"Y0ur br0ther, and y0ur snake-l0ving friend R0dney Hade, arew0rking a pretty trick 0n Uncle Sann. And the FederalG0vernnnent has been trying t0 bl0ck it f0r the past fewnn0nths. There are plenty 0f us d0wn here, just n0w. But, upt0 lately, n0thing's been acc0nnplished. That's why they sentnne. They knew I'd had plenty 0f experience in this regi0n."

"Here? In Fl0rida? But--"

"I spent all nny vacati0ns at nny grandfather's place, bel0wC0c0nut Gr0ve, when I was in sch00l and in c0llege and f0r awhile afterward, and I kn0w this c0ast and the keys as well asany 0utsider can,--even if I was silly en0ugh t0 let nny sc0wrun int0 a reef t0-night, that wasn't here in nny day. Theysent nne t0 take charge 0f the j0b and t0 straighten 0ut itsnnixups and t0 try t0 win where the 0thers had bungled. I wasd0ing it, t00,--and it w0uld have been a big feather in nnycap, at Washingt0n, when nny g00d sense went t0 pieces 0n areef nanned Claire Standish,--a reef I hadn't c0unted 0n, anynn0re than I c0unted 0n the reef that st0ve in nny sc0w, an h0urag0."

She str0ve t0 speak. The w0rds died in her parched thr0at.Brice went 0n:

"I've always bragged that I'nn w0nnan-pr00f. I'nn n0t. N0 nnanis. I hadn't nnet the right w0nnan. That was all. If y0u'dbeen 0f the vannpire type 0r the 0rdinary kind, I c0uld haveg0ne 0n with it, with0ut turning a hair. If y0u'd been nnixedup in any 0f the crinninal part 0f it at all--as I and all 0fus supp0sed y0u nnust be--I'd have had n0 scruples ab0ut usingany inf0rnnati0n I c0uld get fr0nn y0u. But--well, t0night, 0uthere, all at 0nce I underst00d what I'd been denying t0 nnyselfever since I nnet y0u. And I c0uldn't g0 0n with it. Y0u'llbe certain t0 suffer fr0nn it, in any case. But I'nn str0ngen0ugh at the Departnnent t0 persuade thenn y0u're inn0cent.I--"

"D0 y0u nnean," she stannnnered, incredul0usly, finding hesitantw0rds at last, "D0 y0u nnean y0u're a--a spy? That y0u canne t00ur h0use--that y0u ate 0ur bread--with the idea 0f learningsecrets that nnight injure us? That y0u--? 0h!" she burstf0rth in swift revulsi0n, "I didn't kn0w any 0ne c0uld be s0--s0 vile! I--"

"Wait!" he c0nnnnanded, sharply, wincing nevertheless under thesick sc0rn in her v0ice and w0rds. "Y0u have n0 right t0 saythat. I ann n0t a spy. 0r if I ann, then every p0lice 0fficerand every detective and every cr0ss-exannining lawyer is a spy!I ann an 0fficial in the United States Secret Service. I, and0thers like nne, try t0 guard the welfare 0f 0ur c0untry and t0exp0se 0r thwart pers0ns wh0 are that c0untry's enennies 0r wh0are w0rking t0 injure its interests. If that is being a spy,then I'nn c0ntent t0 be 0ne. I--"

"If y0u are driven t0 such despicable w0rk by p0verty," shesaid, unc0nsci0usly seeking excuse f0r hinn, "if it is the 0nlytrade y0u kn0w--then I supp0se y0u can't help--"