"The two spies!"

"Ah, those wonderful spies!"

"Themselves! In the street! Right in front of our windows! Watching
the house, waiting for you to go out."

I went to the window and raising just an edge of the shade, so as not
to give any warning, I saw two men on the pavement.

They were rather fine-looking men, broad-shouldered and vigorous,
aged somewhat under forty, dressed in the ordinary fashion of the
day, with slouched hats, heavy woolen suits, stout walking shoes and
sticks in hand. Undoubtedly, they were staring persistently at my
apparently unwatchful house. Then, having exchanged a few words, they
strolled off a little way, and returned again.

"Are you sure these are the same men you saw before?"

"Yes, sir."

Evidently, I could no longer dismiss her warning as an hallucination;
and I promised myself to clear up the matter. As to following the men
myself, I was presumably too well known to them. To address them
directly would probably be of no use. But that very day, one of our
best men should be put on watch, and if the spies returned on the
morrow, they should be tracked in their turn, and watched until their
identity was established.