At her post for an instant Madame Benet had slept, and an officer of the
staff, led by curiosity, chance, or suspicion, had, unobserved and
unannounced, mounted to the fourth floor. When Marie saw him he was in
front of the room that held the wireless. His back was toward her, but
she saw that he was holding the door to the room ajar, that his eye was
pressed to the opening, and that through it he had pushed the muzzle of
his automatic. What would be the fate of Anfossi Marie knew. Nor did she
for an instant consider it. Her thoughts were of her own safety; that
she might live. Not that she might still serve the Wilhelmstrasse, the
Kaiser, or the Fatherland; but that she might live. In a moment Anfossi
would be denounced, the château would ring with the alarm, and, though
she knew Anfossi would not betray her, by others she might be accused.
To avert suspicion from herself she saw only one way open. She must be
the first to denounce Anfossi.

Like a deer she leaped down the marble stairs and, in a panic she had
no need to assume, burst into the presence of the staff.

"Gentlemen!" she gasped, "my servant--the chauffeur--Briand is a spy!
There is a German wireless in the château. He is using it! I have seen
him." With exclamations, the officers rose to their feet. General Andre
alone remained seated. General Andre was a veteran of many Colonial
wars: Cochin-China, Algiers, Morocco. The great war, when it came, found
him on duty in the Intelligence Department. His aquiline nose, bristling
white eyebrows, and flashing, restless eyes gave him his nickname of
_l'Aigle_.

In amazement, the flashing eyes were now turned upon Marie. He glared at
her as though he thought she suddenly had flown mad.