"I had an inkling of it," he said. A shrewd twinkle came into his
clear, Yankee eyes; he chewed his wrecked cigar and folded his lank
arms.
"So," he continued, tranquilly, blinking at the sparkling river, "I
drew out all my money--and yours, too."
"Mine!" I stammered. "How could you?"
"Forged an order," he admitted. "Can you forgive me, Scarlett?"
"Forgive you! Bless your generous heart!" I muttered, as he handed me
a sealed packet.
"Not at all," he said, laughing; "a crime in time saves nine--eh,
Scarlett? Pocket it; it's all there. Now listen. I have made
arrangements of another kind. Do you remember an application for
license from the manager of a travelling American show--a Yankee
circus?"
"Byram's Imperial American Circus?" I said.
"That's it. They went through Normandy last summer. Well, Byram's
agent is going to meet us at Saint-Cloud. We're engaged; I'm to do
ballooning--you know I worked one of the military balloons before
Petersburg. You are to do sensational riding. You were riding-master
in the Spahis--were you not?"
I looked at him, almost laughing. Suddenly the instinct of my vagabond
days returned like a sweet wind from the wilds, smiting me full in the
face.
"I tamed three lions for my regiment at Constantine," I said.
"Good lad! Then you can play with Byram's lions, too. Oh, what the
devil!" he cried, recklessly; "it's all in a lifetime. Quand même,
and who cares? We've life before us and an honest living in view, and
Byram has packed two of his men back to England and I've tinkered up
their passports to suit us. So we're reasonably secure."
"Will you tell me, Speed, why you were wise enough to do all this
while I was gone?" I asked, in astonishment.
"Because," said Speed, deliberately, "I distrusted Mornac from the
hour he entered the department."
A splendid officer of police was spoiled when Mornac entered the
department.
Presently the deck guard began to shout: "Saint-Cloud! Saint-Cloud!"
and the little boat glided up alongside the floating pier. Speed rose;
I followed him across the gang-plank; and, side by side, we climbed
the embankment.
"Do you mean to say that Byram is going travelling about with his
circus in spite of the war?" I whispered.
"Yes, indeed. We start south from Chartres to-morrow."
Presently I said: "Do you suppose we will go to Lorient
or--Paradise?"
"We will if I have anything to say about it," replied Speed, throwing
away his ragged cigar.
And I walked silently beside him, thinking of the young Countess and
of Buckhurst.