ng officers. What is the result?
Nobody takes you seriously. You are a 'good old sport' 'quite a decent
fellow for a German,' a hard-drinking, night-club, knock-about-town,
devil-may-care young fellow. And all the time this quiet country house
of yours is the centre of half the mischief in England, and the
sporting squire the most astute secret-service man in Europe. Genius,
my dear Von Bork--genius!"

"You flatter me, Baron. But certainly I may claim my four years in
this country have not been unproductive. I've never shown you my
little store. Would you mind stepping in for a moment?"

The door of the study opened straight on to the terrace. Von Bork
pushed it back, and, leading the way, he clicked the switch of the
electric light. He then closed the door behind the bulky form which
followed him and carefully adjusted the heavy curtain over the latticed
window. Only when all these precautions had been taken and tested did
he turn his sunburned aquiline face to his guest.

"Some of my papers have gone," said he. "When my wife and the
household left yesterday for Flushing they took the less important with
them. I must, of course, claim the protection of the embassy for the
others."

"Your name has already been filed as one of the personal suite. There
will be no difficulties for you or your baggage. Of course, it is just
possible that we may not have to go. England may leave France to her
fate. We are sure that there is no binding treaty between them."

"And Belgium?"

"Yes, and Belgium, too."

Von Bork shook his head. "I don't see how that could be. There is a
definite treaty there. She could never recover from such a
humiliation."

"She would at least have peace for the moment."

"But her honor?"

"Tut, my dear sir, we live in a utilitarian age. Honour is a mediaeval
conception. Besides England is not ready. It is an inconceivable
thing, but even our special war tax of fifty million, which one would
think made our purpose as clear as if we had advertised it on the front
page of the Times, has not roused these people from their slumbers.
Here and there one hears a question. It is my business to find an
answer. Here and there also there is an irritation. It is my business
to soothe it. But I can assure you that so far as the essentials
go--the storage of munitions, the preparation for submarine attack, the
arrangements for making high explosives--nothing is prepared. How,
then, can