Turning again to the wretched captive, he continued:

"Well, I'm going to explain ... it was you, wasn't it, who had to put
through the robbery of the lady's jewels?... Well, do you know what you
did? Do you want me to tell you?... Instead of lending us a hand as was
promised and sworn, you kept the cake for yourself!... In other words,
you, and some of your sort, serving at the ball, put your heads
together, and shut up the lady in the room they found her in; and that
way, you got out of sharing with us!... So we have been done in the eye
over that deal!... The proof that you have comrades we know nothing
about is, that yesterday when you were done in, they found a way to get
you out of the Salad Basket!... It wasn't us!... But to return to the
Danidoff robbery ... oh, you must have laughed then!... But everyone has
his turn ... you are going to laugh on the wrong side of your mouth
now!... Do you know what they call it--what you've done--dared to do?"

In the same strangled voice, Jules managed to get out the words:

"But it's not true!... I swear to you ..."

Beard did not listen.

"There's not one of our lot who would give me the lie!... To behave like
that is treachery!... You have betrayed the Numbers. There it is in a
nutshell!... What have you to reply to that?"

For the third time, Jules repeated in a hoarse whisper, for he felt life
was gradually leaving him: an awful fear gripped him, he saw he was
completely done for.

"I swear I did not do that!... I didn't rob the princess.... I don't
even know who did!"

Jules was, perhaps, speaking the truth, but he took the worst way to
defend himself.... If he had had pluck and wit enough to take the
Beard's accusation with a high hand, if he had met threats with violent
denial and assertion, it is quite possible he might have made an
impression in his favour; but he cried for pity and for mercy from men
who were pitiless!

He was afraid!... His fear was shown by the convulsive trembling which
agitated his wretched body, by his ghastly pallor, by the cold drops of
sweat rolling down his forehead.... He was no longer a man: it was a
lamentable bit of human wreckage the hooligans had before them!... And
the more lamentable this wreck showed itself to be, the less worthy of
their interest it seemed!

When Jules gasped out once again:

"I swear to you it was not I! No!... I did not do it!"

The hooligans, moved by a common impulse, rose, indignant, furious, m