l gesture Lord Lammersfield indicated where I was
standing.

"Let me introduce you to each other," he said. "Mr. Neil Lyndon--Sir
George Frinton."

I bowed respectfully, and when I raised my head again I saw that the
Home Secretary was contemplating me with a puzzled stare.

"You--your face seems strangely familiar to me," he observed.

"You evidently have a good memory, Sir George," I replied. "I had the
honour and pleasure of travelling up from Exeter to London with you
about a fortnight ago."

A sudden light came into his face, and adjusting his spectacles he
stared at me harder than ever.

"God bless my soul!" he exclaimed. "Of course, I remember now." He
paused. "And do you mean to tell me that you--an escaped convict--were
actually aware that you were travelling with the Home Secretary?"

I saw no reason for dimming the glory of the incident.

"You were kind enough to give me one of your cards," I reminded him.

"Why, yes, to be sure; so I did--so I did." Again he paused and gazed
at me with a sort of incredulous amazement. "You must have nerves of
steel, sir. Most men in such a situation would have been paralysed
with terror."

The idea of Sir George paralysing anybody with terror struck me as so
delightful that I almost burst out laughing, but by a great effort I
just managed to restrain myself.

"As an escaped convict," I said, "one becomes used to rather desperate
situations."

Lammersfield, the corner of whose mouth was twitching suspiciously,
broke into the conversation.

"It was a remarkable coincidence," he said, "but you see how it
confirms Casement's story if any further confirmation were needed."

Sir George nodded. "Yes, yes," he said. "I suppose there can be no
doubt about it. The proofs of it all seem beyond question." He turned
to me. "Taking everything into consideration, Mr. Lyndon, you appear
to have acted in a most creditable and patriotic manner. I understand
that the moment you discovered the nature of the plot in which you
were involved you placed yourself entirely at the disposal of the
Secret Service. That is right, Mr. Latimer, is it not?"

Latimer stepped forward. "If Mr. Lyndon had chosen to do it, sir," he
said, "he could have sold his invention to Germany and escaped with
the money. At that time he had no proof to offer that he had been
wrongly convicted. Rather than betray his country, however, he was
prepared to return to prison and serve out his sentence."

As a