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"Okewood," he whispered but too low for the girl to distinguish the words, "Okewood? I might have guessed! I might have guessed!" Then he touched Barbara lightly on the shoulder. "Come," he said, "we must be getting upstairs. We have much to do!" He gently impelled her towards the ladder up which Bellward and Nur-el-Din had already disappeared.
She exulted in the change of scene and the fresh air; besides, she knew that the presence of Desmond Okewood would dispel the vague fears that had hung over her incessantly ever since her father's murder. She had only met him twice, she told herself when this thought occurred to her, but there was something bracing and dependable about him that was just the tonic she wanted.
He turned first, as was his daily habit, to the casualty list. There it was! Under the names of the "Killed in Action," he read: "Okewood, Major D. J. P.," followed by the name of his regiment. It gave him an odd little shock, though he had looked for the announcement every day; but the feeling of surprise was quickly followed by one of relief.
At this he laughed and cynically admitted that this was quite possibly the case. "Nevertheless, it is I who give the guarantee," he said in a tone that brooked no contradiction. The clock struck eleven. One hour to go! "Come, Okewood," he added good-naturedly, "we waste time. Up to this you've had all the sport, you know. You wouldn't have me miss the first day's shooting I've had this year.
"There's only one other man in the world can handle this job, except you," he began, "and that's your brother Francis. Do you know where he is, Okewood?" "He wrote to me last from Athens," answered Desmond, "but that must be nearly two months ago." The Chief laughed.
The lady poked her nose over the top of the bed-clothes. "Present the gentleman properly, Monica!" she said severely. "Captain Okewood ... Miss Mary Prendergast," said Monica. The lady's head, pigtails and all, now appeared. She appeared to be somewhat mollified.
In the Chief he now saw only the magician who was about to unlock to him the realms of Adventure. Desmond's eyes shone with excitement as the other, obviously simmering with satisfaction, lit another cigarette and began to speak. "The British public, Okewood," he said, hitching his chair closer, "would like to see espionage in this country rendered impossible.
The Chief professed to be very taken aback by this question. "Dear me, didn't I, Okewood?" he answered with eyes laughing, "she's my secretary!" "Miss Mackwayte telephoned to ask if I could go and see, her," said the Chief to Desmond as they motored back to White hall, "Marigold gave me the message just as we were coming out. She asked if I could come this afternoon.
Ah, yes," he sighed, "our beautiful Countess is now a widow, alone ..." he paused, then added, "... and unprotected!" I understood his allusion and went cold with fear. Why, Monica was involved in this affair as much as I. Surely they wouldn't dare to touch her.... Clubfoot leaned forward and tapped me on the knee. "You will be sensible, Okewood," he said confidentially. "You've lost.
This jewel, this Star of Poland, it is nothing to you or your Government. You restore it to me and I won't even ask you for a safe conduct back to Germany. I'll just slide out and it will be as if I had never been to England at all. As for my organization, you, Desmond Okewood, have blown it sky-high!"
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