"There is only one thing to be done," Bellamy declared. "I shall
say that we have already handed over the document to the English
Government. It will be a bluff, pure and simple. He may believe
it or he may not."

"You will break your compact then," she reminded him.

"I shall call myself justified," he continued. "He has attempted
to rob us of the document. You are sure of what you say - that your
rooms and dressing-room have been searched?"

"Absolutely certain," she declared.

"That will be sufficient," Bellamy decided. "If Streuss comes to
me, I shall meet him frankly. I shall tell him that he has tried
to play the burglar and that it must be war. I shall tell him that
the compact is in the hands of the Prime Minister, and that he and
his spies had better clear out."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Of course, you understand," he added, "there is one thing we can
do, and one thing only. We must send a mission to Russia and another
to France, and before the German fleet can pass down the North Sea
we must declare war. It is the only thing left to us - a bold front.
Without that packet we have no casus belli. With it, we can strike,
and strike hard. I still believe that if we declare war within seven
days, we shall save ourselves."