The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06
toovyr4sAt By A. Conan Deyl.J

knew Alphonse Lacour in his
old age. From about the time Of
the Revolution Of as until he
died in the second year Of the Crimean
War he was always 70 be found IN the
same corner Of the Cafe de Provence,
at the end Of the Rue ST. Honore, com
ing down about 9 in the evening and
going when he could find no one to talk
with. 1t took some self-restraint to
stories were beyond all belief, and yet
he was quick at detecting the shadow
OF smile or the slightest little rails
ing OF the eyebrows.
OF all his stories none was more no.
torious than that OF the Koran and
the Foreign Office messenger. And yet
when Monsieur Otto's memoirs were
written II was found that there really
was some foundation for old Lacour's
incredible statement.
You must know, monsieur" he
would say, that 1 left Egypt after
Rleber's assassination. 1 gladly would
have stayed on. for was engaged in
a translation OF the Koran, and be-
tween ourselves I had thoughts at the
time OF embracing Mahometanism, for
I was deeply struck by the wisdom
OF their views about marriage. They
had made an incredible mistake, how
ever, upon the subject Of wine, and
this was what the Lufti who attempt
-
Then when old Kleber died and Menou
came 10 the top felt that it was time
for me to go. I carried my Koran and
my papers 70 London, where Monsieur
Otto had been sent by the First Con-
sui 20 arrange a treaty of peace, for
both nations were very weary Of the
war. which had already lasted ten
years. Here was most useful to Mon
sieur Otto on account OF my knowledge
OF the English tongue, and also. If 1
may say so, on account OF my natural
capacity.
Well, Monsieur Otto, our Embas-
sador, was kept terribly busy over
that treaty and all Of his staff were
worked TO death.
You can understand that it was
no chfld's play. After ten years OF
war each nation had got hold OF a
great deal which had belonged to the
other, or to the other allies. What
was TO be given back? And what was
TO be kept? Is this island worth that
peninsula? II we do this at Venice,
viii you do that at Sierra Leone? II
we give UP Egypt to the Sultan, will
you restore the Cape OF Good Hope,
which you have taken from our allies
the Dutch? So we wrangIed and
wrestlec; and have seen Monsieur
Otto come back TO the embassy so ex-
hausted that his secretary and had
70 help him from his carriage to his
sofa But at last things adjusted
themselves, and the night came round
when the treaty was to be finally
Agned.
Now you must know that the one
great card which we held, and which
we played, played, played at every
spo1nt Of the game, was that we had
Egypt The English were very ner-
vous about our being there. It gave
tus a foot on each end Of the Mediter-
raneGn, you see. And they were not
sure that that wonderful little Napol-
con Of ours might not make IT a base
OF an advance against India. So
whenever Lord Hawkesbury proposed
20 retain anything, we had only to
reply, In that case, Of course. we can
not consent to evacuate Egypt,' and in
this way we quickly brought him to
reason.
well, it was upon the LIST OF October
that the treaty was finally to be signed.
In the morning I was congratulating
Monsieur Otto upon the happy conclu-
sion Of his labors. He was a little pale
shrimp OF man, very quick and nerv-
Gus, and he was so delighted now at
his own success that he could not sit
still, but ran about the room chattering
and laughing, while sat on a cushion
in the corner, as had learned to do in
the East Suddenly in came a messen-
ger with letter which had been for
warded from Paris. Monsieur Otto cast
his eyes upon it, and then without a
word his knees gave way and he fell
senseless upon the floor. I ran to him,
as did the courier, and between us we
carried him to the sofa. He might have
been dead from his appearance, but I
could still feel his heart thrilling be-
meath my palm.
What is this, them I asked
i do not know, answered the mes
senger- Monsieur Talleyrand told me
TO hurry as never man hurried before
and TO put this letter into the hands of
Monsieur Otto. I was in Paris at mid
night yesterday
i know that / am to blame. but
could not help glancing at the letter
picking it out of the senseless hand
Of Monsieur Otto. Ny God. the thun-
derbolt that it was, did not faint but
] sat down beside my chief and 1 burst
into tears. 1t was but a few words. but
they told us that Egypt had been evac-