Hamel

It had received a further stimulus when Richard Hamel, who had bought an Evening Standard on their way from the theatre a few minutes ago, came across a certain paragraph in it which he read aloud.

"Think of you?" Hamel repeated, a little doubtfully.

"To me," Hamel declared frankly, "you look worried.

We've been going through hell, Hamel, and we are up against it now, hard up against it."

The slight smile passed from the lips of Hamel's sunburnt, good-natured face.

"Then these arrests," Hamel remarked," are really bona fide?"

"And what will the end be?" Hamel enquired eagerly.

"This is a nice sort of thing to hear almost one's first night in England," Hamel remarked a little gloomily.

"Do you mean to say that this man Fentolin actually possesses information which the Government hasn't as to the intentions of foreign Powers?" Hamel asked.

"You mean to say," Hamel asked, "that you seriously believe that a conference is on the point of being held at which France and Russia are to be invited to consider suggestions like this?"

"Queer if I have returned just in time for the scrap," Hamel remarked thoughtfully.