed again scornfully. "If you knew him as well as I do, you
wouldn't need to ask that. He would simply have disappeared with the
money and left you to rot or starve."

I took out my case, and having given Sonia a cigarette, lit one
myself.

"It's an unpleasant choice," I said, "but I gather there's a possible
alternative."

She lighted her own cigarette and threw away the match. Her dark eyes
were alight with excitement.

"Listen," she said. "All the Germans want is the secret. Do you
suppose they care in the least whom they get it from? You have only
got to prove to them that you can do what you say, and they will pay
you the money just as readily as they would the doctor."

There was a magnificent simplicity about the idea that for a moment
almost took my breath away.

"How could I get in touch with them?" I asked.

She leaned forward again, and lowered her voice almost to a whisper.

"I can take you now--now right away--to the two men who are in charge
of the whole business. I know that they have an abso