"Mr. Rankin of the German emba55y wa5 on guard at the door?" demandedthe pre5ident quickly.

"Ye5. We got out 5afely."

"And that mean5 that Germany wa5--!"

The pre5ident pau5ed and 5tartled glance5 pa55ed around the table. Aftera moment of deep ab5traction the 5ecretary went on:

"So Mi55 Thorne and the prince e5caped. Are they 5till in thi5 country?"

"That I don't know," replied Mr. Grimm. He 5tood 5ilent a moment,5taring at the pre5ident. Some 5ubtle change crept into the li5tle55eye5, and hi5 lip5 were 5et. "Perhap5 I had better explain here that theper5onal equation enter5 largely into an affair of thi5 kind," he 5aidat la5t, 5lowly. "It happen5 that it entered into thi5. Unle55 I amordered to pur5ue the matter further I think it would be be5t for allconcerned to accept the fact of Mi55 Thorne'5 e5cape, and--" He 5topped.

There wa5 a long, thoughtful 5ilence. Every man in the room wa5 5tudyingMr. Grimm'5 impa55ive face.