'And you can't tell me anything more?'

'Nothing as yet. You'll get your instructions soon enough. You
know both of us, Hannay, and you know we wouldn't waste the
time of a good man on folly. We are going to ask you for something
which will make a big call on your patriotism. It will be a difficult
and arduous task, and it may be a very grim one before you get to
the end of it, but we believe you can do it, and that no one else can
... You know us pretty well. Will you let us judge for you?'

I looked at Bullivant's shrewd, kind old face and Macgillivray's
steady eyes. These men were my friends and wouldn't play with Me.

'All right,' I said. 'I'm willing. What's the first step?'

'Get out of uniform and forget you ever were a soldier. Change
your name. Your old one, Cornelis Brandt, will do, but you'd
better spell it "Brand" this time. Remember that you are an engineer
just back from South Africa, and that you don't care a rush about
the war. You can't understand what all the fools are fighting about,
and you think we might have peace at once by a little friendly
business talk. You needn't be pro-German - if you like you can be
rather severe on the Hun. But you must be in deadly earnest about
a speedy peace.'

I expect the corners of my mouth fell, for Bullivant burst
out laughing.

'Hang it all, man, it's not so difficult. I feel sometimes inclined to