The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-20
Bye. N. and a. M. Williamson
Copyright 1907 by the Authors

me. Give me a different answer from
that YOU gave me before. and I'll bs
silent about what know"
What You know of the document
yo, mentioned?" I asked, my heart
drumming an echo of its beating, In
my ears.
YES"
"But---I thought you said that It's
loss was already discoveredy (Oh. /
was keeping myself well under control
though mistake now would surely
cost INC more than I dared county
For half a second hs was taken
aback. at a. loss what answer to make
Half aecond--no more; yet that hard.
ly perceptible hesitation told me wha,
l had been playing with him to find
out.
"Discovered by me- he explained.
.1That is, by me and one person over
whom have such An influence that he'
Will use his knowledge. or--forget 1t,
according to my advice"
There is no such person." 1 said
to myself. But didn't say 1t aloud.
Quickly I named over in my mind such
men in the French Foreign Office as
were in a position to discover the dis-
appearance of any document under
Raoul du Laurler's charge. There were
several who might have done So some
above Raoul In authority. some below;
| but was certain that not one of them
was an intimate friend OF Count Co
densky's. II he had suspected any
thing the day he met me coming out
| Of the Foreign Office, he might OF
| course, have limited his suspicious 10
one OF those men (though all along Id
believed him too shrewd to risk the
| consequences the ria.cule and hunlilia-
| ton OF a mistake); but II he had
| 1, 4 IL.
/ to prevent matters from taking their
/ own course. independent OF my de-
| cisions and his actions.
| Ibelieved now that what ] had hoped
| was true He was -blufilng." He want.
| ed me to founder into some admission,
1 and to make him n promise In order to
/ save the man I loved. 1 was only a
woman. he'd argued. no doubt--an emo
tional woman, already wrought I'D TO a
high pitch of nervous excitement Per-
haps he had expected to have easy
work with me. And don't think that
! my sil.Dce after his last words dis
couragel n m. He imagined me wr!th-
ing at the alternative OF giving up
i Raoul or seeing him ruined, and he
believed tfat he knew me well enough
i to be sure what l would do In the
end.
Il "Weil2'' he said at last. quite gently.
4 My eyeT had been bent on my lap.
4 but g,antcd suddenly up at him. and
saw his face in the light OF the street
lamps as we passed. Count Godensky
:. Is not more Mephistophelian In type
than any other dark. thin man with a
hook nose, keen eyes. heavy browed; a
prominent chin and sharply waxed.
military moustache trained to point
upward slightly at the ends. But to
my fancy he looked a bsolutely devilish
) at that moment. Still. was less afraid
of him than had been since the day
l stole the treaty.
We'll" i said slowly. II think it's
time that you left me now
That's your answer? You can't meau
IT."
II do mean It. just as much as
meant to refuse you the three other
times that you did me the same honor.
You asked me to hear what you hal
& to say Tonight and I have heard 1t.
!. SO there's no reason why. shouldn't
press the electric bell for my chauffeur
to stop, and"
do you know what you're pro-
nouncins du Laurier's doom. to say
l nothing of your own?"
4 NO. 1 don't know it,
Then I haven't made myself clear
enough
!, That's true. You haven't made your
self clear cnough."
III Wudl uctali Atisc iaiiSd. Dc
s cause
I'm the detail OF the document. I've
g told you know nothing about It
You've told me you know everything
t Yet
so do
prove that by saying, what it is---,o
I satisfy my curiosity
eve explained why can't do that
:, here
r "Then why should you stay here
longer. since that is the point, to my
: my mind. You understood before yot
came into my carriage, that had NJ
: intention of letting you go all che wa,
Z Fhome with me.
Il Count Godensky suddenly laughed
h And the laugh frightened me-fright
+. ened me horribly. just as had begu'
n to have confidence in myself. and fec
ST that I had got the best of the game.
Is ms a.