"By the way, Mr. Dene," said Sage casually, "do you remember some one treading on your toe at King's Cross the night you were going north. You were quite annoyed about it." John Dene nodded and looked across at Sage, as if expecting something further. "That was one of our men." "But----" "I told him to tread on your toe," proceeded Malcolm Sage, "so that you might remember that Department Z. was not quite so----" "Now it gets me," cried John Dene. "It was you who trod on my foot at the theatre." "At 'Chu Chin Chow,'" said Malcolm Sage, smiling. "Seems to be a sort of stunt of yours," said John Dene as he rose. "Going, Mr. Dene?" enquired Colonel Walton. "Yep!" he said, as he shook hands with each in turn, then with an air of conviction added: "I take it all back. You'd do well in T'ronto:" and with a nod he went out. "I wonder if that's a testimonial to us, or a reflection upon Toronto," murmured Malcolm Sage, as he polished his nails with a silk handkerchief. "What I like about colonials," remarked Colonel Walton drily, "is their uncompromising directness." Whilst John Dene was removing, from the list of things that required gingering-up, Department Z. and its two chiefs, Mr. Llewellyn John was engaged in reading Commander Ryles's report upon the operations of the _Destroyer_. It proved to be one of the most remarkable documents of the war. First it described how the _Destroyer_ had hung about the Danish coast, but had been greatly embarrassed by the density of the water, owing to the shallowness of the North Sea. She had carefully to seek out the clear passages where the depth was sufficiently great to prevent the discolouration of water by sand. After the first few weeks the _Destroyer_ had been brought south, there to catch U-boats soon after they submerged. That was where the Germans suffered their greatest losses. Once the _Destroyer_ had penetrated right into the Heligoland Bight, her "eyes" enabling her to avoid submerged mines and entanglements. Commander Ryles had himself witnessed the destruction of thirty-four U-boats. Three times the _Destroyer_ had returned to her base to re-victual and recharge her batteries, also to rest her crew. At the termination of the third trip, it had been decided that the boat was badly in need of a thorough overhaul, and in accordance with the instructions received, he had prepared his report and brought it south in order that he might deliver it in person to the First Lord. When he had finished the lengthy document, Mr. Llewellyn John laid it on the table beside him. For some minutes he sat thinking. Presently he pressed the knob of the bell. As a secretary appeared he said, "Ring through to Sir Roger Flynn, and tell him I shall be delighted if he can breakfast with me to-morrow." And Mr. Llewellyn John smiled. CHAPTER XX JOHN DENE'S PROPOSAL