AllthatIdidforyouatWittenberg,Ishouldhavedoneinanycaseforthesakeofourfriendship。Yourfreedomwouldprobablyneverhavebeengrantedtomebutformymission,althougheventhatImighthavetriedtoarrange。Ibroughtyourlettershere,andItradedthemwithyoursisterandMissFaircloughfortheshelteroftheirhospitalityandtheirguarantees。Nowyouknowjustwherefriendshipendedandtheotherthingsbegan。Dowhatyoubelievetobeyourduty。\"
RichardfollowedHelenout,closingthedoorafterhim。LessinghamlookeddownintoPhilippa’sface。
\"YouaremorewonderfuleventhanIthought,\"hecontinuedsoftly。
\"Yousaysolittleandyoulivesonearthetruth。Itisthoseofuswhofeelasyoudo-whounderstand-towhomthiswarissoterrible。\"
\"IwanttoaskyouonequestionbeforeIsendyouaway,\"shetoldhim。\"ThisjourneytoAmerica?\"
\"ItisamissiononbehalfofGermany,\"heexplained,\"butitis,afterall,anopenone。Ihavefriends-highlyplacedfriends-inmyowncountry,whointheirheartsfeelasIdoaboutthewar。Itisthrough=20themthatIamabletoturnmybackuponEurope。Ihavedonemyshareoffighting,\"hewentonsadly,\"andthehorrorofitwillneverquiteleaveme。Ithinkthatnoonehaseverchargedmewithshirkingmyduty,andyetthesheer,blackuglinessofthisghastlystruggle,itscriminalinutility,havegotintomybloodsothatIthinkIwouldratherpassoutoftheworldinsomesimplewaythanfindmyselfbackagaininthatdebauchofblood。Isthiscowardice,Philippa?\"
Shelookedathimwithshiningeyes。
\"Thereisn’tanyoneintheworld,\"shesaid,\"whocouldcallyouacoward。WhateverImaydecide,whateverImayfeeltowardsyou,thatatleastIknow。\"
Hekissedherfingers。
\"Atteno’clock,\"hebegan-
\"Butlisten,\"sheinterrupted。\"ApartfromanythingwhichDickmightdo,youareinterribledangerhere,allthemoreifyoureallyhaveaccomplishedsomething。Whynotgonow,atthismoment?Whywait?Thesefewhoursmaymakeallthedifference。\"
Hesmiled。
\"Theymay,indeed,makeallthedifferencetomylife,\"heanswered。
\"Thatisforyou。\"
HefollowedMills,whohadobeyedhersummons,outoftheroom。
Philippamovedtothewindowandwatchedhimuntilhehaddisappeared。Thenveryslowlyshelefttheroom,walkedupthestairs,madeherwaytoherownlittlesuiteofapartments,andlockedthedoor。
CHAPTERXXX
Itwasahappy,ifatriflehystericallittledinnerpartythateveningatMainsailHaul。Philippawasattimesunusuallysilent,butHelenhadexpandedinthejoyofhergreathappiness。Richard,shavedandwithhishaircut,attiredoncemoreinthegarbofcivilisation,seemedadifferentperson。Eveninthesefewhoursthelinesabouthismouthseemedlesspronounced。TheytalkedfreelyofMaderstrom。
\"Aregular’VanityFair’problem,\"Richarddeclared,balancinghiswineglassbetweenhisfingers,\"aproblem,too,whichIcan’tsayIhavesolvedaltogetheryet。Theonlythingisthatifheisreallygoingto-night,Idon’tseewhyIshouldn’tletthematterdriftoutofmymind。\"
\"Itissomuchbetter,\"Helenagreed。\"TryashardaseverIcan,Icannotpicturehisdoinganyharmtoanybody。Andasforanyinformationhemayhavegainedhere,well,IthinkthatwecansafelylethimtakeitbacktoGermany。\"
\"Hewasalways,\"Richardcontinuedreminiscently,\"asortofcrossbetweenadreamer,anidealist,andasportsman。Therewasneveranythingofthepracticalmanofaffairsabouthim。Hewasscrupulouslyhonourable,andalmostapuristinhisoutlookuponlife。IhavemetagreatmanyGermans,\"Richardwenton,\"andI’vekilledafew,thankGod!-butheisaboutasunliketheordinarytypeasanyoneIevermet。Theonlypityisthatheeverservedhistimewiththem。\"
Philippahadbeenlisteningattentively。Shewasmorethaneversilentafterherbrother’slittleappreciationofhisfriend。
Richardglancedathergood-humouredly。
\"Youhaven’tkilledthefattedcalfformeintheshapeofclothes,Philippa,\"heobserved。\"Onewouldthinkthatyouweregoingonajourney。\"
Sheglanceddownatherhigh-neckedgownandavoidedHelen’sanxiouseyes。
\"Imaygoforawalk,\"shesaid,\"andleaveyoutwoyoungpeopletotalksecrets。Iamratherfondofthegardenthesemoonlightnights。\"
\"WhenisHenrycomingback?\"herbrotherenquired。
Philippa’smannerwasquietbutominous。
\"Ihavenoidea,\"sheconfessed。\"Hecomesandgoesasthewhimseizeshim,andIveryseldomknowwhereheis。Oneweekitiswhitingandanothercodling。LatelyheseemstohaveshownsomepartialityforLondonlife。\"
Richard’seyeswerewideopennow。
\"Youmeantosaythatheisstillnotdoinganything?\"
\"Nothingwhatever。\"
\"Butwhatexcusedoeshegive-orratherIshouldsayreason?\"
Richardpersisted。
\"Hesaysthatheistoooldforaship,andhewon’tworkinanoffice,\"Philippareplied。\"Thatiswhathesays。HispointofviewissoimpossiblethatIcannotevendiscussitwithhim。\"
\"It’stherummestgoIevercameacross,\"Richardremarkedreminiscently。\"IshouldhavesaidthatoldHenrywouldhavebeenupandat’emattheAdmiraltybeforethefirstgunwasfired。\"
\"Onthecontrary,\"Philipparejoined,\"hetookadvantageofthewartohireaScotchmoorathalf-price,aboutaweekafterhostilitieshadcommenced。\"
\"It’sarumgo,\"Richardrepeated。\"Ican’tfancyHenryasaskulker。Forgiveme,Philippa,\"headded。
\"Youareentirelyforgiven,\"sheassuredhimdrily。
\"Hecomesofsuchafinefightingstock,\"Richardmused。\"I
supposehishealthisallright?\"
\"Hishealth,\"Philippadeclared,\"ismarvellous。IshouldthinkheisoneofthestrongestmenIknow。\"
Herbrotherpattedherhand。
\"You’vebeenmakingratheratroubleofit,oldgirl,\"hesaidaffectionately。\"It’snogooddoingthat,youknow。YouwaitandletmehaveatalkwithHenry。\"
\"Ithink,\"shereplied,\"thatnearlyeverythingpossiblehasalreadybeensaidtohim。\"
\"Perhapsyou’veputhisbackupabit,\"Richardsuggested,\"andhemayreallybeonthelookoutforsomethingallthetime。\"
\"Ithasbeenalongsearch!\"Philipparetorted,withquietsarcasm。
\"Letustalkaboutsomethingelse。\"
Theygossipedforatimeoveracquaintancesandrelations,madetheirplansfortheweek-RichardmustreportattheWarOfficeatonce。
Philippagrewmoreandmoresilentasthemealdrewtoaclose。ItwasatHelen’sinitiativethattheyleftRichardaloneforamomentoverhisport。Shekeptherarmthroughherfriend’sastheycrossedthehallintothedrawing-room,andclosedthedoorbehindthem。Philippastooduponthehearthrug。Alreadyhermouthhadcometogetherinastraightline。11creyesmetHelen’sdefiantly。
\"Iknowexactlywhatyouaregoingtosay,Helen,\"shebegan,\"andIwarnyouthatitwillbeofnouse。\"
Helendrewupasmallchairandseatedherselfbeforethefire。
\"AreyougoingawaywithMr。Lessingham,Philippa?\"sheasked。
\"Iam,\"wasthecalmresponse。\"Imadeupmymindthisafternoon。
Weareleavingto-night。\"
Helenstretchedoutonefoottotheblaze。
\"Motoring?\"sheenquired。
\"Naturally,\"Philippareplied。\"Youknowtherearenotrainsleavinghereto-night。\"
\"You’llhaveacoldride,\"Helenremarked。\"Ishouldtakeyourheavyfurcoat。\"
Philippastaredathercompanion。
\"Youdon’tseemmuchupset,Helen!\"
\"Ithink,\"Helen。declared,lookingup,\"thatnothingthathaseverhappenedtomeinmylifehasmadememoreunhappy,butI
canseethatyouhavereasoneditallout,andthereisnotasingleargumentIcouldusewhichyouhaven’talreadydiscounted。
Itisyourlife,Philippa,notmine。\"
\"Sinceyouaresophilosophical,\"Philippaobserved,\"letmeaskyou-shouldyoudowhatIamgoingtodo,ifyouwereinmyplace?\"
\"Ishouldnot,\"wasthefirmreply。
Philippalaughedheartily。
\"Oh,Iknowwhatyouaregoingtosay!\"Helencontinuedquickly。
\"You’lltellme,won’tyou,thatIamnottemperamental。IthinkinyourheartyouratherdespisemyabsolutefidelitytoRichard。
Youwouldcallitcowlike,orsomethingofthatsort。Thereisadifferencebetweenus,Philippa,andthatiswhyIamafraidtoarguewithyou。\"
\"Whatshouldyoudo,\"Philippademanded,\"ifRichardfailedyouinsomegreatthing?\"
\"Imightsuffer,\"Helenconfessed,\"butmylovewouldbethereallthesame。PerhapsforthatreasonIshouldsufferthemore,butI
shouldneverbeabletoseewiththosewhojudgedhimhardly。\"
\"Youthink,then,\"Philippapersisted,\"thatIoughtstilltoremainHenry’slovingandaffectionatewife,readytotakemyplaceamongstthepastimesofhislife-whenhefeelsinclined,forinstance,towanderfromhisdarklady-lovetosomethingpetiteandofmycomplexion,orwhenhesettlesdownathomeforafewdaysafterafortnight’ssportontheseaandexpectsmetotellhimthewarnews?\"
\"Idon’tthinkthatIshoulddothat,\"Helenadmittedquietly,\"butIamquitecertainthatIshouldn’trunawaywithanotherman。\"
\"Whynot?\"
\"BecauseIshouldbepunishingmyselftoomuch。\"
Philippa’seyessuddenlyflashed。
\"Helen,\"shesaid,\"youarenotsuchafoolasyoutrytomakemethink。Can’tyouseewhatisreallyatthebackofitallinmymind?Can’tyourealisethat,whateverthepunishmentitmaybring,itwillpunishHenrymore?\"
\"Isee,\"Helenobserved。\"YouarerunningawaywithMr。LessinghamtoannoyHenry?\"
\"Oh,he’llbemorethanannoyed!\"Philippalaughedsardonically。
\"Hehasterribleideasaboutthesanctityofthingsthatbelongtohim。He’llberemarkablysheepishforsometimetocome。Hemayevenfeelafewlittlestabs。WhenIhavetime,Iamgoingtowritehimaletterwhichhecankeepfortherestofhislife。Itwon’tpleasehim!\"
\"Whereareyou-andMr。Lessinghamgoingtolive?\"Helenenquired。
\"InAmerica,tostartwith。I’vealwayslongedtogototheStates。\"
\"Whatshallyoudo,\"Helencontinued,\"ifyoudon’tgetoutofthecountrysafely?\"
\"Mr。Lessinghamseemsquitesurethatweshall,\"Philippareplied,\"andheseemsapersonofmanyexpedients。Ofcourse,ifwedidn’t,IshouldgobacktoCheshire。Ishouldhavegonebackthere,anyway,beforenow,ifMr。Lessinghamhadn’tcome。\"
\"Well,itallseemsverysimple,\"Helenadmitted。\"IthinkMr。
Lessinghamisaperfectlydelightfulperson,andIshouldn’twonderifyoudidn’tnowandthenalmostimaginethatyouwerehappy。\"
\"Youseemtobetakingmygoingverycoolly,\"Philipparemarked。
\"ItoldyouhowIfeltaboutitjustnow,\"Helenremindedher。
\"YourgoingislikeagreatblackcloudthatIhaveseengrowinglargerandlarger,daybyday。Ithinkthat,inhisway,DickwillsufferjustasmuchasHenry。Weshallallbeutterlymiserable。\"
\"Whydon’tyoutryandpersuademenottogo,then?\"Philippademanded。\"YousittheretalkingaboutitasthoughIweregoingonanordinarycountry-housevisit。\"
Helenraisedherhead,andPhilippasawthathereyeswerefilledwithtears。
\"Philippadear,\"shesaid,\"ifIthoughtthatallthetearsthatwereevershed,allthewordsthatwereeverdraggedfromone’sheart,couldhaveanyrealeffect,I’dgoonmykneestoyounowandimploreyoutogiveupthisidea。ButIthink-youwon’tbeangrywithme,dear?-Ithinkyouwouldgojustthesame。\"
\"YouseemtothinkthatIamobstinate,\"Philippacomplained。
\"Yousee,youaretemperamental,dear,\"Helenremindedher。\"Youhaveacomplexnature。Iknowverywellthatyouneedthedaily=20
lovethatHenrydoesn’tseemtohavebeenwillingtogiveyoulately,andIcouldn’tstopyourturningtowardsthesun,youknow。
Only-allthetimethere’sthatterribleanxiety-areyouquitesureitisthesun?\"
\"YoubelieveinMr。Lessingham,don’tyou?\"Philippaasked。
\"Idoindeed,\"Helenreplied。\"Iamnotquitesure,though,thatIbelieveinyou。\"
Philippawasalittlestartled。
\"Well,Inever!\"sheexclaimed。\"Exactlywhatdoyoumeanbythat,Helen?\"
\"Iamnotquitesure,\"Helencontinued,\"thatwhenthemomenthasreallycome,andyourheadisupturnedandyourarmsoutstretched,andyourfeethaveleftthisworldinwhichyouarenow,Iamnotquitesurethatyouwillfindallthatyouseek。\"
\"Youthinkhedoesn’tloveme?\"
\"Iamnotconvinced,\"Helenrepliedcalmly,\"thatyoulovehim。\"
\"Why,youidiot,\"Philippadeclaredfeverishly,\"ofcourseIlovehim!Ithinkheisoneofthesweetest,mostlovablepersonsI
everknew,andastohisbeingaSwede,Ishouldn’tcarewhetherhewereaFijiIslanderoraChinese。\"
Helennoddedsympathetically。
\"Iagreewithyou,\"shesaid,\"butlisten。YouknowthatIhaven’tutteredasinglewordtodissuadeyou。Well,then,grantmejustonething。Beforeyoustartoffthisevening,tellMr。Lessinghamthetruth,whateveritmaybe,thetruthwhichyouhaven’ttoldme。
Itverylikelywon’tmakeanydifference。Twopeopleasniceasyouandhe,whoaregoingtojointheirlives,generallydo,Ibelieve,findthethingstheyseek。Still,tellhim。\"
Philippamadenoreply。Richardopenedthedoorandlingereduponthethreshold。Helenrosetoherfeet。
\"Iamcoming,Dick,\"shecalledoutcheerfully。\"There’sagorgeousfireinthegunroom,andtwobigeasy-chairs,andwe’llhavejustthetimeIhavebeenlookingforwardtoallday。You’lltellmethings,won’tyou?
Shelookedverysweetasshecametowardshim,hereyesraisedtohim,herfacefulloftheonehappiness。Hepassedhisarmaroundherwaist。
\"I’lltry,dear,\"hesaid。\"Youwon’tbelonely,Philippa?\"
\"I’llcomeanddisturbyouwhenIam,\"shepromised。
Thedoorclosed。Shestoodgazingdownintothefire,listeningtotheirfootstepsastheycrossedthehall。
CHAPTERXXXI
Lessinghamstoodforamomentbythesideofthecarfromwhichhehadjustdescended,glancedatthehugetiresandthetinsofpetrollashedonbehind。
\"Nothingmoreyouwant,chauffeur?\"heasked。
\"Nothing,sir,\"wasthealmostinaudiblereply。
\"Youhavetheroutemap?\"
\"Yes,sir,andenoughpetrolforthreehundredmiles。\"
Lessinghamturnedaway,pushedopenthegate,andwalkedupthedriveofMainsailHaul。Decidedlyitwasthemomentofhislife。
Hewashard-pressed,asheknew,byothersbesidesGriffiths。A
fewhoursnowwasallthestarthecouldreasonablyexpect。Hewasfacetofacewithaveryrealandseriousdanger,whichhecouldnolongerignore,andfromwhichescapewasallthetimebecomingmoredifficult。Andyetalltheemotionalismofthisclimaxwascenteredelsewhere。ItwasfromPhilippa’slipsthathewouldhearhisrealsentence;itwasheranswerwhichwouldfillhimoncemorewiththelustforlife,orsendhimoninhisrushthroughthenightforsafety,callous,almostindifferentastoitsresult。
Hewalkedupthedrive,curiouslyathisease,inastateofsuspendedanimation,whichknewnohopeandfearednodisappointment。Justbeforehereachedthefrontdoor,theposterngateinthewallonhisleft-handsideopened,andPhilippastoodthere,muffledupinherfurcoat,framedinthefaintandshadowymoonlightagainstthebackgroundofseaboundedspace。Hemovedeagerlytowardsher。
\"Iheardthecar,\"shewhispered。\"Comeandsitdownforamoment。
Itisn’tintheleastcold,andthemoonisjustcomingupoverthesea。Icameout,\"shewenton,ashewalkedobedientlybyherside,\"becausethehousesomehowstifledme。\"
Sheledhimtoaseat。Below,thelongwaveswerebreakingthroughupontherocks,throwinglittlefountainsofsprayintotheair。
Thevillagewhichlayattheirfeetwassilentandlifeless-therewas,indeed,acuriousabsenceofsound,exceptwhentheincomingwavesbrokeupontherocksandgroundthepebblestogetherintheirlong,backwardswish。Verysoonthesleepingcountry,nowwrappedinshadows,wouldtakeformandoutlineinthelightoftherisingmoon;hedgeswoulddividethesquarefields,theblackwoodswouldtakeshapeandthehillstheirmysticsolemnity。Butthosefewminuteswereminutesofsuspense。Lessinghamwastosomeextentconsciousoftheirqueer,allegoricalsignificance。
\"Ihavecome,\"heremindedherquitesteadily,\"formyanswer。\"
Sheshowedhimthesmallbagbyhersideupontheseat,andtouchedhercloak。Shewasindeedpreparedforajourney。
\"Yousee,\"shetoldhim,\"hereIam。\"
Hisfacewassuddenlytransformed。Shewasalmostafraidoftheeffectofherwords。Shefoundherselfstrugglinginhisarms。
\"Notyet,\"shebegged。\"Pleaserememberwhereweare。\"
Hereleasedherreluctantly。Afewyardsaway,theycouldhearthesoftpurringofthesix-cylinderengine,inexorablereminderofthepassingmoments。Hecaughtherbythehand。
\"Come,\"hewhisperedpassionately。\"Everymomentisprecious。\"
Shehesitatednolonger。Theopenposterngateseemedtohimsuddenlytoleaddownthegreatthoroughfareofanewandsplendidlife。Hewastobeoneofthosefavouredfewtowhomwasgiventhedivineprize。Andthenhestoppedshort,evenwhileshewalkedwillinglybyhisside。Heknewsowelltheneedforhaste。Thegentlemurmurofthatenginewasinvitinghimallthewhile。Yetheknewtherewasonethingmorewhichmustbesaid。
\"Philippa,\"hebegan,\"youknowwhatwearedoing?Wecanescape,Ibelieve。Myflightisallwonderfullyarranged。Buttherewillbenocomingback。Itwillbealloverwhenourcarpassesoverthehillsthere。Youwillnotregret?Youcareenoughevenforthissupremesacrifice?\"
\"IshallneverreproachyouaslongasIlive,\"shepromised。\"I
havemadeupmymindtocome,andIamready。\"
\"Butitisbecauseyoucare?\"hepleadedanxiously。
\"ItisbecauseIcare,foronereason。\"
\"Inthegreatway?\"hepersisted。\"Intheonlyway?\"
Shehesitated。Hesuddenlyfeltherhandgrowcolderinhis。Hesawherframeshiverbeneathitsweightoffurs。
\"Don’taskmequitethat,\"shebeggedbreathlessly。\"BecontenttoknowthatIhavecountedthecost,andthatIamwillingtocome。\"
Hefeltthechillofimpendingdisaster。Heclosedthelittlegatethroughwhichtheyhadbeenabouttopass,andstoodwithhisbacktoit。Inthatfaintlightwhichseemedtocreepovertheworldbeforethemoonitselfwasrevealed,sheseemedtohimatthatmomentthefairest,themostdesirablethingonearth。Herfacewasupturnedtowardshis,halfpathetic,halfprotestingagainsttherevelationwhichhewasforcingfromher。
\"Listen,Philippa,\"hesaid,\"MissFaircloughwarnedmeofonething。
Iputitononeside。Itdidnotseemtobepossible。NowImustaskyouaquestion。Youhavesomeothermotive,haveyounot,forchoosingtocomeaway’withme?Itisnotonlybecauseyoulovemebetterthananyoneelseintheworld,asIdoyou,andthereforethatwebelongtooneanotheranditisrightandgoodthatweshouldspendourlivesinoneanother’scompany?Thereissomethingelse,istherenot,attherootofyourdetermination?Someally?\"
ItwasastrangemomentforPhilippa。Nothinghadalteredwithinher,andyetawonderfulpitywasglowinginherheart,tearingatheremotions,bringingasobintoherthroat。
\"Youmean-Henry?shefaltered。
=20
\"Imeanyourhusband,\"heassented。
Shewassuddenlypassionatelyangrywithherself。Itseemedtoherthatthedaysofchildishnesswereback。Shewasbehavinglikeanimbecilewhilstheplayedthegreatgame。
\"Yousee,\"hewenton,hisownvoicealittleunsteady,\"thisisoneofthosemomentsinbothourliveswhenanythingexcepttheexacttruthwouldmeanshipwreck。Youstillloveyourhusband?\"
\"Iamsuchafool!\"shesobbed,clutchingathisarm。
\"Youwerewillingtogoawaywithme,\"hecontinuedmercilessly,\"partlybecauseoftheangeryoufelttowardshim,andpartlyoutofrevenge,andjustalittlebecauseyoulikedme。Isthatnotso?\"
Herheadpresseduponhisarm。Shenodded。Itwasjustthatconvulsivemovementofherhead,withitswealthofwonderfulhairanditsplainblackmotoringhat,whichdealtthedeath-blowtohishopes。Shewasjustachildoncemore-andshetrustedhim。
\"Verywell,then,\"hesaid,\"justletmethink-foramoment。\"
Sheunderstoodenoughnottoraiseherhead。Lessinghamwasgazingoutthroughthechaoticshadowsofthedistantbanksof=20cloudsfromwhichthemoonwasrising。Alreadythepainhadbegun,andyetwithitwasthatqueersenseofexaltationwhichcomeswithsacrifice。
\"Wehavebeenverynearlyfoolish,\"hetoldher,withgravekindliness。\"Itiswell,perhaps,thatwewereintime。Thosewindowswhichleadintoyourlibrary,-throughwhichIfirstcametoyou,by-the-by,-\"headded,withastrange,reminiscentlittlesigh,\"aretheyopen?\"。
\"Yes!\"shewhispered。
\"Come,then,\"heinvited。\"BeforeIleavethereissomethingIwanttomakecleartoyou。\"
Theymadetheirwayratherliketwoconspiratorsalongthelittleterracedwalk。Philippaopenedthewindowandcloseditagainbehindthem。Theroomwasempty。Lessingham,watchingherclosely,almostgroanedashesawthewonderfulreliefinherface。Shethrewoffthecloak,andhegroanedagainasherememberedhownearlyithadbeenhistasktoremoveit。Inherplaintravellingdress,sheturnedandlookedathimverypathetically。
\"Youhave,perhaps,amorningpaperhere?\"heenquired。
\"Anewspaper?Why,yes,theTimes,\"sheanswered,alittlesurprised。
Hetookitfromthetabletowardswhichshepointed,andhelditunderthelamplight。Presentlyhecalledtoher。Hisforefingerresteduponacertaincolumn。
\"Readthis,\"hedirected。
Shereaditoutinatonewhichpassedfromsurprisetoblankwonder:
CommanderSirHenryCranston,Baronet,toreceivetheD。S。0。forspecialservices,andtobepromotedtotherankofActingRear-Admiral。
\"Whatdoesitmean?\"sheaskedfeverishly。\"Henry?AD。S。0。forHenryforspecialservices?\"
\"Itmeans,\"hetoldher,withaforcedsmile,\"thatyourhusbandis,asyouputitinyourexpressivelanguage,afraud。\"
CHAPTERXXXII
ForamomentPhilippawasunsteadyuponherfeet。Lessinghamledhertoachair。Fromoutsidecamethelow,cautioushootingofthemotorhorn,callingtoitsdilatorypassenger。
\"Icannot,ofcourse,explaineverythingtoyou,\"hebegan,inatoneofunusualrestraint,\"butIdoknowthatforthelasttwoyearsyourhusbandhasbeenresponsibletotheAdmiraltyformostoftheminefieldsaroundyoureastcoast。Tobeginwith,hisstayinScotlandwasasham。Hewasmostofthetimewiththefleetandroundthecoasts。Hisfishingexcursionsfromherehavebeenofthesameorder,onlymoreso。Alltheplacesofimportance,fromheretothemouthoftheThames,havebeenmined,orrathertheapproachestothemhavebeenmined,underhisinstructions。Mymissioninthiscountry,hereatDreymarsh-donotshrinkfrommeifyoucanhelpit-wastoobtainacopyofhismineprotectionschemeofacertaintownontheeastcoast。\"
\"WhyshouldIshrinkfromyou?\"shemurmured。\"Thisisalltoowonderful!WhatalittlebeastHenrymustthinkme!\"sheadded,withtrulyfeminineandmarvellouslyselfishirrelevance。
\"YouandMissFairclough,\"Lessinghamwenton,\"haveratherscoffedatmypresencehereonbehalfofourSecretService。Itseemedtoyoubothveryridiculous。Nowyouunderstand。\"
\"Itmakesnodifference,\"Philippaprotestedtearfully。\"Youalwaystoldusthetruth。\"
\"AndIshallcontinuetodoso,\"Lessinghamassuredher。\"Iamnotacleverpersonatmyworkwhichisallnewtome,butfortunefavouredmethenightyourhusbandwasshipwrecked。Isucceededinstealingfromhim,onboardthatwreckedtrawler,theplanoftheminefieldwhichIwassentovertoprocure。\"
\"Ofcourseyouhadtodoitifyoucould,\"Philippasobbed。\"I
thinkitwasverycleverofyou。\"
Hesmiled。
\"Thereareotherswhomightlookatthematterdifferently,\"hesaid。
\"IamgoingtoaskyouaquestionwhichIknowisunnecessary,butImusthaveyouranswertotakeawaywithme。Ifyouhadknownallthetimethatyourhusband,insteadofbeingaskulker,asyouthoughthim,wasreallydoingsplendidworkforhiscountry,youwouldnothavelistenedtomeforonemoment,wouldyou?Youwouldnothaveletmegrowtoloveyou?\"
Sheclutchedhishands。
\"Youarethedearestmanintheworld,\"sheexclaimed,herlipsstillquivering,\"but,asyousay,youknowtheanswer。IwasalwaysinlovewithHenry。ItwasbecauseIlovedhimthatIwassofurious。Ilikedyousomuchthatitwasmeanofmeevertothinkof-ofwhatsonearlyhappened。\"
\"Sonearlyhappened!\"herepeated,withasuddenaccessofthebitterestself-pity。
Oncemorethelow,warninghootofthemotorhorn,thistimealittlemoreimpatient,brokethesilence。Philippawasfilledwithanunreasoningterror。
\"Youmustgo!\"sheimplored。\"Youmustgothisminute!Iftheyweretotakeyou,Icouldn’tbearit。AndthatmanGriffiths-hehasswornthatifhecannotgettheGovernmentauthority,hewillshootyou!\"
\"GriffithshasgonetoLondon,\"heremindedher。
\"Yes,buthemaybebackbythistrain,\"shecried,glancingattheclock,\"andIhaveastrangesortoffancy-Ihavehaditallday-thatHenrymightcome,too。Itisoverduenow。Anyonemightarrivehere。Oh,please,formysake,hurryaway!\"shebegged,thetearsstreamingfromhereyes。\"Ifanythingshouldhappen,Icouldneverforgivemyself。Itisbecauseyouhavebeensodear,sotrueandhonourable,thatallthistimehasbeenwasted。Ifitweretocostyouyourlife!\"
Shewasseizedbyafitofnervousanxietywhichbecamealmostaparoxysm。Shebuttonedhiscoatforhimandalmostdraggedhimtothedoor。Andthenshestoppedforamomenttolisten。Hereyesbecamedistended。Herlipswereparted。Sheshookasthoughwithanague。
\"Itistoolate!\"shefalteredhysterically。\"IcanhearHenry’svoice!Quick!Cometothewindow。Youmustgetoutthatwayandthroughtheposterngate。\"
\"Yourhusbandwillhaveseenthecar,\"heprotested。\"Andbesides,thereisyourdressing-bagandyourtravellingcoat。\"
\"Ishalltellhimeverything,\"shedeclaredwildly。\"Nothingmattersexceptthatyouescape。Oh,hurry!IcanhearHenrytalkingtoJimmyDumble-forGod’ssake-\"
Thewordsdiedawayuponherlips。Thedoorhadbeenopenedandclosedagainimmediately。Therewasthequickturnofthelock,soundingliketheclickoffate。SirHenry,wellinsidetheroom,noddedtothembothaffably。
\"Well,Philippa?Youweren’texpectingme,eh?Hullo,Lessingham!
Notgoneyet?Runningitatriflefine,aren’tyou?\"
Lessinghamglancedtowardsthefasteneddoor。
\"Perhaps,\"headmitted,\"atrifletoofine。\"
SirHenrywassuddenlytakenbystorm。Philippahadthrownherselfintohisarms。Herfingerswerelockedaroundhisneck。Herlips,hereyes,werepleadingwithhim。
\"Henry!Henry,youmustforgiveme!Ineverknew-Ineverdreamedwhatyouwerereallydoing。Ishallneverforgivemyself,butyou-youwillbegenerous\"
\"That’sallright,dear,\"hepromised,stoopingdowntokissher。
\"Partlymyfault,ofcourse。IhadtohumourthoseoldladiesdownatWhitehall1whowantedmetoposeasaparticularlyharmlessidiot。Yousee,\"hewenton,glancingtowardsLessingham,\"theywerealwaysafraidthatmystepsmightbedoggedbyspies,ifmypositionweregenerallyknown。\"
Philippadidnotrelinquishherattitude。Shewasstillclingingtoherhusband。Sherefusedtolethimgo。
\"Henry,\"shebegged,\"oh,listentome!Ihavesomuchtoconfess,somuchofwhichIamashamed!Andyet,withitall,Iwanttoentreat-toimploreonegreatfavourfromyou。\"
SirHenrylookeddownintohiswife’sface。
\"IsitoneIcangrant?\"heaskedgravely。
\"Ifyouwantmeevertobehappyagain,youwill,\"shesobbed。
\"ForHelen’ssakeaswellasmine,helpMr。Lessinghamtoescape。\"
Lessinghamtookaquickstepforward。Hehadtheairofonewhohasreachedthelimitsofhisendurance。
\"Youmeanthiskindly,LadyCranston,Iknow,\"hesaid,\"butI
desirenointervention。\"
SirHenrypattedhiswife’shandandheldheralittleawayfromhim。Therewasacuriousbutunmistakablechangeinhisdeportment。
Hismouthhadnotaltogetherlostitshumoroustwist,buthisjawseemedmoreapparent,thelightinhiseyeswaskeener,andtherewasaringofauthorityinhistone。
\"Come,\"hesaid,\"letusunderstandoneanother,Philippa,andyouhadbetterlisten,too,Mr。Lessingham。Icanpromiseyouthatyourchancesofescapewillnotbediminishedbymytakingupthesefewminutesofyourtime。Philippa,\"hewenton,turningbacktoher,\"youhavealwaysposedasbeinganexceedinglypatrioticEnglishwoman,yetitseemstomethatyouhavemadeabargainwiththisman,knowingfullwellthathewasintheserviceofGermany,togivehimshelterandhospitalityhere,accesstomyhouseandprotectionamongstyourfriends,inreturnforcertainfavoursshowntowardsyourbrother。\"
Philippawasspeechless。ItwasaviewofthematterwhichsheandHelenhadstrivensoeagerlytoavoid。
\"But,Henry,\"sheprotested,\"hisstayhereseemedsoharmless。YouyourselfhavelaughedattheideaofespionageatDreymarsh。Thereisnothingtodiscover。Thereisnothinggoingonherewhichthewholeworldmightnotknow。\"
\"Thatwasnevermyplea,\"Lessinghamintervened。
\"Norisitthetruth,\"SirHenryaddedsternly。
TheBaronMaderstromwassenthere,Philippa,tospyuponme,togainaccessbyanymeanstothishouse,tosteal,ifhecould,certainplansandchartspreparedbyme。\"
Philippabegantotremble。Sheseemedbereftofwords。
\"Hetoldmethis,\"shefaltered。\"Hetoldmenothalfanhourago。\"
Therewasatappingatthedoor。SirHenrymovedtowardsitbutdidnotturnthekey。
\"Whoisthat?\"heasked。
\"CaptainGriffithsisherewithanescort,sir,\"Millsannounced。
\"Hehasseizedthemotorcaroutside,andhebegstobeallowedtocomein。\"
CHAPTERXXXIII
Mills’wordswereplainlyaudiblethroughouttheroom。PhilippamadeeagersignstoLessingham,pointingtotheFrenchwindows。
Lessingham,however,shookhishead。
\"Iprefer,\"hesaidgently,\"tofinishmyconversationwithyourhusband。\"’
Therewasanotherandmoreinsistentsummonsfromoutside。ThistimeitwasCaptainGriffiths’raucousvoice。
\"SirHenryCranston,\"hecalledout,\"Iamherewithauthority。I
begtobeadmitted。\"
\"Whereisyourescort?\"
\"Inthehall。\"
\"IfIletyoucomein,\"SirHenrycontinued,\"willyoucomealone?\"
\"Ishouldpreferit,\"wastheeagerreply。\"Iwishtomakethisbusinessaslittleunpleasantto-toeverybodyaspossible。\"
SirHenrysoftlyturnedthekey,openedthedoor,andadmittedGriffiths。ThemanseemedtoseenooneelsebutLessingham。Hewouldhavehastenedatoncetowardshim,butSirHenrylaidhishanduponhisarm。
\"Youmustkindlyrestrainyourimpatienceforafewmoments,\"heinsisted。\"Thisisaprivateconference。YourbusinesswiththeBaronMaderstromcanbeadjustedlater。\"
\"Itismyduty,\"Griffithsproclaimedimpatiently,\"toarrestthatmanasaspy。Ihaveauthority,grantedmethismorninginLondon。\"
\"Quiteso,\"SirHenryobserved,\"butweareinthemidstofaveryinterestinglittlediscussionwhichIintendtoconclude。Yourturnwillcomelater,CaptainGriffiths。\"
\"Icancountenancenodiscussionwithsuchmenasthat,\"Griffithsdeclaredscornfully。\"Iamhereintheexecutionofmyduty,andIresentanyinterferencewithit。\"
\"Noonewishestointerferewithyou,\"SirHenryassuredhim,\"butuntilIsaythewordyouwillobeymyorders。\"
\"SofarasIamconcerned,\"Lessinghamintervened,\"IwishittobeunderstoodthatIoffernodefence。\"
\"Youhavenodefence,\"SirHenryremindedhimsuavely。\"Igatherthatnotonlyhadyoutheeffronterytostealachartfrommypocketinthemidstofalifestruggleuponthetrawler,butyouhavecappedthisexploitwithadeliberateattempttoabductmywife。\"
Griffithsseemedforamomentalmostbesidehimself。Hiseyesglowed。Hislongfingerstwitched。HekeptedgingalittlenearertoLessingham。
\"Bothcharges,\"thelatterconfessed,lookingSirHenryintheeyes,\"aretrue。\"
ThenPhilippafoundherself。Shesawthesuddenflashinherhusband’seyes,thegrimfuryinGriffiths’face。Shesteppedoncemoreforward。
\"Henry,\"sheinsisted,\"youmustlistentowhatIhavetosay。\"
\"Wehavehadenoughwords,\"Griffithsinterposedsavagely。
SirHenryignoredtheinterruption。
\"Iamlistening,Philippa,\"hesaidcalmly。
\"ItwasmyintentionanhouragotoleavethisplacewithMr。
Lessinghamto-night,\"shetoldhimdeliberately。
\"Thedevilitwas!\"SirHenrymuttered。
\"Asforthereason,youknowit,\"shecontinued,hertonefullofcourage。\"Iamwillingtothrowmyselfatyourfeetnow,butallthesameIwashardlytreated。Iwasmadethescapegoatofyourstupidpromise。Youkeptmeinignoranceofthingsawifeshouldknow。Youevenencouragedmetobelieveyouacoward,whenasinglewordfromyouwouldhavechangedeverything。Therefore,I
saythatitisyouwhoareresponsibleforwhatInearlydid,andwhatIshouldhavedonebutforhim-listen,Henry-butforhim!\"
\"Butforhim,\"herhusbandrepeatedcuriously。
\"ItwasMr。Lessingham,\"shedeclared,\"whoopenedmyeyesconcerningyou。Itwashewhorefusedtoletmeyieldtothatimpulseofanger。
Lookatmycoatthere。Mybagisonthattable。Iwasreadytoleavewithhimto-night。Beforewewent,heinsistedontellingmeeverythingaboutyou。Hecouldhaveescaped,andIwaswillingtogowithhim。Instead,hespentthosepreciousminutestellingmethetruthaboutyou。Thatwastheend。\"
\"LadyCranstonomitstoadd,\"Lessinghamputin,\"thatbeforeIdidsoshetoldmefranklythatherfeelingsformewereofwarmfriendliness-thatherlovewasgiventoherhusband,andherhusbandonly。\"
\"Howlongisthistogoon?\"Griffithsaskedharshly。\"Ihavetheauthorityhereandthepowertotakethatman。Thesedomesticexplanationshavenothingtodowiththecase。\"
\"Excuseme,\"SirHenryretorted,withquietemphasis,\"theyhaveagreatdealtodowithit。\"
\"IamCommandantofthisplace-\"Griffithscommenced。
\"AndIpossessanauthorityherewhichyouhadbetternotdispute,\"
SirHenryremindedhimsternly。
Therewasamoment’stensesilence。Griffithssethisteethhard,buthishandwanderedtowardsthebackofhisbelt。
\"Iamnow,\"SirHenrycontinued,\"goingtoannouncetoyouapieceofnews,overwhichweshallallbegloatingwhento-morrowmorning’snewspapersareissued,butwhichisnotasyetgenerallyknown。
Duringlastnight,aconsiderablesquadronofGermancruisersmanagedtocrosstheNorthSeaandfoundtheirwaytoacertainportofconsiderableimportancetous。
Lessinghamstarted,Hisfacewasdrawnasthoughwithpain。Hehadtheairofonewhoshrinksfromthenewsheisabouttohear。
\"Incidentally,\"SirHenrycontinued,\"three-quartersofthesquadronalsofoundtheirwaytothebottomofthesea,andtheotherquartermetourownsquadron,lyinginwaitfortheirretreat,andwillnotreturn。\"
Lessinghamswayedforamomentuponhisfeet。OnecouldalmostfancythatSirHenry’stonewastingedwithpityasheturnedtowardshim。
\"Thechartoftheminefieldofwhichyoupossessedyourself,hesaid,\"whichitwastheobjectofyourvisitheretosecure,wasachartspeciallypreparedforyou。Yousee,ourownSecretServiceisnotaltogetherasleep。Thoseverysafeandinviting-lookingchannelsforBritishandAlliedtraffic-Imarkedthemveryclearly,didn’tI?-werewhereI’dlaidmymines。Thechannelswhichyourcruiserssocarefullyavoidedweretheonlysafeavenues。Soyouseewhyitis,Maderstrom,thatIhavenogrudgeagainstyou。\"
Lessingham’sfaceforamomentwasthefaceofastrickenman。
Therewasalookofdullhorrorinhiseyes。
\"Isthisthetruth?\"hegasped。
\"Itisthetruth,\"SirHenryassuredhimgravely。
\"Doesthisconcludetheexplanations?\"CaptainGriffithsdemandedimpatiently。\"Yournewsismagnificent,SirHenry。Asregardsthisfelon-\"
SirHenryhelduphishand。
\"Maderstrom’sfate,\"hesaid,\"isminetodealwithandnotyours,CaptainGriffiths。\"
Philippawasthefirsttograsptheintentionsofthemanwhowasstandingonlyafewfeetfromher。Shethrewherselfuponhisarmanddraggeddowntherevolverwhichhehadraised。SirHenry,withashoutoffury,wasuponthematonce。HetookGriffithsbythethroatandthrewhimuponthesofa。Therevolverclatteredharmlesslyontothecarpet。
\"HisMajesty’sServicehasnouseformadmen,\"hethundered。\"YouknowthatIpossesssuperiorauthorityhere。\"
\"Thatmanshallnotescape!\"Griffithsshouted。
Hestruggledforhiswhistle。SirHenrysnatcheditfromhimandpickeduptherevolverfromthecarpet。
\"Lookhere,Griffiths,\"heremonstratedseverely,\"onesinglemoveinoppositiontomywisheswillcostyouyourcareer。Lettherebenomisunderstandingaboutit。Thatmanwillnotbearrestedbyyouto-night。\"
Griffithsstaggeredtohisfeet。Hewashalfcowed,halffurious。
\"Youtaketheresponsibilityforthis,SirHenry?\"hedemandedthickly。\"Themanisaprovedtraitor。Ifyouassisthimtoescape,youaresubjecttopenalties-\"
SirHenrythrewopenthedoor。
\"CaptainGriffiths,\"heinterrupted,\"Iamnotignorantofmypositioninthismatter。Believeme,yourlastchanceofretainingyourpositionhereistorememberthatyouhavehadspecificorderstoyieldtomyauthorityinallmatters。Kindlyleavethisroomandtakeyoursoldiersbacktotheirquarters。\"
Griffithshesitatedforasinglemoment。Hehadtheappearanceofamanhalfdementedbyapassionwhichcouldfindnooutlet。Thenhelefttheroom,withoutsalute,withoutaglancetotherightortotheleft。Outinthehall,amomentlater,theyheardaharshvoiceofcommand。Thehalldoorwasopenedandclosedbehindthesoundofretreatingfootsteps。
\"SirHenry,\"Lessinghamremindedhim,\"Ihavenotaskedforyourintervention。\"
\"Mydearfellow,youwouldn’t,\"wasthepromptreply。\"AsforthelittletroublethathashappenedintheNorthSea,don’ttakeittoomuchtoheart,itwasentirelythefaultofthepeoplewhosentyouhere。\"
\"Thefaultofthepeoplewhosentmehere,\"Lessinghamrepeated。
\"Iscarcelyunderstand。\"
\"It’ssimpleenough,\"SirHenrycontinued。\"Yousee,youareaboutasfittobeaspyasPhilippa,mywifehere,istobeadetective。
Youpossesstheoneinsuperableobstacleofhavingtheinstinctsofagentleman-Come,come,\"hewenton,\"wehavenothingmoretosaytooneanother。Openthatwindowandtakethenarrowpathdowntothebeach。JimmyDumbleiswaitingforyouatthegate。HewillrowyououttoaDutchtrawlerwhichislyingevennowoffthepoint。\"
\"Youmeanmetogetaway?\"Lessinghamexclaimed,bewildered。
\"Believeme,itwillcostnothing,\"SirHenryassuredhim。\"IwasnotbluffingwhenItoldCaptainGriffithsthatIhadsupremeauthorityhere。HeknowsperfectlywellthatIamwithinmyrightsinaidingyourescape。\"
PhilippamovedswiftlytowhereLessinghamwasstanding。Shegavehimherhands。
\"Dearfriend,\"shebegged,\"sowonderfulafriendasyouhavebeen,don’trefusethislastthing。\"
\"Beasensiblefellow,Maderstrom,\"SirHenrysaid。\"Rememberthatyoucan’tdoyourselforyouradoptedcountryaha’porthofgoodbyplayingtheQuixote。\"
\"Besides,\"Philippacontinued,holdinghishandstightly,\"itis,afterall,onlyanexchange。YouhavesavedHenry’slife,setRichardfree,andbroughtushappiness。Whyshouldyouhesitatetoacceptyourownliberty?\"
SirHenrythrewopenthewindowandlookedtowardsagreenlightoutatsea。
\"There’syourtrawler,\"hepointedout,\"andrememberthetidewillturninhalfanhour。Idon’twishtohurryyou\"
LessinghamraisedPhilippa’sfingerstohislips。
\"Ishallthinkofyoubothalways,\"hesaidsimply。\"Youareverywonderfulpeople。\"
Heturnedtowardsthewindow。SirHenrytookuptheHomburghatfromthetablebyhisside。
\"Bettertakeyourhat,\"hesuggested。
Lessinghampaused,acceptedit,andlookedsteadfastlyatthedonor。
\"Youknewfromthefirst?\"heasked。
\"Fromtheveryfirst,\"SirHenryassuredhim。\"Don’tlooksoconfounded,\"hewentonconsolingly。\"Rememberthatespionageistheonlyprofessioninwhichitisanhonourtofail。\"
Philippacamealittleshylyintoherhusband’sarms,asheturnedbackintotheroom。Thetendernessinhisownface,however,andalittlecatchinhisvoice,brokedownatoncethewallofreservewhichhadgrownupbetweenthem。
\"Mydearlittlewoman!\"hemurmured。\"Mylittlesweetheart!Youdon’tknowhowI’veachedtoexplaineverythingtoyou-includingtheRussianladies。\"
\"Explainthematonce,sir!\"Philippainsisted,pretendingtodrawherfaceawayforamoment。
\"Theywerethewifeandsister-in-lawoftheRussianAdmiral,Draskieff,whowassentovertoreportuponourmethodofminelaying,\"hetoldher。
\"YouandIhavetogouptoalittledinnertheyaregivingto-morroworthenextday。
\"Oh,dear,whatanidiotIwas!\"Philippaexclaimedruefully。\"I
imagined-allsortsofthings。But,Henrydear,\"shewenton,\"doyouknowthatwehaveagreatsurpriseforyou-hereinthehouse?\"
\"Nosurprise,dear,\"heassuredher,shakinghishead。\"IknewtheveryhourthatRichardleftWittenberg。Andhereheis,byJove!\"
RichardandHelenenteredtogether。PhilippacouldnotevenwaitfortheconclusionoftheheartybutexceedinglyBritishgreetingwhichpassedbetweenthetwomen。
\"Listentome,bothofyou!\"shecriedincoherently-\"Helen,youespecially!Youneverheardanythingsowonderfulinyourlife!
Theyweren’tfishingexcursionsatall。Thereweren’tanywhiting。
Henrywaslayingminesallthetime,andhe’sblownuphalftheGermanfleet!It’sallintheTimesthismorning。He’sgotaD。S。0-
Henryhas-andhe’saRear-Admiral!Oh,Helen,Iwanttocry!\"
Thetwowomenwanderedintoafarcorneroftheroom。Richardwrunghisbrother-in-law’shand。
\"Philippaisn’texactlycoherent,\"heremarked,\"butitsoundsallright。\"
\"Yousee,\"SirHenryexplained,\"I’vebeenminelayingeversincethewarstarted。Ialwayshadideasofmyownaboutminefields,asyoumayremember。IstartedwithScotland,andthentheymovedmedownhere。TheAdmiraltythoughtthey’dbemightyclever,andtheyinsisteduponmykeepingmyjobsecret。ItledtoalittletroublewithPhilippa,butIthinkwearethroughwithallthat-
Isupposeyouknowthatthosetwoyoungwomenhavebeenengagedinaregularconspiracy,Dick?\"
\"Iknowalittle,\"Richardrepliedgravely,\"andI’msureyouwillbelievethatIwouldn’thavecountenanceditforamomentifI’dhadanyideawhattheywereupto。\"
\"I’msureyouwouldn’t,\"SirHenryagreed。\"Anyway,itledtonoharm。\"
\"Maderstrom,then,\"Richardasked,withasuddenmorecompleteapprehensionoftheaffair,\"wasoverheretospyuponyou?\"
\"That’stheticket,\"SirHenryassented。
Richardfrowned。
\"AndhebribedPhilippaandHelenwithmyliberty!\"
\"Don’tyouworryaboutthat,\"hisbrother-in-lawbegged。\"TheymusthaveknownbyinstinctthatachaplikeMaderstromcouldn’tdoanyharm。\"
\"Whereishenow?\"Richardaskedeagerly。\"Heleninsisteduponkeepingmeoutofthewaybutwe’veheardallsortsofrumours。TheCommandanthasbeenuphereafterhim,hasn’the?\"
\"Yes,andIsenthimawaywithafleainhisear!Idon’tlikethefellow。\"
\"AndMaderstrom?\"
\"Thepseudo-Mr。Lessingham,eh?\"SirHenryobserved。\"Well,totellyouthetruth,Dick,ifthereisonepersonIamalittlesorryforinthehistoryofthelastfewweeks,it’sMaderstrom。\"
\"You,too?\"Richardexclaimed。\"Why,everyoneseemscrazyaboutthefellow。\"
SirHenrynodded。
\"Irememberhiminyourcollegedays,Dick。Hewasagentlemanandagoodsort,onlyunfortunatelyhismotherwasaGerman。HedidhisbitofsoldieringwiththePrussianGuardsatthebeginningofthewar,gotaknockandvolunteeredfortheSecretService。Theysenthimoverhere。Thefellowmusthavenoendofpluck,for,asIdaresayyouknow,theylethimdownfromtheobservationcarofaZeppelin。Hefindshiswayhereallright,makeshissillylittlebargainwithourdearbutgulliblewomenkind,andsetshimselftowatch-towatchme,mind。Thewholeaffairistooridiculouslytransparent。Foratimehecan’tbringhimselfeventotouchmypapershere,although,asithappens,theywouldn’thavedonehimtheleastbitofgood。ItwasonlythestressandexcitementoftheshipwrecklastweekthatheventuredtostealthechartwhichIhadsocarefullypreparedforhim。Ireallythink,ifhehadn’tdonethat,Ishouldhavehadtoslipitintohispocketorabsolutelyforceituponhimsomehow。Hesendsitofflikealambandbeholdtheresult!We’vecrippledtheGermanNavyfortherestofthewar。\"
\"Itwasafakedchart,then,ofcourse?\"Richarddemandedbreathlessly。
\"AndquitethecleverestIeverprepared,\"SirHenryacknowledged。
\"IcanassureyouthatitwouldhavetakeninVonTirpitzhimself,ifhe’dgotholdofit。\"
\"ButwhereisMaderstromnow,sir?\"Richardasked。
SirHenrymovedhisheadtowardsthewindow,wherePhilippa,forthelastfewmoments,hadsoftlytakenherplace。Hereyeswerewatchingagreenlightbobbingupanddowninthedistance。Suddenlyshegavealittleexclamation。
\"It’smoving!\"shecried。\"He’soff!\"
\"He’ssafeonaDutchtrawler,\"SirHenrydeclared。\"AndIthink,\"
headded,movingtowardsthesideboard,\"it’stimeyouandIhadadrinktogether,Dick。\"
Theyhelpedthemselvestowhiskyandsoda。Therewerestillmanyexplanationstobegiven。Half-concealedbythecurtain,Philippastoodwithhereyesturnedseawards。Thegreenlightwasdimmernow,andthelow,blackoutlineofthetrawlercreptslowlyovertheglitteringtrackofmoonlight。Shegavealittlestartasitcameintosight。Therewasasobinherthroat,tearsburninginhereyes。Herfingersclutchedthecurtainsalmostpassionately。
Shestoodtherewatchinguntilhereyesached。Thenshefeltanarmaroundherwaistandherhusband’swhisperinherear。
Ihaven’tletyouwandertoofar,haveI,Phil?\"
Sheturnedquicklytowardshim,eagerforthecomfortofhisextendedarms。Herfacewasburiedinhisshoulder。
\"Youknow,\"shemurmured。