"That’s the militia," said the Duke, "Captain Hal Tanneur of the North Kent Fencibles! Hank, we’re up against the army. We’re an international problem: you heard the reference to the friendly relations? We’re the fly in the Entente Cordiale ointment." "And a possible _causus belli_," murmured Hank. "And a _causus belli_," repeated the Duke impressively. There was a silence as Mr. Nape carefully folded the cutting and placed it on the table. A continued silence when he leant back in his chair, with his finger-tips touching and his eyes absently fixed on the ceiling. "Well?" said the Duke. Mr. Nape smiled. The solution of the problem was simple. "You want me to find the man who wrote that article?" he said languidly. "It will not be particularly difficult. There are certain features about this case which are, I admit, puzzling. The reference to Baron Pollock and the Lord Chief Justice show me that the writer was a lawyer, the——" "Oh, I know who wrote the article," said the Duke cheerfully, and Mr. Nape was disconcerted and annoyed. Then an idea struck him and he brightened. "I see," he said, "you want me to discover the circumstances under which they were written. You have a secret enemy who——" "On the contrary," said the Duke, "I know all the circumstances and I know the name, address, age and hobbies of the enemy." Mr. Nape’s exasperation was justified under the circumstances. "May I ask," he demanded coldly, "why I have been called in?" "That seems fair?" The Duke appealed to Hank, and Hank nodded. "It seems a deucedly fair question." He turned to the young man— "Mr. Nape," he said solemnly, "we want an editor for the _Brockley Aristocrat_." Mr. Nape saw light. "I of course know the paper," he said—there was little that Mr. Nape did _not_ know—"but I have only seen it once—or twice," he corrected carefully. "It doesn’t exist yet," said his serene grace, "it’s a new paper that Hank and I are going to run, and we need an editor." "I see," said Mr. Nape, industriously blowing his nose to hide his confusion.... "We want an editor of fearless independent character, who will do as he’s told, and ask no questions." "Yes, yes," approved the detective. "A man of judgment, of keen discernment and possessed, moreover, of a knowledge of men and things." Mr. Nape nodded thoughtfully. "Some one we can depend upon to carry out a policy without striking out on some silly idea of his own—there’s the job, will you take it?" "I have had some experience," began Mr. Nape, but the Duke interrupted— "Pardon me," he said, "but it is not experience that’s required. An experienced editor would not do the things we shall expect our editor to do. We shall expect him to—er—rush in where the _Times_ would fear to tread." Mr. Nape had a dim idea that the turn the Duke gave to this requirement was not as complimentary as it might have been. "I have a feeling," the Duke continued, "that in Nape we have discovered a local Delane."