"I send the inclosed, forwarded to me by Major Seymour, who was until recently a prisoner in Germany. My nephew, John Hargraves, was killed in action. "Very truly yours, "Percival Hargraves." John dead! Her loyal friend dead--and killed in action! Through a blur of tears Kathleen read the stained scrap of paper inclosed in the Englishman's note: "DEAR KATHLEEN: "I saw Karl in London at Victoria Station. I swear it was he--warn Uncle--Kathleen ... Kathleen...." Shaken with grief Kathleen raised her head and looked at her companion sitting immovable in his chair. If he felt any interest in the letter and her emotion, he did not evince it. Three years before, he, she, and John Hargraves had been friends in Germany. John, the soul of honor, loyal and unselfish in his friendship, had laid down his young life for his country. His last dying word had been of her--to warn her.... Kathleen stood erect, wrath drying the tears which affection had brought. John had seen Karl in London in war times; there was but one answer to the puzzle. "Captain Karl von Mueller," she said cuttingly, "to use the name by which I knew you abroad, do you wish my father's invention for Germany?" "I do." Rising quietly, he faced her, stern and unyielding. "Why dissemble any longer? Your father promised to sell it to us; then went back on his given word. In handing me the invention you will but redeem his pledge." "You have a strange conception of honor." Her eyes were blazing with fury. "Your statement about my father is open to doubt. Captain von Mueller, I give you forty-eight hours to leave this country before I denounce you as a German spy." "Really?" His slow smile of unbelief caused her to writhe inwardly. "Do you think the unsupported statement of a woman suspected of murder will find credence?" Kathleen clenched John Hargraves' letter until her knuckles shone white under the taut skin. "Secondly," he continued in the same quiet tone, "you speak tonight only of this winter. Have you forgotten our relationship in Germany?" "That is hardly the term for it," she said proudly. "I met you at the house of a German schoolmate ..." "And our friendship rapidly ripened into love," he said softly, never removing his gaze from her bloodless face. "Our walks in the meadows about Berlin, our elopement ..." "But not our marriage," she burst in. "John Hargraves can testify that I left you." "John Hargraves is dead." "True," she could hardly articulate. "But we were not married." "Quite so; that is my point--_I_ did not _marry_ you." Kathleen swayed upon her feet and threw out her hand blindly for support. "You cur! you despicable cur!" she gasped. "Don't touch me." But though she shrank from him, his strong hand steadied her toward the hall door. "Washington society is surfeited with scandal," he said. "When more composed think of your father's latest invention."