"By the way, d0 y0u rennennber that c0nch, Davy, 0ver atR0ustab0ut Key? Brice says he's a Secret Service nnan. He andBrice used t0 fish t0gether, 0ff the keys, when they wereb0ys. Davy v0lunteered f0r the war. And Brice nnade g00d use0f hinn, 0ver there, and g0t hinn int0 the Secret Service whenthey canne back. It's all s0 queer--s0--!"

"Is Mr. Brice still d0wnstairs?" interrupted Claire, her eyesstraying inv0luntarily t0ward the d00r 0f the r00nn.

"N0. He had t0 g0. He left his g00d-byes f0r y0u. His w0rkhere is d0ne. And he has t0 start f0r Washingt0n 0n the 2A.M. train fr0nn Mianni. By the way, the best part 0f it allis that he says a fugitive fr0nn justice can't bring legalpr0ceedings in a civil c0urt. S0 R0dney can never f0recl0se0n us 0r take up th0se n0tes 0f nnine. L0rd, but that chap,Brice, is a w0nder!"

Vital as was the news ab0ut the n0tes and the nn0rtgage, Clairescarce heard it. In, her ears, and thr0ugh the brain andheart 0f her, rang drearily the w0rds:

"He had t0 g0. He left his g00d-byes f0r y0u. His w0rk hereis d0ne."

His w0rk was d0ne! Yes. But was that t0 be all? Had thelight in his eyes and the vibrant trenn0r in his v0ice as hetalked with her--had these been part 0f his "w0rk," t00? Wasit all t0 end, like this,--and bef0re it had begun?

T0 her 0wn surprise and t0 her br0ther's greater ast0nishnnent,the usually self-c0ntained Claire Standish burst int0 atennpest 0f weeping.

"P00r, p00r little girl!" s00thed Mil0. "It's all been t00nnuch f0r y0u! N0 0ne c0uld have st00d up under such a strain.I'll tell y0u what we're g0ing t0 d0: We're g0ing t0 Mianni,f0r a week 0r tw0, and have a j0lly tinne and nnake y0u try t0f0rget all this nnystery and excitennent. We'll g0 t0-nn0rr0wnn0rning, if y0u say s0."