the road toward you as far as I am able."

"Yes?"

"I agree to reconstitute Poland. You shall have a country again, and
shall be its ruler, if you choose."

The eyes of the inventor glowed for an instant, and then the glow faded
and he shook his head.

"You have betrayed me once," he said; "you would betray me again. I will
never place this power in the hands of your Emperor. He has already
shown how he would use it."

"You refer to _La Liberte_?"

"Yes."

"I alone am responsible for _La Liberte_. It was I who chose that
test--not the Emperor."

"You!" said Vard hoarsely, and a slow flush mounted to his cheeks.
"You!"

"Yes, I!" and Pachmann cast at the other a mocking and triumphant look.
"It was I who compelled your consent; it was I who arranged the details;
it was I who assumed the whole burden. For I was determined that even
the first test should be of benefit to Germany--and it was! However you
may wish it, you cannot restore _La Liberte_!"

Vard was staring at the speaker with hollow eyes, his face convulsed.

"Did not the Kaiser know?" he questioned.

"No one knew but Von Tirpitz, and he was panic-stricken. He is old and
timid--but I convinced him--I won him over--he could not resist me. Even
then, his heart failed him at the last, and he tried to stop me.
Luckily, his telegram was delayed--or I should have been compelled to
disobey my superior officer. Oh, I admit that it was rash of me,"
Pachmann added, his face glowing; "I admit that I was risking
everything--life, honour, everything; but success excuses rashness--and
I succeeded!"

"Yes," agreed the inventor, slowly, "you succeeded!"

"After that," went on Pachmann, "it was too late to turn back, even had
any one wished to do so. Now it is for me to finish this affair."

"How do you propose to finish it?"

Pachmann shrugged his shoulders.

"You are in my hands," he said, "you and your daughter. Heretofore I
have been lenient with you, I have been good-natured; I hoped that we
might reach some agreement, and I have tried to meet you half-way. But
my good nature is at an end; I withdraw all my offers. I demand that you
place your secret at Germany's disposal."

"And if I refuse?"

"I shall turn the screw!" answered Pachmann, and there was cold menace
in his eyes and in his voice.

Vard had raised himself to a sitting posture. Now he swung his feet off
the bed.

"I too have a demand to make," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "My