“And what did the Chief say?”
“I don’t know; but he was mighty short with him, I expect.”
“And what was Strangwise’s real name?”
“When he told us that Nur-el-Din was his wife, I knew at once who he was. His name is Hans von Schornbeek. He was in the Prussian Foot Guards, was turned out for some reason or other and went to America where, after a pretty rough time, he was taken on by the German secret service organization. He was working for them when he met Nur-el-Din. They were married out there and, realizing the possibilities of using her as a decoy in the secret service, he sent her to Brussels where the Huns were very busy getting ready for war. He treated her abominably; but the girl was fond of him in her way and even when she was in fear of her life from this man she never revealed to me the fact that he was Hans von Schornbeek and her husband.”
Barbara sat musing for a while, her eyes on the restless sea.
“How strange it is,” she said, “to think that they are all dispersed now... and the transports are sailing securely to France. Two were killed at the Mill House, Behrend committed suicide in prison, Bellward died in hospital, Mrs. Malplaquet has disappeared, and now Strangwise has gone. There only remains...”
She cast a quick glance at Desmond but he was gazing seaward at the smoke of the transports smudging the horizon.
“What are they going to do with Nur-el-Din?” she asked rather abruptly.
“Didn’t the Chief tell you?” said Desmond.
“He only asked me what I had to say in the matter as I had had to suffer at her hands. But I told him I left the matter entirely to him. I said I took your point of view that Nur-el-Din was the victim of her husband...”