Having taken Colonel and Mrs Cator into our confidence, and they having
invited Roseye to stay with them, we were all, on the following day,
duly installed at Swalecliffe Park.
Without delay I called upon the officer in charge of the
listening-post--the whereabouts of which I do not intend to disclose--
and, to my joy, found that he was a man named Moncrieff whom I had met
many times at Hendon, and also at the club.
Having told him of my intention to have a "go" at the next enemy airship
that might come over, he readily promised that upon receiving the next
alarm, he would make a point of ringing me up at Swalecliffe.
Then, with the machine in readiness and already tested and re-tested,
and also with a full petrol-tank, there was nothing further to do but to
draw it out into the park each night, and await the alarm.
It was on the first day of March when we had come down in Swalecliffe
Park as strangers--on a Wednesday I remember--and the following days had
been fully occupied with our preparations, while throughout each night
Teddy and I, ready dressed for flight, sat in the colonel's study
wherein the telephone was installed.
Thursday night passed quite uneventfully. During the earlier hours the
colonel and Roseye sat with us, but the barometer being low, and the
weather gusty, we had, even at ten o'clock, decided that no Zeppelin
would risk crossing the North Sea.
On Friday night the four of us played bridge till half-past four, the
Theeds being, of course, on duty outside. We had the consolation of
knowing that, though the Invisible Hand might be searching for us, it
had not yet discovered our place of concealment. Each evening we tested
the telephone--through the local exchange--out to the listening-post,
and each evening Moncrieff, who was in charge, answered cheerily:
"Don't fear, old chap, I'll give you a ring as soon as anything is going
on."
Saturday, the fourth of March, was bright and warm, but just before
sunset a sharp easterly breeze sprang up and, with a falling barometer,
we knew that our vigilance would remain unrewarded. So again we played
bridge until Roseye grew sleepy and then retired. Certainly we did not
appear to meet with any luck.
On Sunday morning we all went to the pretty little church of
Swalecliffe, and in the afternoon I went out for a pleasant stroll with
Roseye through the park and leafless woods.
Again I pressed her to reveal to me what she knew regarding that
mysterious woman who was in association with the fellow Eastwell.
But once again she steadfastly declined to reveal anything.
"No, no!" she protested. "Please don't ask me, Claude."
"But surely I have a right to know!" I declared. "Your enemies are
mine; and we are fighting them together. We have agreed to marry,
Roseye, therefore you may surely trust me with your secret!"
I had halted at a stile before crossing our path leading into the wood,
and, as I held her hand in mine, I looked straight into her big blue
eyes.
She drew a long breath, and her gaze wavered. I saw that she now
relented, and that she was unable to refute my argument.