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Strangwise smiled and shook his head. "I'm very pleased to know your friend, Desmond," he said, "but, you know, I can't talk! I had the strictest orders from the War Office... It's on account of the other fellows, you know..." Desmond looked blankly at him. Then he turned to Spencer. "You must let me into this, Spencer," he said, "what's old Maurice been up to?
Strangwise who had not missed a syllable of the interrogatory was at the curtains in a flash. As he plucked the hangings back, Desmond made a rush for him; but Strangwise, wary as ever, kept his head and, drawing back, jabbed his great automatic almost in the other's face. And then Desmond knew the game was up. Barbara had collapsed in her chair.
"Now, Barling," said Desmond, when Bellward had been borne away, "I want you to tell these gentlemen the story of the raid on the Hohenlinden trench." Barling glanced rather self-consciously about him. But the look of intense, almost nervous watchfulness on the face of Maurice Strangwise seemed to reassure him. And when he spoke, he spoke straight at Strangwise.
"You sneaking rascal," he snarled, "we'll teach you to play your dirty tricks on us!" He raised the pistol; but Strangwise stepped between the man and his victim. "Kill him!" cried Bellward, "and let's be rid of him once and for all!" "What" said Strangwise. "Kill Desmond? Ah, no, my friend, I don't think so!" And he added drily: "At least not quite yet!"
Good-bye, Maurice, and I hope you'll get some birds!" "Thanks, old man. Au revoir, and take care of yourself. My salaams to the General!". They shook hands warmly, then Desmond grabbed his box of cigarettes in its neat white wrapper with the bold red seals and hurried off to his room. Strangwise stood for a moment gazing after him. He was no longer the frank, smiling companion of a minute before.
"Strange!" Strangwise muttered the word just above Desmond's head. Then, to his inexpressible relief, he heard the other add: "He's not there!" And Desmond realized that the depth of the balcony had saved him. Short of getting out of the window, as he had done, the others could not see him. The two men returned to the room and silence fell once more.
Strangwise should not get the better of him, he resolved, and he had yet this brief interval of being alone in which he might devise some scheme to rescue Barbara and secure the arrest of Strangwise and his accomplices. But how? He raised his head and looked round the room.
"I'll not go!" she exclaimed, "you can do what you like but I'll stay where I am! Murderers..." "Oh," said Strangwise wearily, "bring her along, Bellward!" Bellward and the woman seized the girl one by each arm and dragged her to the car. Strangwise had the door open and between them they thrust her in.
"I would have saved her if I could have," Strangwise said, "but she played me false over the jewel. She imperiled the success of my mission. You English have no idea of discipline. To us Prussian officers an order stands above everything else. There is nothing we would not sacrifice to obey our orders.
He smiled again, baring his firm, white teeth, and looking at him Desmond suddenly remembered, as one recalls a trifle, his trick of smiling. It was a frank enough smile but... well, some people smile too much. "Got in just now by the leave train," answered Desmond. "How much leave have you got?" asked Strangwise. "Well," said the other, "it's a funny thing, but I don't know!"
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