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"I asked him specially to look after her," Lady Anselman confided, "and Ronnie is always such a dear at doing what he is told." Major Harrison leaned across the table towards them. "Didn't I hear you mention Thomson's name just now?" he inquired. "I saw him the other day in Boulogne. Awful swell he was about something, too.
There were a couple of officers, friends of Granet's, back from the Front on leave; Lady Conyers, with Geraldine and Olive; Granet himself; and a tall, dark girl with pallid complexion and brilliant eyes, who had come with Lady Anselman and who was standing now by her side. "I suppose you know everybody, my dear?" Lady Anselman asked her genially. The girl shook her head a little disconsolately.
"After all, I suppose," he observed, as he passed down the hall, "there is something great about wealth or else one wouldn't believe that old Anselman there was thinking of his money-bags. Why, here's Granet. Good fellow! I'd no idea you'd joined this august company of old fogies." Granet smiled as he shook hands. "I haven't," he explained.
"Look here, Thomson," the Chief demanded, "you don't suspect Sir Alfred Anselman?" "I do, sir!" The Chief was obviously dumbfounded. He sat, for a few moments, thinking. "You're a sane man, too, Thomson," he muttered, "but it's the most astounding charge I've ever heard." "It's the most astounding conspiracy," Thomson replied. "I was in Germany a few weeks ago, as you know."
Surgeon-Major Thomson's silence was scarcely a hesitation. He was standing perfectly still, his eyes fixed upon the young soldier. "At present," he said, "I am not quite clear about that. If you are ready, Geraldine?" She nodded and they made their farewells to Lady Anselman. Granet looked after them with a slight frown. He drew his aunt on one side for a moment.
Then I went up to the house to help them extinguish the fire. I didn't get back till four o'clock." "What about Collins?" young Anselman asked. "I was playing him at golf." "Better send up and see," Granet proposed. "I waited till I couldn't stick it any longer." They sent a servant up. The reply came back quickly Mr. Collins' bed had not been slept in. Granet frowned a little.
He rose to his feet and glanced at the clock as he crossed the room. It was five minutes past twelve. As he took up the receiver a familiar voice greeted him. "Is that Ronnie? Yes, this is Lady Anselman. Your uncle told me to ring you up to see if you were in. He wants you to come round." "What, to-night?" "Do come, Ronnie," his aunt continued.
They knew in Berlin yesterday what took place at the Cabinet Council the day before. You must realise yourself that some of this is true. How does the information get through?" "There are spies, of course," the Chief admitted. "The ordinary spy could make no such reports as the Germans are getting hour by hour. If I am to make a success of my job, I want the letters of Sir Alfred Anselman."
"And we should be twelve," Lady Anselman sighed. "Of course!" she added, her face suddenly brightening. "What an idiot I am! It's Ronnie we are waiting for. One can't be cross with him, poor fellow. He can only just get about." The fair girl, who had overheard, leaned across. The shade of newly awakened interest in her face, and the curve of her lips as she spoke, added to her charm.
It is so hard to avoid speaking of the great things, and for a man in my position," he added, dropping his voice a little, "so difficult to say anything worth listening to about them, without at any rate the semblance of indiscretion." "We all appreciate that," Lady Anselman assured him sympathetically.
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