"I am the Assistant Provost-Marshal," he said. "What is the meaning of this fracas?"
"The explanation is very simple, sir," replied Dennis, handing him the slip of paper. "My friend and I were astonished to hear this officer talking so unguardedly. It is charitable to suppose that he has taken too much wine, and when I expostulated with him I recognised one of the waitresses as a remarkably clever German spy."
The A.P.M. nodded.
"I gathered that," he said. "I will ask you, gentlemen, to accompany me to the manager's room." And the excited crowd fell back to let them pass.
As Dennis brought up the rear with his prisoner he met Bob coming in, and young Wetherby told him what had happened.
"By Jove! it's a thousand pities we missed that woman," said the captain. "We haven't seen the end of that vixen and her husband."
What happened in the manager's room it is not for us to reveal, but the placards of the evening papers had the startling announcement:
"DRAMATIC CAPTURE OF A GERMAN SPY AT
A WELL-KNOWN WEST-END RESTAURANT!
ESCAPE OF HIS FEMALE ACCOMPLICE!
BRITISH OFFICER'S WINE DDRUGGED!"
In the Gazette a few days later was an announcement among the promotions: "2/12th Royal Reedshire Regiment, Captain Robert Oswald Dashwood to command the battalion with the rank of major. Second Lieutenant Dennis Dashwood to lieutenant."