France. No man could serve his country more fully than you are doing at
this moment. It is an obscure deed, but a momentous one. No one can
tell what you may be doing for the empire by helping us through this
crisis."

But I was in no mood for heroics. "I am not doing this for France," I
cried irritably. "I live to serve France, yes; but I want to serve her
in my own way. Not to have this millstone tied around my neck, whether I
will or no. Don't think for a moment that I do this because I wish."

Cadillac removed his arm and looked at me. "Then you do it from liking
for the Englishman?"

I should have had the grace to laugh at this, but now it was the torch to
the magazine. "Like him! No!" I shouted, with an oath. "He is bitter
of tongue, and, I think, a spy. He is obnoxious to me. No, I am doing
this because I am, what the Ottawas call us all,--chicken-hearted!" and
sick with myself and what I had undertaken, I flung out of the door.




CHAPTER VI

DAME OPPORTUNITY

The first thing to do was to see the Englishman. For the third time in
twenty-four hours I went to the commandant's quarters.

The prisoner was at the window when I entered, and again I caught his