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‘"Yes, it‘s a bit exciting, sir. To hear that some beautiful Greek lady has fallen in love with you must make you wonder." f John laughed. "It isn‘t that, Tom. I was thinking about my visit to the Acropolis toâ€"morrow night." "Am I to go with you,sir?" "Yes. To tell you the truth, I beâ€" lieve that your adventure toâ€"day has something to do with that letter. Of course the whole thing‘s a mystery so far, and that makes it all the more inâ€" teresting. Are you sure that you‘ve not in any way given a hint that we are not Americans?" ""Well, sir, I don‘t know French well enough to say when it is spoken as it should be spoken, but she had a way with her which made me think she was a lady." "Tell me what you mean." "That‘s a bit difficult, seeing sheés a Greek, and I know so little about the ways and manners of the country. But it‘s this way, sir. When I saw you first in Lancashire, you wore a private‘s clothes, and you were a Tommy just the same as l1 was; but I knew you were a gentleman, That was the kind of feeling I had about that girl.". "By Jove, I am getting excited, "I may not have played the part very> well, sir, but I am certain I haven‘t said a word that would give us away. I remember your instructâ€" ions, and have been very careful." "So have I, but we have to rememâ€" ber that the place is full@®f spiesâ€"â€"Gerâ€" man as well as Greekâ€"and they susâ€" pect everyone, especially those belongâ€" ing to other countries. That Baron vyon Sckenk has, I am told, a regular army of them. I have been watched too, P am sure of that. I told you about. it Still, it may mean nothing. Besides, although it is kept out of the papers, I know as a faot that several people have been stabbed to death while we have been in Athens." (Continued From Last Week) me it was a masked ball for people | who had been specially invited. Natâ€" urally I couldn‘t stay after that. So : I came away, and thought very little ' more about it. I say, Tom, was this | Greek girl who spoke to you a lady ?" | Tom! "I thought at first she wasn‘t, sir; she wasn‘t dressed like the ladies I saw at the hotel, or who one sees in the»streets. But afterwards I wasn‘t sure." ‘"Perhaps it may be best not to g0o to the Acropolis toâ€"morrow Right, sir," said Tom. ‘"It is a lonley spot a good way from the town, and these Greeks are handy with their knives. They could easily hide behind. those old temples and pounce upon one suddenâ€" ly.” "Yes,I know and we will take all precautions. We will be both well armed, and while I am waiting beside the fifth pillar of the Temple of Zeus, you must be near by, out of sight, and / ready to give me a hand if anything happens. But we cannot afford to let the opportunity slip. Up to now we‘ve tried very hard. You see, I daren‘t employ any of these Greek chaps to find out anything for me: if I did, I should give the whole show a%va.y.” ‘"‘That you would," said Tom, the very sight of these Greek fellows, with their white pleated frocks, makes me have a funny feeling." "Still, I am sure this means someâ€" thing." and John looked out on the sqare thoughtfully. ‘"No one would take the trouble to write me without a purpose. If they are friendly disâ€" posed, they may help us; if they are not, we may still find out something in spite of them." The next night, an hour before the time mentioned in the letter, the two young men found their way toward the Acropolis. Although\ no moON shone, the light was sufficient to reâ€" veal the whiteness of the modern city of Athens. Even athough the capital of Greece appears somewhat tawdry to our English ideas, it was nevertheâ€" less fair to look upon. Modern Athens, although but of yesterday, is Ever iâ€" dentified with the ancient home of culture and wonder. The shadow of the great Acropolis, with its wonderful temple of Minerva still standing on its summit, makes evâ€" en modern Athens a place of wonder. The temple. of the Winds, although but a relic of the farâ€"back past, and altogether disassaciated from the somewhat flamboyant modernity of the present capital of Greece, still makes Athens different from. nearly every other city in Europe. It is in the air you breathe; it manifests itself in }he 'fact that the past is not dead, and wields its mystic infuence in the twenâ€" tieth century. Even in the light of the stars, John could faintly see the ruins of the anâ€" cient temples, hundreds of feet above him. Ancient Athens was ancient Athâ€" ens still. The cheap vulgarity of the present could not obliterate the glory of the past. The spirits of the old philâ€" osophers and poets still lived. Socrates and Plato, Pericles and Xenophon, still exerted an influence. Modern Athens, in spite of vulgar intrigues, in spite, too, of pillage, plotting, cruelty, and murder, is still a classical city, because it is contiguous to the great Athens of the past. John felt all this, in spite of the exâ€" eitement of the hour, and as he neared the Parthenon, surrounded by what remained of the genius of past ages, forces were at work within him which the cheap plottings of a modern age could destroy. The path on which he walked had been trodden by men posâ€" sessing the mightiest intellects the world had ever known: every inch of the ground had a historyâ€"a history much of which was lost in the misty ages, but which fired his imagination, and made him realize that it was not the. swords of the nations, not deâ€" structive implements of war, which made the world‘s progress. Presently they reached the spot which had been pointed out to them 17 9n ‘ommy and the Maid of Athens i "All right, sir; I don‘t feel to mind a bit now. Besides. very likely nothing ‘ will happen. It‘s funny, isn‘t it, sit, | that we should be here, late at night, ~standing on the very spot where St. | Paul stood nearly two thousand years | ago? Do you remember what the New \ Testament says about the Athenians, * "Half an hour yet, Tom. How are your nerves?" Creeping behind the rock, he made his way to the opposite side of the building, then listened intently, . but heard nothing. Quick as a thought, he slipped behind the first of ‘the great pillars, then waited again, and watched. The light flashed again, travelling _up the pillar from the base to the summit, but no sound was heard. ‘"Well, who are you?, What do you want?" John was quite cool now. All the excitement of a few minutes beâ€" fore had gone. After all, this might be only a matter of intriguing, and he was ther eot learn all he could. "Are you‘ the American? Are you alone?" "No, what was it?" "It was that they were always on the lookâ€"out for some new thing. That‘s at the bottom of all their misâ€" chief, sir, they have no stability, no steadfastness. I‘ve been reading a bit about Athens toâ€"day, and from what I can see of it, their philosophy didn‘t mean much." s ‘"It has meant a great deal, Tom." "Religion isn‘t philosophy, sir. philâ€" osophy is a matter of the brain; reâ€" ligion gets deeper than that, That‘s why it makes the man who has really got it as steady as a rock. But there, we are not come here to talk about that. We mustn‘t let the writer of that letter see us together, so I‘d betâ€" ter go to my place at once." A few seconds later, Tom sat behind a great rock, from which he ‘could command a. view of the Temple of Zeus,, while John climbed the pathway which led toward the Acropolis. The night was windless, and strangely siâ€" lent. The lights of modern Athens could be plainly seen from where he stood, but no sound reached him, and the ruins of the Acropolis stood out ded with stars, like a grim spectre. The rocky plataeu on which he stood looked stern and forbidding. It was difficult for him, as he stood there, to realize that Europe was at war, and that this ancient nation help in her power the lever which might move the world, and that the vacillating, treacherous king, whose palace lay not so far away, might by perfidy and treason to those who had placed him on his throne, enslave Europe for centuries and darken the history of the world. The thought seemed imposâ€" sible, but it might be so. Even now, the King, inspired by his German mentors, might be making plans which would paralyse our Eastern arâ€" mies, and make Germany more than ever a menace to the best life of the world. â€" But how could he? Under the shadow of that great Acropolis, and within sight of those ruined temples, it seemed absurd. Clash and clamour, struggling between mighty armies, the boom of great guns, all appeared unâ€" real. as Mars‘ Hill. It was perhaps fifty feet below the Parthenon, and in the dim light they could see the ancient pillars of a ruined temple, so distinctive of Greek architecture,. sir i $ "That‘s the temple, isn‘t it sir?" whispered Tom, pointing to a row of. Corinthian pillars. ‘"What time is it, gir?" Minute after minute he waited, and as the time mentioned in the letter drew near he could count his heartâ€" throbs. What did it mean? Was he following a willâ€"o‘theâ€"wisp, or was he to learn a secret which might be of. great benefit to his country, and perâ€" haps turn the scale of the war in the East? Suddenly, the influences of the past were gone. All the poetry, the mysâ€" tery, and the romance associated with those old ruins had passed away. He was in the modern world again, a world of struggling, and plotting, and fighting. He heard a footstep on the stone pathway, and then a light movâ€" ed slowly up and down by the fifth pillar of the Temple of Zeus. For a moment it became dark again, but only for a moment. Slowly the light crept up the pillar, revealing the architrave which still remained. Imâ€" mediately afterwards, he saw a dark form move behind the wall of the temple A ghutter was immediately drawn before the face of the lantern, and John saw the dark form of a maD. if you wished to speak to me, yOU couldn‘t have come to my flat. 3t would have been far more pleasant; it might have been less romantic,. but it would have saved me a lot of trouâ€" ble. Still, I am out for romance, and this is just the spot for it." "That‘s ge:t,ter," he said quietly; "now we can talk. I don‘t see why, "I came to tell you that you are in danger," said a voice. "Â¥ou told me, that in the lotter," replied John, "so I needn‘t have come all this way to learn that. But how am I in danger? Who wants to harm an innocent tourist who is looking around for fun? To begin with, there‘s no money in this business, and I should have preferred another renâ€" dezvous." ‘"Money, money? I don‘t underâ€" stand. Iam not a bandit." "That‘s all right, then. . But what is it? Why have you asked me to come here?" 3 95 ha "For one thing, to test your courâ€" age, and to see what kind of man you are; for another, to know your real purpose in coming to Athens. As for the third reasonâ€"‘" The man hesitatâ€" ed. ‘‘Yes," the third reason," said John, "I guess that‘s the most important. Still, I will answer you as well as I can. First about my courage. 3 haven‘t got much, but just enough to bring me up to this lonely spot late at pight.. You see, I am young, I am a bit imaginative, and I~like mystery, up to a point. But I have not enough courage to be a fool." ‘"What do you mean by that?" "I mean, that while we are standâ€" ing here, a man, who is perhaps the best shot living at this time in Eurâ€" ope, is watching us, and he is covering us with a pistol. At the least suggesâ€" tion of foul play, somebody‘ll pay the piper. No, he can‘t hear anything, but he can see. He is one of those felâ€" lows who can see in the dark. As long as you play fair, he‘ll do nothâ€" ing,but as he has more than one revolâ€" ver in his pocket, besides oceans Of cartridges, andâ€"I needn‘t tell you knything else. Now you know pretty much the kind of man I am. Courâ€" ageous, if you likeâ€"that is to say, I don‘t fear you one little bit; but there‘s a lot of caution in my anatâ€" omy. That‘s number one. Now as to number two: Why did I come to Athâ€" ens? I came to enjoy myself, mistet; came to look around, came to stuly up things, if you like. Americans are said to have the bump of curiosity very largely developed." ‘‘You‘re not an American.‘" "Is that so? Well, it‘s interesting, anyhow. As you seem to know what I am, and what I am not, I needn‘t give you any further information on that question." & His interlocutor hesitated a second, then he went on: ‘"Will you tell me nothing more than that?" ‘"What have you found out since you have been in Athens?" ‘"Not much to the credit of the city. First, I have discovered that it is a nest of wasps, that spying and intrigue are the order of the day, and that every man looks upon his brother man with suspicion. Otherwise it‘s mighty interesting here among these old ruins, and I can‘t say that I‘m averse to the modern city. It‘s a bit tawdry but passable. I have a Greek servant who cooks a good dinner and I‘ve a comifortable flat.‘" "I guess it‘s for you to . tell me something now," replied Johr. ‘"I‘ve been pretty explicit, as well as volumâ€" inous. Why was that letter sent to me?. And why am I in danger? You promised that light should be shed; I am waiting for it. . Besides, there‘s that third reason. I guess that‘s your long suit, and you want to play it. I‘d be glad if you‘d lead your card right off." The man, whose form had been parâ€" tially hidden, moved nearer to John, who, taking advantage of the situaâ€" tion, took an electric lamp from his pocket, and suddenly threw a brilliant light upon him. A In the light of the lamp John saw what he took to be a young Greek, about twentyâ€"five years of age. There was nothing out of the ordinary in his appearance For a Greek he had a mild, placid face, and did not in any way suggest danger. In England he would have passed for a draper‘s asâ€" sistant. ‘‘We‘ve both seen each other now," said John quietly. "I guess you know the kind of fellow I am, while I‘d know you anywhere. What do you want to say toâ€"me?" Their conversation had been in French, and it was in that language they still continued to speak. John lowered the light, and the man, who had been dazzled for | a moment, rubbed his eyes. "I want to know who you. are," said the stranger, "and why you came here." i "I guess that subject‘s about exâ€" hausted," replied John. ‘"‘No, it‘s not exhausted." F "May I ask what part of it hasn‘t been dealt with fully?" ‘"‘None of it," replied the Greek. "Explain yourself." "Will you solemnly swear to me that you are an American? Will you swear| to me that you haven‘t come here in British interests? It will be to your advantage if you answer me candidly." The man spoke in a pasâ€" sionate whisper. "You are a bit melodramatic‘â€" and John laughed as he spoke. "Why this overwhelming emotion And wh, are you interested to know who 1 am : "Even if you are an American, you are in danger, because you are believâ€" ed to be an Englishman, and you will be treated as all English spies are treated. That is, unless you give some conclusive proof that you are what you pretend to be. If you are an Engâ€" lishman, danger dogs your every footâ€" step. In any case, if you love your life you will leave Athens immediâ€" ately." "It‘s awfully kind of you to toll me this," was John‘s reply. "I can‘t help wondering why you have such an inâ€" terest in me." "I have no interest in you. L am simply acting on behalf of cne who Fas." "Whew! That‘s just romantic. Who is this persen who has an interest in "My advice to you isâ€"fly from Athâ€" ens immediately, leave the city by the first train. If you don‘t, your blood will be upon your own head." "You quite take away my breath," said John; "but don‘t excite yourself. I have got to like Athens, and intend to remain.* ‘"How long?" "As long as I am interested." 95 CHAPTER VIII The (reeck seemed to be reflecting, and was evidently not quite decided as to what course to adopt "That‘s goud," replied John; "when one has made up one‘s mind, definite action generally follows. But will it be bad form on my part if I were to ask you your conclusions about me‘"‘ "If you are an American, and if you have come to Athens simply out of curiosity, you will leave at once," the Greek replied. ‘"For I tell you thisâ€"ever-’y hour you stay is a danger. You are a suspect, and suspects come to an untimely end in Athens; and Americans are not fools enough to risk their lives for nothing. If, on the other hand, you are an Englishâ€" man, you have made up your mind to risk all danger in order to get what you want." "I have made up my mind about you," he said at length. "What is it that interests you so much ?" "For cne thing, the person who is so interested in me." "That‘s mighty interesting. Now, assuming that I have decided +0 risk all danger, what do you advise?" "Do you know the . street called Eleutherios?" "I guess I do." " You will go to that street toâ€"morâ€" row night, at midnight. You will enter it from the cathedral square. You will walk about three hundred yards until you come to a street on the right hand side, called the Phil a‘ Axâ€" ios. You will turn down there and go slowly till you are met by some one who is interested in you. Do you unâ€" derstand" "A child of four could understand it," replied John. "But you will not go there unless you are English, and have come to Athens with a desire to learn things which may be of value to your counâ€" try. That will be understood by the person who is interested in you. That is all, I have nothing further to say, except to tell you again that if you value your life you wiill leave Athens without a moment‘s delay." "This is real king of you," and John spoke like a man deeply in earnâ€" est; "the interest you feel in a strangâ€" ‘No," said John, "you haven‘t comâ€" pleted it yet, and you are not going away just like that. Do you know you‘ve interested me mightily? Who sent you here? Who wrote that letter which brought meâ€"here?" "It is not for me to tell you. I have fulfilled my instructions; L have warnâ€" ed you." ; er is just touching. All the same, your melodrama methods don‘t appeal to me. You tell me I am in danger, and then advise me to go knocking around Athens at midnight. As I told you, my courage has a strong adâ€" mixture of caution." "If you are wise, you will let cauâ€" tion prevail, But I have delivered my message." For the first time since John had seen the light playing up and down the pillar of the. old temple he felt excited. What he had heard and seen seemed so much foolishness, and yet he felt_sure ther _ was something important, something serious, behind it all. "Look here," he said, "should I be guessing right if I guess that the perâ€" son who is interested in me is a lady?" "What do you mean by that?" The man‘s voice was eager, intense; it suggested anger. "I hardly know what I mean. 1 reckon you‘ve been watching me pretâ€" ty closely since I came to Athens, so you‘ll guess that I‘m in a bit of â€"a fog. I don‘t exactily know where I The Greek turned upon him sudâ€" denly. ‘"Do you love any ladies in Athens?" he said. "Have you since you came to the city, lost your heart to any one? Have there been love messages betwen you and some lady unknown to you?" As > "What, here in Athens?" .\‘‘¥es, here in Athens," and the man‘s\ voice trembled as he spoke. "Good Lord, no! I have never given any woman a second‘s thought except the Maid of Athens." "Have you seen her?â€"do you know her?" He almost gasped the words. "Never. All the same, I have heard her spoken of so many times that I have naturally wondered whether she is a reality or a “myth.” "But you 7kn6'w' nothing definite about herrâ€"you‘ve never seen her?" y Nki e ue eniies te e ons ce s s c "If I have,. it has been in my dreams. I‘m inclined to think she‘s a sort of Mrs. Harris and, to quote Betsy Prig, a lady I suppose you never heard of, ‘I don‘t believe there‘s no such person."" f "I don‘t know what you mean," said the Greek, after a moment‘s silâ€" ence. ‘"But Iâ€" must stay no longer. You understand the instructions I have given you? If you are an Ameriâ€" can, you will keep away from danger. But if you take the risks, it will be assumed that you are English." / A second later, John was alone. The man disappeared suddenly, leaving no trace behind him. For some second he stood leaning against the pillar of theâ€"ancient temâ€" ple, thinking furiously.. He was tryâ€" ing hard to understand the purport of the Eonversation which had just taken place. Looked at from one standâ€" point, everything seemed too absurd to be considered seriously. Any levelâ€" headed man who valued his life would refuse to pay any attention to the inâ€" structions he had received. Who this Greek was, he did not know, while the whole of the interview could, apparâ€" ently, lead to no good results. From another point of view, howâ€" ever it was not to be discarded lightâ€" ly. General Brunner had sent him to Athens because he felt sure that mischief was brewing, that there was some plotting on foot which it was essential to understand. And Jonn had COI$ to Athens with the deterâ€" minatiom® to find it out. The letter which had been mysteriously placed in his bedroom two nights before had a meaning. The Greek had met him there that night in fulfilment of the promise in the letter. Thus, making full allowances for everything, he believed there was something serious at the back of it all. The man‘s demeanour was diffiâ€" cult to understand, but he did not act like an enemy, or as a charlattan. The whole thing seemed mad, but there The affair Was\a,ltogether mysterâ€" ious, but he did not believe the Greek was an enemy, or that he desired to do him harm. 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