avour of, or a single benefit to gain,
by the continuance of this ghastly war. On the other hand, there is
scarcely one who does not realise that the end is not yet. We have
pledged our word, the word of the English nation, to a peace based only
upon certain contingencies. Those contingencies the enemy is not at
present prepared to accept. There is no immediate reason why he should."

"But are you sure of that?" the Bishop ventured doubtfully. "When you
speak of Germany, you speak of William of Hohenzollern and his clan. Is
that Germany? Is theirs the voice of the people?"

"I would be happy to believe that it was not," Mr. Stenson replied, "but
if that is the case, let them give us a sign of it."

"That sign," declared the Bishop, with a gleam of hopefulness in his
tone, "may come, and before long."

The two men were on the point of parting. Mr. Stenson turned and walked
a yard or two with his companion.

"By the bye, Bishop," he enquired, "have you heard any rumours
concerning the sudden disappearance of our young friend Julian Orden?"

The Bishop for a moment was silent. A passer-by glanced at the two men
sympathetically. Of the two, he thought, it was the man in spiritual
charge of a suffering people who showed more sign of the strain.

"I have heard rumours," the Bishop acknowledged. "Tell me what you
know?"

"Singularly little," Mr. Stenson replied. "He left Maltenby with Miss
Abbeway the day after their engagement, and, according to the stories
which I have heard, arranged to dine with her that night. She came
to call for him and found that he had disappeared. According to his
servant, he simply walked out in morning clothes, soon after six
o'clock, without leaving any message, and never returned. On the top
of that, though, there followed, as I expect you have heard, some very
insistent police enquiries as to Orden's doings on the night he spent
with his friend Miles Furley. There is no doubt that a German submarine
was close to Blakeney harbour that night and that a communication of
some sort was landed."

"It seems absurd to connect Julian with any idea of treasonable
communication with Germany," the Bishop said slowly. "A more typical
young Englishman of his class I never met."

"Up to a certain point I agree with you," Mr. Stenson confessed, "but
there are some further rumours to which I cannot allude, concerning
Julian. Orden, which are, to say the least of it, surprising."

The two men came to