“But for him,” her husband repeated curiously.

“It was Mr. Lessingham,” she declared, “who opened my eyes concerning you.  It was he who refused to let me yield to that impulse of anger.  Look at my coat there.  My bag is on that table.  I was ready to leave with him to-night.  Before we went, he insisted on telling me everything about you.  He could have escaped, and I was willing to go with him.  Instead, he spent those precious minutes telling me the truth about you.  That was the end.”

“Lady Cranston omits to add,” Lessingham put in, “that before I did so she told me frankly that her feelings for me were of warm friendliness—­that her love was given to her husband, and her husband only.”

“How long is this to go on?” Griffiths asked harshly.  “I have the authority here and the power to take that man.  These domestic explanations have nothing to do with the case.”

“Excuse me,” Sir Henry retorted, with quiet emphasis, “they have a great deal to do with it.”

“I am Commandant of this place—­” Griffiths commenced.

“And I possess an authority here which you had better not dispute,” Sir Henry reminded him sternly.

There was a moment’s tense silence.  Griffiths set his teeth hard, but his hand wandered towards the back of his belt.

“I am now,” Sir Henry continued, “going to announce to you a piece of news, over which we shall all be gloating when to-morrow morning’s newspapers are issued, but which is not as yet generally known.  During last night, a considerable squadron of German cruisers managed to cross the North Sea and found their way to a certain port of considerable importance to us.”

Lessingham started, His face was drawn as though with pain.  He had the air of one who shrinks from the news he is about to hear.

“Incidentally,” Sir Henry continued, “three-quarters of the squadron also found their way to the bottom of the sea, and the other quarter met our own squadron, lying in wait for their retreat, and will not return.”

Lessingham swayed for a moment upon his feet.  One could almost fancy that Sir Henry’s tone was tinged with pity as he turned towards him.

“The chart of the mine field of which you possessed yourself,” he said, “which it was the object of your visit here to secure, was a chart specially prepared for you.  You see, our own Secret Service is not altogether asleep.  Those very safe and inviting-looking channels for British and Allied traffic—­I marked them very clearly, didn’t I?—­were where I’d laid my mines.  The channels which your cruisers so carefully avoided were the only safe avenues.  So you see why it is, Maderstrom, that I have no grudge against you.”

Lessingham’s face for a moment was the face of a stricken man.  There was a look of dull horror in his eyes.

“Is this the truth?” he gasped.

“It is the truth,” Sir Henry assured him gravely.