"The signore is correct," he answered. "I am an agent in the service of the British Government, mainly employed in France and Belgium. Indeed, if the Signor Sotto-Secretario reflects, he will remember a report upon the Toulon defences which reached the Intelligence Department a few months ago, and about which a rather awkward question was asked in the House of Commons." "Yes, I recollect. The elaborate report, which was produced confidentially, I myself saw at the time. It was by one Cuillini, if I remember right." "Exactly! Benvenuto Cuillini and Francesco Marucci are one and the same person." The young statesman sat speechless. This man Marucci was the most ingenious and faithful of all Cator's secret agents, and the manner in which he had obtained the plans of the defences of Toulon was, he knew, considered by the Intelligence Department to be little short of miraculous. The report was a most detailed and elaborate one, actually accompanied by snapshot photographs and a mass of information which would be of the greatest service if ever England fought France in the Mediterranean. "Then you, Signor Marucci, are really my friend?" he exclaimed at last. "I am the friend of the Signorina Mortimer," he replied, correcting him. "And who is the Signorina Mortimer," Chisholm demanded. "Who and what is she that you should be her intimate friend? Tell me." CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. SHOWS SIGNORI OF THE SUBURBS. The wiry Italian with the bristly moustache glanced at him half suspiciously; then a smile lit up his face for an instant. "The Signorina Mortimer is an English signorina whom I have known a long time. Francesco Marucci is a friend of all the English." "I know. But in this matter you are actually working against the efforts of your own department." "As I have already explained to the signore, I am but the signorina's messenger," he declared, in a tone which showed him to be a past-master in the art of evasion. "She urges you to pay an immediate visit to a certain person here in London, and to leave for the Continent to-morrow morning--for Italy." "To go to her? Why cannot she come to England?" "Because just at present that is impossible," the man replied. "And this visit you speak of. To whom is it?" The Italian drew from his pocket a small and shabby wallet, about six inches square, of the kind used in Italy to carry the paper money. From this he took a card, on which was written an address at Penge. "She asks you to call at the house indicated immediately this card comes into your possession," he said. "As your visit is expected, you had better go to-night." "For what reason?" "For reasons known to her alone," replied the messenger. "I am not in the possession of the motives of the signorina in this affair." "Speak candidly, Marucci," said Chisholm. "You, as confidential agent of the British Government, know all about this matter. You cannot deny that?"