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thoughts far away. He was still bewildered by the introduction of tragedy into his

cheerful commonplace existence. What fun they had had together, he and

Tuppence! And now--oh, he couldn't believe it--it couldn't be true! TUPPENCE--

DEAD! Little Tuppence, brimming over with life! It was a dream, a horrible dream.

Nothing more.

They brought him a note, a few kind words of sympathy from Peel Edgerton, who

had read the news in the paper. (There had been a large headline: EX-V.A.D.

FEARED DROWNED.) The letter ended with the offer of a post on a ranch in the

Argentine, where Sir James had considerable interests.

"Kind old beggar," muttered Tommy, as he flung it aside.

The door opened, and Julius burst in with his usual violence. He held an open

newspaper in his hand.

Say, what's all this? They seem to have got some fool idea about Tuppence."

It's true," said Tommy quietly.

You mean they've done her in?"

Tommy nodded.

"I suppose when they got the treaty she--wasn't any good to them any longer, and

they were afraid to let her go."

Well, I'm darned!" said Julius. "Little Tuppence. She sure was the pluckiest little

girl----"

But suddenly something seemed to crack in Tommy's brain. He rose to his feet.

Oh, get out! You don't really care, damn you! You asked her to marry you in your

rotten cold-blooded way, but I LOVED her. I'd have given the soul out of my body

to save her from harm. I'd have stood by without a word and let her marry you,

because you could have given her the sort of time she ought to have had, and I

was only a poor devil without a penny to bless himself with. But it wouldn't have

been because I didn't care!"

"See here," began Julius temperately.

Oh, go to the devil! I can't stand your coming here and talking about 'little

198

The Secret Adversary