"Did you ever hear of the Shamrock League, sir?".
"No, I can't say that I did. What is it? It sounds like the name of
an Irish benefit society."
"Well, it is rather different to that. As a matter of fact, it is
just as harmless, as far as its outward profession goes, being merely
an association for the promotion of the Irish language and
literature. But, beneath the surface, it is really a hotbed of
dangerous treason and some of it members are fanatics of the worst
type; but the majority of the people who belong to it are only
allowed to know the literary side of the thing at first, and are not
told anything about its political aspect until they have been well
sounded and proved trustworthy. That is what makes it such a
dangerous affair--if one tries to probe it, one gets no further than
the discovery of just a harmless society of dilettanti."
"Well, but what about it? Do you mean to say that this man Sheridan
is a member of this society? I don't see that we can bring that up
against him in any way?"
"He is not only a member, but one of the secret Inner Circle of the
Shamrock League, and even there he holds very high office. That
badge that I told you about; the badge he tried to cover with his
foot when I saw him in his cabin, is one that only a very few people
indeed in the League are possessed of."
"How do, you know?"
"Well, sir, I _do_ know--it would take me too long now to tell you
the ins and outs of the way I came to learn the fact. Of course, as
you say, it may have no bearing whatever upon this sad business,
but--well, one naturally distrusts a man who is known to belong to
the inner circle of a league of rebels!"
"Quite right, quite right! But I still don't see exactly what we can
do about it. By the way, have you got him here?"
"He will be present as a witness at the court, sir. In view of
my--well, my suspicions, I considered that all three of them ought to
be there, so I made arrangements for the two girls to come also."
"You acted quite rightly, Dimsdale. Indeed, I don't see that you
could have very well done otherwise, though it certainly seems rather
a shame to put those two poor things up to be fired at with
questions, after all they have been through."
"It does, indeed, sir," remarks Dimsdale, with a keen recollection of
his last meeting with Netta the previous evening. He held her in his
arms then, and called her his dear--and presently he will have to
subject her to a formal examination; it is distinctly unpleasant, and
he feels it would be a great relief to kick himself.
"I hope you haven't found a mare's nest," broods the admiral rather
gloomily; "What sort of questions do you propose to put to them?"
"I intend simply to begin with asking them for a clear account of
what happened while they were on board the _Marathon_. Their story
of what took place beforehand seems to be genuine enough, so far as I
can make out--except for one small detail. Oh, how perfectly hateful
it is to have to try deliberately to be suspicious! But there is
just one thing which does not exactly tally with their story as they
have already told it!"
"What do you mean? Explain yourself."
"Well, I see from this Confidential Weekly Shipping Report," taking
another paper from his bundle as he speaks, "that the s.s. _Botopi_,
the ship in which the Sheridan party were alleged to have taken
passage, really did sail from Galveston, Texas, on the exact date
they mentioned. She was due the day before yesterday--and she has
not arrived. She sent out the S.O.S. call that same morning; and the
patrol vessels sent out in search could find no trace of her."
"By Jove, Dimsdale, you have been collecting information pretty
thoroughly! But the result seems to be that the facts of the case
tally precisely with the Sheridans' account."
"Yes, so they do. That is what I said. But, on the other hand, it
would not be outside the bounds of possibility to acquire all these
details from German, or rather pro-German sources."
"Y-yes; I suppose it could be done; though it seems very unlikely.
I'm not surprised at your describing yourself as a suspicious fellow,
Dimsdale."
The secretary feels the sting of the implied rebuke, the more so as
he knows it to be a deserved one. But he has steeled himself to an
unpleasant task and will not be deterred from pursuing it to the very
end.
"I have to be suspicious in a case like this, sir," he quietly
answers; "and that is why I took the steps I did next."
"What did you do?"
"I cabled to the _Botopi's_ agents at Galveston, and asked if the
Sheridans' names were on the passenger-list."
"Yes? By Jove, Dimsdale, you're a smart fellow! I should never have
thought of doing that! Well?"
The secretary takes yet another paper from the bundle in his hand.
"Here is the reply cable," he says, handing it to the admiral.
It reads:
"_No Sheridan in passenger-list._"
"Hm! That looks bad, I must admit," remarks the admiral, pursing up
his lips. "But," he adds after a moment's reflection taking a
brighter view of the case, "of course there may be some very simple
explanation of that! You're right, though, it does make the case
somewhat more serious. Is that the one exception you referred to in
the truthfulness of the Sheridans' story?"
"That was it, sir. It may be nothing, as you say; and yet----"
There is a knock at the door. The admiral's coxswain opens it and
announces:
"Three ladies to see you, sir."
"_Three?_" exclaims the admiral, ruefully guessing who the third one
is. "Don't be afraid, Dimsdale, you shan't be left alone with them!
Ask them to come inside! Why have they come at this hour, I wonder?
I didn't expect them for another half an hour or more."
He has no time for further reflections--and Dimsdale, poor man, has
no means of escape. Through the open doorway sails in a very angry
Mrs. Shaw, with the two girls in close company.
She wastes no time in empty courtesies and greetings, but begins at
once to unburden herself of the wrath that is swelling her motherly
bosom.
The admiral himself is the first object of her attack. She faces him
with anger glittering in her eye as she begins her remonstrance.
"I understand, Admiral Darlington, that you have sent for these poor
girls on a matter of extreme importance. I cannot imagine what it
may be, but I must say that I think it is very inconsiderate of you
to drag them out, across the water, at this hour of the day--_most_
inconsiderate, seeing how ill they both are and what they have been
through, poor things! Of course, I could not dream of allowing them
to come alone--they are scarcely fit to walk. Even Miss Norah, who
seemed to be recovering splendidly, has had a strange relapse since
yesterday afternoon, and what the effect of this thoughtless business
of dragging them from their beds in the early morning will be is more
than I should like to say! I hope you will feel satisfied at your
work, if it brings them to their graves, as I daresay it will--Mr.
Dimsdale! Are there no chairs in this room? _Really!_--Yes, it is
_you_ who are chiefly to blame in this matter. It is all _your_
doing! You are supposed to be the admiral's man of business, aren't
you? Very well, then, I think you ought to be thoroughly ashamed of
yourself persecuting two poor helpless, girls in this heartless
manner! Yes, I am angry. And now, perhaps, Mr. Dimsdale, you will
be good enough to say what it is you want with them. _Which_ of them
is it you wish to interview? Or is it _both_?"
"I--I--I----" the unhappy secretary, in a state of complete nervous
prostration, is quite unable to make a fitting reply, and takes
refuge in busily bringing chairs for the three ladies; in fact he
brings not three chairs but six, and is going to get more, till
stopped by Mrs. Shaw's "Good gracious! Is the man trying to
barricade himself? Do sit down and be quiet, and allow us to do the
same."
"My dear Mrs. Shaw," says the admiral in soothing tones, seizing the
first opportunity of getting a word in edgeways, "I assure you that
Mr. Dimsdale is not to blame in any way. It is I who am entirely
responsible, and I must apologise humbly to these young ladies, and
to yourself, for all the trouble and inconvenience to which you have
been put. But the matter is really a serious one, or else I should
never have thought of asking you all to be here."
A silvery voice breaks in with a most astonishing effect; in fact, if
a lamb were to turn upon the shepherd defending it, and speak a good
word for the wolf, the effect could hardly be more surprising! It is
Netta who speaks, the weak, gentle Netta! And she says to the good
lady at her side:
"I think you are very unkind to speak to Mr. Dimsdale in that way,
Mrs. Shaw! He was most considerate and good yesterday, sitting with
us and talking to us while you--while you went off with the admiral!"
"_While I went_--And I thought you were a timid little thing afraid
to say Bo to a--yes, I suppose I _am_ a goose to get so angry and
flurried. But the poor girls really _are_ weak and ill, you know,
admiral!"
"That's right, Mrs. Shaw," he replies, greatly relieved to find the
sudden storm has subsided. "When _you_ cease to be cheery and
good-humoured I shall know that things are going very wrong indeed!
Now, if you will be good enough to wait in another room for just a
very little while some refreshment shall be brought to you."
"Refreshment!" The storm threatens to work back again. "Thank you,
we don't require any refreshing so soon after breakfast, as I am told
you naval officers often do!"
"Well, then, just rest yourselves," hastily comes the amended
suggestion. "I am sure you need it. I promise you that you shall
not be detained very long."
Dimsdale jumps up eagerly to open the door for the ladies to depart
into the room indicated; he is glad to find something to do, and glad
also that the very alarming interview has come to an end. Mrs. Shaw
again gathers her convoy and sails majestically away with them.
Dimsdale closes the door gently after them, and falls into a chair
heaving a deep sigh of relief and wiping the perspiration from his
brow.
The admiral surveys him with a twinkle of malicious amusement.
"By Jove, Dimsdale," he laughs, "you were let in for it properly that
time! You must have had the fright of your life, didn't you?"
But Dimsdale is not to be cowed by a mere man, even an admiral.
"I thought that little girl was simply splendid, the way she stuck up
for me," he replies sturdily. "A nice, gentle creature, that!"
"What!" cries the astonished admiral, "why, that's the first time in
all these years I've known you that I've ever heard you say a good
word for a woman!"
"Well, she seems to me to be different, somehow, from other girls."
"They all do!" chuckles the admiral.
"I thought so yesterday, too, when you--_when you went off with Mrs.
Shaw_. She talked so sensibly then, it seemed to me. If ever I
really had to marry, it would be a girl of that sort that I should
choose for a wife."
"Well," says the admiral, very ungallantly, "I thought she seemed
rather a weak sort of creature; no mind of her own, so to speak."
"That's the only sort I should like, sir," quickly explains the
secretary, "I should be too much afraid of any other kind."
"But--if there's any truth in this yarn of yours, the girl may turn
out to be an anarchist, or a Sinn Feiner, or a pro-German, or
something of that sort; possibly the whole lot at once."
"Oh, well," says the secretary, turning the matter over with
deliberation, "I don't know that I should mind _that_ very much;
every girl must have some sort of a hobby, I suppose."