"If I knew more of the character of your inquiries and the point towards which they are directed I might possibly be able to render you further assistance," Dudley said after a short pause, hoping to obtain some information from the man who, as he was well aware, so completely possessed the confidence of the controller of England's destinies. "Well," said Cator, after some hesitation, "the matter forms a very tangled and complicated problem. By sheer chance I discovered, by means of a document which was copied in a certain _Chancellerie_ and found its way to me in secret a short time ago, that a movement was afoot in a most unexpected direction to counter-balance Britain's power on the sea, and oust us from China as a preliminary to a great and terrific war. The document contained extracts of confidential correspondence which had passed between the Foreign Ministers of the two nations implicated, and showed that the details of the conspiracy were arranged with such an exactitude and forethought that by certain means--which were actually given in one of the extracts in question, a grave Parliamentary crisis would be created in England, of which the Powers intended to take immediate advantage in order the better to aim their blow at British supremacy." Archibald Cator paused and glanced behind him half suspiciously, as if to make certain that the door was closed, while Chisholm sat erect, immovable, as though turned to stone. What his visitor had told him, confirmed the horrible suspicion which had crept upon him some weeks ago. "Yes. It was a very neat and very pretty scheme, all of it," went on the man with the hollow cheeks, giving vent to a short, dry laugh. "During my career I have known many schemes and intrigues with the same object, but never has one been formed with such open audacity, such cool forethought, and such clever ingenuity as the present." "Then it still exists?" exclaimed Chisholm quickly. "Most certainly. My present object is to expose and destroy it," answered the confidential agent. "That it has the support of two monarchs of known antipathy towards England is plain enough, but our would-be enemies have no idea that the details of their plot are already in my possession, nor that yesterday I placed the whole of them before the chief. By to-morrow every British Embassy in Europe will be in possession of a cypher despatch from his lordship warning Ministers of the intrigue in progress. The messengers left Charing Cross last night carrying confidential instructions to all the capitals." "And especially to Vienna, I presume?" "Yes, especially to Vienna," Cator said, adding, "That, I suppose, you guessed from the tenor of the confidential report from the Austrian capital which passed through your hands a short time back. Do you recollect that your answer to that embarrassing question in the House was supplied to you after a special meeting of the Cabinet?" "I recollect that was so."