第74章

"Does this conclude the explanations?" Captain Griffiths demanded impatiently. "Your news is magnificent, Sir Henry. As regards this felon - "

Sir Henry held up his hand.

"Maderstrom's fate," he said, "is mine to deal with and not yours, Captain Griffiths."

Philippa was the first to grasp the intentions of the man who was standing only a few feet from her. She threw herself upon his arm and dragged down the revolver which he had raised. Sir Henry, with a shout of fury, was upon them at once. He took Griffiths by the throat and threw him upon the sofa. The revolver clattered harmlessly on to the carpet.

"His Majesty's Service has no use for madmen," he thundered. "You know that I possess superior authority here."

"That man shall not escape!" Griffiths shouted.

He struggled for his whistle. Sir Henry snatched it from him and picked up the revolver from the carpet.

"Look here, Griffiths," he remonstrated severely, "one single move in opposition to my wishes will cost you your career. Let there be no misunderstanding about it. That man will not be arrested by you to-night."

Griffiths staggered to his feet. He was half cowed, half furious.

"You take the responsibility for this, Sir Henry?" he demanded thickly. "The man is a proved traitor. If you assist him to escape, you are subject to penalties - "

Sir Henry threw open the door.

"Captain Griffiths," he interrupted, "I am not ignorant of my position in this matter. Believe me, your last chance of retaining your position here is to remember that you have had specific orders to yield to my authority in all matters. Kindly leave this room and take your soldiers back to their quarters."

Griffiths hesitated for a single moment. He had the appearance of a man half demented by a passion which could find no outlet. Then he left the room, without salute, without a glance to the right or to the left. Out in the hall, a moment later, they heard a harsh voice of command. The hall door was opened and closed behind the sound of retreating footsteps.

"Sir Henry," Lessingham reminded him, "I have not asked for your intervention."

"My dear fellow, you wouldn't," was the prompt reply. "As for the little trouble that has happened in the North Sea, don't take it too much to heart, it was entirely the fault of the people who sent you here."

"The fault of the people who sent me here," Lessingham repeated.

"I scarcely understand."

"It's simple enough," Sir Henry continued. "You see, you are about as fit to be a spy as Philippa, my wife here, is to be a detective.

You possess the one insuperable obstacle of having the instincts of a gentleman. - Come, come," he went on, "we have nothing more to say to one another. Open that window and take the narrow path down to the beach. Jimmy Dumble is waiting for you at the gate. He will row you out to a Dutch trawler which is lying even now off the point."

"You mean me to get away?" Lessingham exclaimed, bewildered.

"Believe me, it will cost nothing," Sir Henry assured him. "I was not bluffing when I told Captain Griffiths that I had supreme authority here. He knows perfectly well that I am within my rights in aiding your escape."

Philippa moved swiftly to where Lessingham was standing. She gave him her hands.

"Dear friend," she begged, "so wonderful a friend as you have been, don't refuse this last thing."

"Be a sensible fellow, Maderstrom," Sir Henry said. "Remember that you can't do yourself or your adopted country a ha'porth of good by playing the Quixote."

"Besides," Philippa continued, holding his hands tightly, "it is, after all, only an exchange. You have saved Henry's life, set Richard free, and brought us happiness. Why should you hesitate to accept your own liberty?"

Sir Henry threw open the window and looked towards a green light out at sea.

"There's your trawler," he pointed out, "and remember the tide will turn in half an hour. I don't wish to hurry you "

Lessingham raised Philippa's fingers to his lips.

"I shall think of you both always," he said simply. "You are very wonderful people."

He turned towards the window. Sir Henry took up the Homburg hat from the table by his side.

"Better take your hat," he suggested.

Lessingham paused, accepted it, and looked steadfastly at the donor.

"You knew from the first?" he asked.

"From the very first," Sir Henry assured him. "Don't look so confounded," he went on consolingly. "Remember that espionage is the only profession in which it is an honour to fail."

Philippa came a little shyly into her husband's arms, as he turned back into the room. The tenderness in his own face, however, and a little catch in his voice, broke down at once the wall of reserve which had grown up between them.

"My dear little woman!" he murmured. "My little sweetheart! You don't know how I've ached to explain everything to you - including the Russian ladies."

"Explain them at once, sir!" Philippa insisted, pretending to draw her face away for a moment.

"They were the wife and sister-in-law of the Russian Admiral, Draskieff, who was sent over to report upon our method of mine laying," he told her.

"You and I have to go up to a little dinner they are giving to-morrow or the next day.