“I suppose because it is an English custom,” replied Commander Blacklock quietly. “Also, you will be exceedingly glad some day to find yourself still alive. Please sit down and listen. I am anxious to explain this point fully, for a very good reason.”
With a groan their captive sat down, but with his head held now between his hands and his eyes cast upon the floor.
“We agreed that at all costs this must be managed, and so I tried my hand at exercising my authority over you. I saw that was going to be no good, and gave it up at once for fear you’d smell a rat. And then I thought of Miss Holland.”
Von Belke looked up suddenly.
“Ah!” he cried, “so that is why this lady appeared—this lady I may not call a decoy!”
“That is why,” said Blacklock.
II
The Lady
Lieutenant von Belke looked for a moment at the lady who had enslaved him, but for some reason he averted his gaze rather quickly. Then with an elaborate affectation of sarcastic politeness which served but ill to conceal the pain at his heart and the shock to his pride, he inquired—
“May I be permitted to ask what agency supplies ladies so accomplished at a notice so brief?”
“Providence,” said Blacklock promptly and simply. “Miss Holland had never undertaken any such work before, and her name is on the books of no bureau.”
“I believe you entirely,” said von Belke ironically. “You taught her her trade then, I presume?”
“I did.”
The German stared at him.
“Is there really any need to deceive me further?” he inquired.
“I am telling you the simple truth,” said Blacklock unruffled. “I had the great good fortune to make Miss Holland’s acquaintance on the mail-boat crossing to these islands. She was going to visit Mr. Craigie—that intellectual gentleman you met yesterday—under the precise circumstances he described. I noticed Miss Holland the moment she came aboard the boat.” He paused for a moment, and then turned to Eileen with a smile. “I have a confession to make to you, Miss Holland, which I may as well get off my chest now. My mind, naturally enough perhaps, was rather running on spies, and when I discovered that you were travelling with a suitcase of German manufacture I had a few minutes’ grave suspicion. I now apologise.”
Eileen laughed.
“Only a few minutes!” she exclaimed. “It seems to me I got off very easily!”
“That was why I was somewhat persistent in my conversation,” he continued, still smiling a little, “but it quickly served the purpose of satisfying me absolutely that my guns were on the wrong target. And so I promptly relieved you of my conversation.”
He turned again to von Belke.
“Then, Mr. Belke, a very curious thing happened, which one of us may perhaps be pardoned for thinking diabolical and the other providential. Miss Holland happened to have met the real Mr. Burnett and bowled me out. And then I had another lucky inspiration. If Miss Holland will pardon me for saying so in her presence, I had already been struck with the fact that she was a young lady of very exceptional looks and brains and character—and, moreover, she knew Germany and she knew German. It occurred to me that in dealing with a young and probably not unimpressionable man such an ally might conceivably come in useful.”
“Robin,” interrupted his old friend, with his rich laugh, “you are the coldest-blooded brute I ever met!”
“To plot against a man like that!” agreed von Belke with bitter emphasis.
“Oh, I wasn’t thinking of you,” said Captain Phipps, with a gallant glance at the lady. “However, on you go with your yarn.”
“Well, I decided on the spot to take Miss Holland into my confidence—and I should like to say that confidence was never better justified. She seemed inclined to do what she could for her country.” Commander Blacklock paused for an instant, and added apologetically, “I am putting it very mildly and very badly, but you know what I mean. She was, in fact, ready to do anything I asked her on receipt of a summons from me. I had thought of her even when talking to Captain Phipps, but I felt a little reluctant to involve her in the business, with all it entailed, unless no other course remained open. And no other course was open. And so I first telegraphed to her and then went over and fetched her. That was how she came to play the part she did, entirely at my request and instigation.”
“You—you then told her to—to make me admire her?” asked von Belke in an unsteady voice.
“Frankly I did. Of course it was not for me to teach a lady how to be attractive, but I may say that we rehearsed several of the scenes very carefully indeed—I mean in connection with such matters as the things you should say to Commander Wiedermann, and so on. Miss Holland placed herself under my orders, and I simply told her what to say. She was in no sense to blame.”
“Blame!” cried Captain Phipps. “She deserves all the decorations going!”
“I was trying to look at it from Mr. Belke’s point of view,” said Blacklock, “as I think Miss Holland probably desires.”
She gave him a quick, grateful look, and he continued—
“It was I who suggested that she should appear critical of me, and endeavour, as it were, to divide our household into two camps, so that you should feel you were acting against me when you were actually doing what I wished. I tell you this frankly so that you may see who was responsible for the deceit that we were forced to practise.”
“Forced!” cried the young lieutenant bitterly. “Who forced you to use a woman? Could you not have deceived me alone?”
“No,” said Blacklock candidly, “I couldn’t, or I should not have sent for Miss Holland. It was an extremely difficult problem to get you to risk your life, and stand out against your commanding officer’s wishes
