Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-09-18
CHAPTER xxIv.-continued.

|
Mortimer agreed to have a secret
meeting with the banker at this cha
teau-to-day."
Today" I stammered. "And Sir
Mortimer is dead!"
81 learned of his death when you
were in the kursaal with me-"
You need say no more. / under
stand why you have brought me to
the chateau only too well. A just fate
snatched from your lips the cup of
success. But fate dashed one cup
from your hand only to tempt you
with another. l have seen for myself
that 1 bear a sufficiently marked re-
semblance to deceive one who has
known Sir Mortimer but slightly. Per-
haps Kuhn has never actually met Sir
Mortimer"
"Never!" interrupted Madame de
WARMER, her voice trembling.
And you wish me to do-what?"
IAN interview of half an hour and
the destinies of nation will be
changed. Oh, know that the move is
a desperate one. Its audacity is the
best augury of success. Look, 1 give
you power such as few men have held.
Sir Mortimer lies in that room dead
But there are four people only who
know of his death: Dr.. Starva, AL
phonse, myself, and yourself. One
hour after this interview, it will be
given out that he has died suddenly
from heart failure. But in the mean
while the interview between yourself
and the banker will have taken place."
Woman, you are mad.' I cried
scornfully. LET us suppose for the
moment that this interview has taken
place between myself and the banker.
Let us say that the deception has
proved to be completely successful.
The loan is promised to Ferdinand,
but how is that promise to be made
good? There are papers to be signed
and attested-there are checks to be
drawn and receipts to be given. Who
is to sign these documents-whoi is to
sign the receipts? 1, the false Sir
Mortimer? Egregious folly! Your
fanaticism has run away with your
common sense. There is no pressure
on earth that could make me consent
to your scheme. Your banker would
not be so great fool as to be de-
ceived, l say again, even if I consent
ed. Did you think he would hand out
package to you containing millions
as a grocer passes a packet 'of soap
across the counter to a customer"
That 1 should even discuss the mat
ter with her at all seemed to her
hopeful sign. She drew her chair
closer to me. l regarded her disdain-
fully. For a clever woman, her scheme
seemed to me preposterous on the
face of it.
DO you think, my dear monsieur.
that the perplexities you mention have
not occurred to me?" She was vio-
lently scornful in her turn. Eyes: and
there are a hundred others. But I
have thought of them all. Money? I
have not mentioned money or checks
or receipts. 1 am not quite an imbe-
cile. I have arranged all that. You
have simply to see this Kuhn. There
will be no discussion You will Law
before him an ultimatum. If he
agrees, document will be gwen to
him promising on the part of England
her moral support. This document will
have been officially sealed by the min
lister of the British Foreign Office. It
will already have the signature of Sir
Mortimer Brett
she leaned close to me. Her breath
was in my face. Her eyes were LIQUID
hre. Because l was silent for the mo-
ment she imagined me tempted But
II | were silent it was because nv
scorn was too great for utterance.
"A forgery" said at last.
Listen. The document itself is Of
ncial 1t awaited merely the sigma
ture of Sir Mortimer Brett"
How was that obtained, since Sir
Mortimer is dead?"
DR.. Starva is a clever penman.
That is why he is useful
l sprang to my feet, pushing pack
my chair so abruptly as to overturn
IT. Dr. Starvas name was a red flag
to goad me to enraged impatience.
And this is the forgery that is to
save a nation!" 1 cried in fierce con-
tempt. I say again and again, you
are a fool-a fool to think that your
scheme can be successful"
viii England repudiate an act of
her minister because he dies shortly
after attesting it? / tell you. mon
sieur, | have counted the chances. /
shall succeed
And the loyalty of DR.. Starva? You
may count on that? / am willing to
believe that your mad project has
been planned with the hope that it
may benefit your oppressed race. /
VIII give to you the doubtful virtue of
fanaticism. But that arch-fend Star
va-it is impossible that he be infu.
enced by an unselfish motive. That
death-mask, did you know its signif-
canoe till last night? Madame de Var
nier, be advised by me before it is too
late You have said am your enemy.
1t is true If I have come to this cha
teau as your guest, it was to spy on
you-to learn what l have Just learned
to learn what / shall learn