"What stories?" I asked.
"Oh, that the Germans are preparing for war, and that they mean to go to war with England."
To this I gave no answer.
"Have you read those articles in The Daily——?" he asked. "I mean those articles which told us frightful stories of German preparations for war, of their avowed determination to bring about war with England, and of the toast which the military and naval people in Germany drink on every great occasion."
"You mean the toast to 'Der Tag'? Of course, one has heard such stories, but what do they amount to, after all?"
"That is my own attitude," was his answer, "and as far as stories about German spies are concerned, I think they are worked up by the Press in order to increase the circulation of the papers. By the way, have you ever seen anything suspicious in this neighborhood? This," and he looked towards the bay, "would be a splendid spot for German boats to land if they wanted to do so."
"Why should they want to land in a remote corner of the world like this?" I asked.
"Exactly," he replied, "only I was wondering whether you, who live here alone, had ever seen or heard anything which aroused your suspicions?"
"No," I replied, not thinking it worth while to tell him anything about the brooch I had found.
"You have seen nothing and heard nothing, then?" he persisted.