"Herr Trafford once again!" The gentleman addressed looked up and beheld the grey-coated figure of General Meyer. Behind him with drawn swords were two officers of the Guides. "Fancy meeting you again," went on the Commander-in-Chief, putting his eye-glass to his eye, and smiling his most innocent smile. "Your presence is really more remarkable than mine," returned Trafford. "I am a stranger seeing the sights of Weidenbruck. You apparently are here on sterner business." "I am here to effect an important arrest," drawled the General. "But perhaps you can aid us in our purpose," he went on in his blandest tones. "Have you by any possible chance seen a young woman hereabouts?" "I saw one here only a few minutes back." The General produced a note-book--the same in which he had jotted down the marks of the skating competition. "This is most interesting," he said. "I need hardly ask you to be precise in your information, as your remarks will be taken down verbatim." "I will be accuracy itself," said Trafford with mock seriousness. "Good! When did you see this woman?" "About a quarter of an hour ago." "Her name?" "I am ignorant of it." "Her age?" "I am bad at guessing ladies' ages; but I should say between twenty and thirty." "Dark or fair?" "Dark." "I thought so. Her height--approximately?" "Six foot two." Meyer stiffened himself indignantly, and the eye-glass dropped from his eye. "You are trifling, sir," he said angrily. "Perhaps I have exaggerated," said Trafford calmly, "put down six foot one-and-a-half." Meyer darted a sidelong glance at the American, and scribbled something in his book. "Remember," he said, "that you may be called upon to substantiate that statement, and that false information----" "He must be referring to Martha," broke in one of the attendant officers. "Martha!" cried Trafford delightedly. "Yes, I believe that was her name. In return for half a krone she told me more in five minutes about instruments of torture than my wildest imagination had conceived possible." "You have seen no one else?" rapped out the General. "Till you arrived I have not seen a soul." Meyer glanced round the room carefully. He looked under the several tables whereon the exhibits were displayed; he put his head up the great stone fireplace; his glance swept past the Iron Maiden, but it rested on it for a fraction of a second only. "She is not here," he announced decisively, "this gentleman has been speaking the truth." "A foolish habit of mine, but ineradicable," murmured Trafford ironically. Meyer readjusted his eye-glass and turned, smiling, to the American.