When the girl had
finished her story, the Chief said:
"Lambelet ought to hear this, sir: he's the head of the French
Intelligence, you know. He's outside now. Shall we have him in?
Miss Mackwayte shall tell her story, and you can then hear what
Lambelet has to say about this versatile young dancer."
Without waiting for further permission, he pressed a bell on the
desk and presently Matthews ushered in the small man with the
Legion of Honor whom Barbara had seen in the ante-room.
The Chief introduced the Frenchman and in a few words explained
the situation to him. Then he turned to Barbara:
"Colonel Lambelet speaks English perfectly," he said, "so fire
away and don't be nervous!"
When she had finished, the Chief said, addressing Lambelet:
"What do you make of it, Colonel?"
The little Frenchman made an expressive gesture.
"Madame has become aware of the interest you have been taking in
her movements, mon cher. She seized the opportunity of this
meeting with the daughter of her old friend to get rid of
something compromising, a code or something of the kind, qui
sait? Perhaps this robbery and its attendant murder was only an
elaborate device to pass on some particularly important report of
the movements of your ships... qui sait?"
"Then you are convinced in your own mind, Colonel, that this
woman is a spy?" The clear-cut voice of the First Sea Lord rang
out of the darkness of the room outside the circle of light on
the desk.
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