The girl's diversion was sufficient to take interest momentarily from General Crandall's revelation. When all had clustered around the windows, conversation skipped to the fleet, its power, and the men who were ready to do battle behind its hundreds of guns. Mrs. Sherman was disappointed that the ships did not send up rockets. She'd read somewhere that ships sent up rockets, and she didn't see why these should prove the exception. Interruption came from Jaimihr Khan, who bore a message for Consul Reynolds. The fussy little man ripped open the envelope with an air of importance. "Ah, listen, folks! Here we have the latest wireless from the _Saxonia_. 'Will anchor about two--sail six. Have all passengers aboard by five-thirty.'" Excited gurgles from the refugees. "That means," Reynolds wound up, with a flourish, "everybody at the docks by five o'clock. Be there myself, to see you off. Must go now--lot of fuss and feathers getting everybody fixed." He paused before Jane. "You're going home at last, young lady," he chirped. "That depends entirely on Miss Gerson herself." It was the general who spoke quietly but emphatically. Reynolds looked at him, surprised. "Why, I understood it was all arranged----" "I repeat, it depends entirely on Miss Gerson." Woodhouse caught the look of fear in Jane's eyes, and, as they fell for the instant on his, something else--appeal. He turned his head quickly. Lady Crandall saved the situation. "Oh, that's just some more of George's eternal red tape. I'll snip it when the time comes." The consul's departure was the signal for the others. They crowded around Lady Crandall and her husband with voluble praise for the American dinner and thanks for the courtesy they had found on the Rock. Woodhouse, after a last despairing effort to have a word of farewell with Jane, which she denied, turned to make his adieu to his host and hostess. "No hurry, Captain," Crandall caught him up. "Expect Major Bishop in every minute--small matter of official detail. You and he can go down the Rock together when he leaves." Woodhouse's mind leaped to the meaning behind his superior's careless words. The hastily despatched note--that was to summon Bishop to Government House; Crandall's speech about the two spies and the arrest of one of them--Louisa, he meant--and now this summary order that he wait the arrival of Bishop--would the second arrest be here in this room? The man who carried a number from the Wilhelmstrasse felt the walls of the library slowly closing in to crush him; he could almost hear the whisper and mutter of the inexorable machine moving them closer--closer. Be alone with the man whose word could send bullets into his heart! "A very pleasant dinner--Lady Crandall's," Woodhouse began, eager to lighten the tenseness of the situation.