"
"I am not a coward, if that is what you mean," Gilbert answered. "You
ought to know that. Go ahead."
I told him everything. When I had finished he sat staring at me like a
man stupefied.
"I suppose," he said at last, looking from his extinct cigar into my
face, "that I am not by any chance dreaming? It is you, my cousin
Hardross, who has told me this amazing story."
"Every word of which is true," I answered firmly, and I knew at once that
he believed me.
"Well," he said, after a short silence, "where do I come in?"
"You fill a most important place," I answered. "I want you to see Polloch
for us."
He nodded.
"Am. I to tell him everything?"
"Everything," I answered. "We have our Secret Service, I suppose, the
same as other countries. It ought to be easy enough for them to act on
our information."
"Have you seen the papers this morning?" he asked suddenly.
"No!" I answered. "Is there any news?"
"Our Channel Squadron," he said, "has received a very courteous
invitation to visit Kiel during its forthcoming cruise.
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