"Do you prefer that I draw out information by questions?" asked
Mornac, looking up at me.
I was already in his net; I ought not to have placed myself in the
position of concealing anything, yet I distrusted him and wished to
avoid giving him a chance to misunderstand me. But now it was too
late; if the error could be wiped out at all, the only way to erase it
was by telling him everything and giving him his chance to
misinterpret me if he desired it.
He listened very quietly while I told of my encounter with Buckhurst
in Morsbronn, of our journey to Saverne, to Strasbourg, and finally my
own arrival in Paris.
"Where is Buckhurst?" he asked.
"I do not know," I replied, doggedly.
"That is to say that you had him in your power within the French
lines yet did not secure him?"
"Yes."
"Your orders were to arrest him?"
"Yes."
"And shoot him if he resisted?"
"Yes."
"But you let him go?"
"There was something more important to do than to arrest Buckhurst. I
meant to find out what he had on hand in Paradise."
"So you disobeyed orders?"
"If you care to so interpret my action."
"Why did you not arrest the Countess de Vassart?"
"I did; the Uhlans made me prisoner as I reported to you."
"I mean, why did you not arrest her after you left Morsbronn?"
"That would have prevented Buckhurst from going to Paradise."
"Your orders were to arrest the Countess?"
"Yes."
"Did you obey those orders?"
"No," I said, between my teeth.
"Why?"
"I had every reason to believe that an important conspiracy was being
ripened somewhere near Paradise. I had every reason to believe that
the robbery of the crown jewels might furnish funds for the plotters.
"The arrest of one man could not break up the conspiracy; I desired
to trap the leaders; and to that end I deliberately liberated this man
Buckhurst as a stool-pigeon. If my judgment has been at fault, I
accept the blame."
Mornac's silver penknife closed. Presently he opened the blade again
and tested the edge on his plump forefinger.
"I beg to call your attention to the fact," I continued, "that a
word from Buckhurst to the provost at Morsbronn would have sent me
before the squad of execution. In a way, I bought my freedom. But," I
added, slowly, "I should never have bought it if the bargain by which
I saved my own skin had been a betrayal of France. Nobody wants to
die; but in my profession we discount that. No man in my division is a
physical coward. I purchased my freedom not only without detriment to
France, but, on the contrary, to the advantage of France."
"At the expense of your honor," observed Mornac.
My ears were burning; I advanced a pace and looked Mornac straight
between the eyes; but his eyes did not meet mine--they were fixed on
his silver penknife.
"I did the best I could do in the line of duty," I said. "You ask me
why I did not break my word and arrest Buckhurst after we left the
German lines. And I answer you that I had given my word not to arrest
him, in pursuance of my plan to use him further."
Mornac examined his carefully kept finger-tips in detail.
"You say he bribed you?"
"I said that he attempted to do so," I replied, sharply.
"With the diamonds?"
"Yes."
"You have them?"
"I deposited them as usual."
"Bring them."
Angry as I was, I saluted, wheeled, and hastened off to the safe
deposit. The jewel-bag was delivered when I presented my printed slip;
I picked it up and marched back, savagely biting my mustache and
striving to control my increasing exasperation. Never before had I
endured insolence from a superior officer.
Mornac was questioning Speed as I entered, and that young man, who has
much self-control to learn, was already beginning to answer with
disrespectful impatience, but my advent suspended matters, and Mornac
took the bag of jewels from my hands and examined it. He seemed to be
in no hurry to empty it; he lolled in his chair with an absent-minded
expression like the expression of a cat who pretends to forget the
mouse between her paws. Danger was written all over him; I squared my
shoulders and studied him, braced for a shock.
The shock came almost immediately, for, without a word, he suddenly
emptied the jewel-bag on the desk before him. The bag contained
little pebbles wrapped in tissue-paper.
I heard Speed catch his breath sharply; I stared stupidly at the
pebbles. Mornac made a careless, sweeping gesture, spreading the
pebbles out before us with his restless, ringed fingers.
"Suppose you explain this farce?" he suggested, unmoved.
"Suppose _you_ explain it!" I stammered.