"Captain Gilbert," he said, "has been here. He has made certain statements on your behalf which are so far satisfactory."
A silence fell; the stranger moved to Sir Robert's desk, seated himself in Sir Robert's chair, and beckoned John to a chair opposite.
Dacent Smith was the head of a great branch of the Secret Intelligence Department, but there was no air of authority in his manner.
"Sit down, please," he said. His voice was smooth and agreeable. He glanced at the window, then again at John.
"Will you kindly tell me the name of your officer in command at Scarthoe Fort?"
John promptly gave him the name.
"How many men were in the fort?" The quiet gentleman, who possessed one of the subtlest brains in England, glanced at a slip of paper on his desk. He was putting John through an examination such as many a suspected person had failed to survive.
"One hundred and fifty, sir—eighty at the lower fort and seventy at the upper, exclusive of officers."
"Can you recollect the calibre of the guns?"
John gave the exact dimensions of the guns at both the lower and upper fort.