The other man took out a cigar and smiled.
"But we've got a whole skin on our bodies again," he cheerily corrected. "And the subtler satisfaction of knowing that our sagest deductions have practically been verified!"
As he smoked at the ship's rail, lazily watching the broken skyline in front of him, already stippled like a snake's back with its innumerable lights, the Pannnonia's wireless operator hurried to his side.
This alert-minded youth and Kestner had already transacted much confidential business together, so no word was spoken as he thrust the loose sheets into the Secret Agent's hand.
Then the operator stood at the other man's side, staring for a moment at the unparalleled panorama of the evening city.
"When did these come?" asked Kestner as he casually unfolded the slightly crumpled sheets. He did so without haste and with no anxiety as to the message which they might carry.
Yet he saw, to his surprise, that they were in the secret code of the Department. It took him several moments to translate the first message into intelligibility. Then he stood with an odd catch of the breath, staring down at the fluttering yellow sheet.
For the message read:
"Local agents are completing Lambert case. Don't complicate, but catch Mauretania with Wilsnach to-night for Fishguard and report promptly at Paris Office for instruction on Stillwell pearl smuggling case."
The message bore the signature of the Service head
