"But if she doesn't sail at that hour," he said; "if she is suddenly delayed or dispatched by another route, won't that arouse their suspicions?"
Dacent Smith looked at him for a moment, then smiled quietly.
"Oh," he said, "we shall not be quite so obvious as that, Treves, otherwise they would come to suspect a leakage. What will occur is this: I shall communicate with the Admiralty at once, and some time to-morrow morning an accident will happen—quite a small accident—to the Imperator's boilers. The news of the accident will be well spread throughout the crew and the deck hands. Thus the Imperator will be unavoidably delayed and will not sail at three o'clock to-morrow."
He rose as he finished speaking and went quickly out of the room. When he returned he was obviously much easier in his mind. With slow deliberation he replaced himself in his chair at the desk.
"Now give me details of your interview with Cherriton."
John stated what had occurred.
"Anything else to report?" asked Dacent Smith, looking at him with a penetrating glance. "I see you have a scratch on your forehead."
"Yes," answered John. "It occurred in Hampstead; a young man attacked me and endeavoured to get my pocket-book!"
"Oh, that is rather alarming!"
"It was rather sudden," John confessed, "and he was a particularly energetic person."