Von Belke gave a little sound that might have meant anything. Then he exclaimed--
"But your servant who was not supposed to know anything--that was to annoy me, I suppose!"
"To isolate you. I didn't want you to speak to a soul but me."
The captive sat silent for a moment, and then said--
"You had the house watched by the police--I see that now."
"A compliment to you, Mr Belke," smiled the Commander; and then he added, "You gave me one or two anxious moments, I may tell you. Your demand for mufti necessitated a very hurried interview with the commander of a destroyer, and old Craigie's visit very nearly upset the apple-cart. I had to tell him pretty nearly the whole truth when I got him outside. But those incidents came after the chief crisis was over. The nearest squeak was when I thought you were safely engaged with Miss Holland, and a certain officer was calling on me, who was _not_ Captain Phipps. In fact, he was an even more exalted person. Miss Holland saved the situation by crying out that you were coming, or I'm afraid that would have been the end of the submarine attack."
"So?" said the young German slowly and with a very wry face, and then he turned to Eileen. "Then, Miss Holland, every time you did me the honour to appear kind and visit me you were carrying out one of this gentleman's plans? And every word you spoke was said to entangle me in your net, or to keep me quiet while something was being done behind my back? I hope that some day you may enjoy the recollection as much as I am enjoying it now!"
"Mr Belke," she cried, "I am very deeply sorry for treating even an enemy as I treated you!"
She spoke so sincerely and with so much emotion that even Captain Phipps assumed a certain solemn expression, which was traditionally never seen on his face except when the Chaplain was actually officiating, and jumping up she came a step towards the prisoner. There she stood, a graceful and beautiful figure, her eyes glowing with fervour.
"All I can say for myself, and all I can ask you to think of when your recollections of me pain you, is only this--if you had a sister, would you have had her hesitate to do one single thing I did in order to defeat her country's enemies?"