For an instant the secretary stared at the navy officer, without speaking. “Look here, Topham,” he said at last. “I want to know whether you are the guileless child I have always supposed you to be, or whether you are so infernally deep that even I can’t fathom you. Confound you, man, you’ve had me guessing ever since you got here. You—”
Abruptly the secretary broke off and leaned forward. “What’s that?” he questioned, whisperingly.
The night was very still. Traffic in the street outside had almost ceased—for the moment had ceased altogether. Not even a footfall sounded. But from somewhere close at hand there came a slight grating sound.
“Sounds like somebody sawing,” muttered Topham. “What—
“Sshh!” A grin of perfect comprehension came over Rutile’s face. “Gently!” he whispered. “Somebody’s trying to break into the embassy’s rooms. And I think I can guess who it is. But we’ll give him the surprise of his life. Come.”
He arose and tiptoed to the door of the adjoining room, and opened it cautiously. Like the one in which the two had sat, this room was dark except for the brilliant moonlight that streamed in at the uncurtained windows. It was empty, but the sound of the sawing was much more distinct. Evidently the would-be intruder was close at hand.
Silently Rutile approached the door that gave upon the corridor without and pointed to the lock. Something was moving in and out just above it, and in a moment Topham distinguished the blade of a saw working through the woodwork. Four augur holes had been bored at the corners of an imaginary square, and some one was slowly joining them, with the evident intention of making an opening through which he might slip his arm and shoot back the bolts.
Rutile looked at Topham with twinkling eyes. With a gesture for silence he tiptoed to a closet and with infinite caution took out a light but strong rope.
This he handed to Topham. “You’re a sailor,” he said under his breath. “Make a dip noose.”
With an instant understanding of what he proposed, Topham hastily knotted the line, and returned it to the secretary. The latter stepped close to the door, where the saw had almost completed its work, and stood waiting.