reach of the ears of prying juniors, Claudia
continued:

"I'm in dreadful trouble; that's why I'm so late. Everything's gone
wrong. Yesterday afternoon I had a telegram from Morland: 'Take parcel
immediately to the George'."

"That case that the officer lost? I always thought Morland ought to have
given it back to him at once. Well! Did you go to the cave and fetch
it?"

"I went," said Claudia slowly, "but, when I looked in the little
cupboard, it wasn't there."

"Not there!" Lorraine's tone was horror-stricken.

"No. I hunted all round the cave, but it had gone, absolutely."

"Great Scott! What are we to do?"

"I don't know. I telegraphed to Morland that it was lost. I hope he
won't get into trouble about it."

"I hope not." Lorraine's face was very grave.

"And to make things worse, Landry is ill in bed to-day. He's in one of
his most fractious moods, and won't have anybody near him but me. I only
ran down to school for a few minutes to tell you that the dispatch case
is lost, then I must go back to him. I've explained to Miss Janet that
he's ill, and I have to nurse him. There's the bell, and you must go in.
What a nuisance! Come and see me after four, if you can."

"I'll try. Good-bye till then."

Claudia and Lorraine hurried in opposite directions, the one home and
the other into school. Lorraine was in a ferment of emotion. Who could
possibly have taken the pocket case? Some intruder must have discovered
their cave and have stolen it from the cupboard. Was it some chance
tourist who had climbed up the rocks, or was it--could it be--Madame
Bertier?

Lorraine had always suspected that Morland had told her the secret of
the grotto. What if she had gone there, found the officer's private
papers, and made treasonable use of them? There were so many doubtful
episodes in connection with her--the cut telephone wire; her meeting on
the shore with the man arrested only yesterday as a spy, who had claimed
her portrait at the Academy as that of his wife.

"It looks bad!" thought Lorraine. "Oh, why didn't we persuade Morland to
give that wretched case back at once to his captain? What will he do
when he gets Claudia's telegram?"

The answer to this question came later on in the day. She was walking
back to school at a quarter past two that afternoon, when just by the
windmill she met Morland himself on a motor bicycle. He dismounted at
once.

"Lorraine! The very person in all the world I want to see. I say