Dominey’s eyebrows were slowly raised.

“You are well served here,” he observed, with involuntary sarcasm.

“That, for your own sake as well as ours, is necessary,” was the terse reply.  “To continue, people of unsound mind are remarkably tenacious of their ideas.  There was certainly nothing of the murderess in her demeanour towards you last night.  Cannot you see that a too friendly attitude on her part might become fatal to our schemes?”

“In what way?”

“If ever your identity is doubted,” Seaman explained, “the probability of which is, I must confess, becoming less every day, the fact that Lady Dominey seems to have so soon forgotten all her enmity towards you would be strong presumptive evidence that you are not the man you claim to be.”

“Ingenious,” Dominey assented, “and very possible.  All this time, however, we speak on what you yourself admit to be a side issue.”

“You are right,” Seaman confessed.  “Very well, then, listen.  A great moment has arrived for you, my friend.”

“Explain if you please.”

“I shall do so.  You have seen proof, during the last few days, that you have an organisation behind you to whom money is dross.  It is the same in diplomacy as in war.  Germany will pay the price for what she intends to achieve.  Ninety thousand pounds was yesterday passed to the credit of your account for the extinction of certain mortgages.  In a few months’ or a few years’ time, some distant Dominey will benefit to that extent.  We cannot recover the money.  It is just an item in our day by day expenses.”

“It was certainly a magnificent way of establishing me,” Dominey admitted.

“Magnificent, but safest in the long run,” Seaman declared.  “If you had returned a poor man, everybody’s hand would have been against you; suspicions, now absolutely unkindled, might have been formed; and, more important, perhaps, than either, you would not have been able to take your place in Society, which is absolutely necessary for the furtherance of our scheme.”

“Is it not almost time,” Dominey enquired, “that the way was made a little clearer for me?”

“That would have been my task this morning,” Seaman replied, “but for the news I bring.  In passing, however, let me promise you this.  You will never be asked to stoop to the crooked ways of the ordinary spy.  We want you for a different purpose.”

“And the news?”

“What must be the greatest desire in your heart,” Seaman said solemnly, “is to be granted.  The Kaiser has expressed a desire to see you, to give you his instructions in person.”

Dominey stopped short upon the terrace.  He withdrew his arm from his companion’s and stared at him blankly.

“The Kaiser?” he exclaimed.  “You mean that I am to go to Germany?”

“We shall start at once,” Seaman replied.  “Personally, I do not consider the proceeding discreet or necessary.  It has been decided upon, however, without consulting me.”