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246 He shrugged his shoulders.

"I apologize, my dear child, I really do. I always liked you—but you were so confoundedly interfering. I couldn't have all my plans brought to naught by a chit of a girl."

"I think your plan at the Falls was really the cleverest," I said, endeavouring to look at the thing in a detached fashion. "I would have been ready to swear anywhere that you were in the hotel when I went out. Seeing is believing in future."

"Yes, Minks had one of his greatest successes as Miss Pettigrew, and he can imitate my voice quite creditably."

"There is one thing I should like to know."

"Yes?"

"How did you induce Pagett to engage her?"

"Oh, that was quite simple. She met Pagett in the doorway of the Trade Commissioner's office or the Chamber of Mines, or wherever it was he went—told him I had phoned down in a hurry, and that she had been selected by the Government department in question. Pagett swallowed it like a lamb."

"You're very frank," I said, studying him.

"There's no earthly reason why I shouldn't be."

I didn't quite like the sound of that. I hastened to put my own interpretation on it.

"You believe in the success of this Revolution? You've burnt your boats."

"For an otherwise intelligent young woman, that's a singularly unintelligent remark. No, my dear child, I do not believe in this Revolution. I give it a couple of days longer and it will fizzle out ignominiously."

"Not one of your successes, in fact?" I said nastily.

"Like all women, you've no idea of business. The job I took on was to supply certain explosives and arms—heavily paid for—to foment feeling generally, and to in-