d nothing is of any use. I can't prevent their carrying
letters backwards and forwards. The fools are in love with him as if he
were a woman."

"That is very curious. There must be something remarkable about him."

"There's a remarkable amount of devilry--I beg pardon, Your Eminence,
but really this man is enough to try the patience of a saint. It's
hardly credible, but I have to conduct all the interrogations myself,
for the regular officer cannot stand it any longer."

"How is that?"

"It's difficult to explain. Your Eminence, but you would understand if
you had once heard the way he goes on. One might think the interrogating
officer were the criminal and he the judge."

"But what is there so terrible that he can do? He can refuse to answer
your questions, of course; but he has no weapon except silence."

"And a tongue like a razor. We are all mortal, Your Eminence, and most
of us have made mistakes in our time that we don't want published on the
house-tops. That's only human nature, and it's hard on a man to have his
little slips of twenty years ago raked up and thrown in his teeth----"

"Has Rivarez brought up some personal secret of the interrogating
officer?"

"Well, really--the poor fellow got into debt when he was a cavalry
officer, and borrowed a little sum from the regimental funds----"

"Stole public money that had been intrusted to him, in fact?"

"Of course it was very wrong, Your Eminence; but his friends paid
it back at once, and the affair was hushed up,--he comes of a good
family,--and ever since then he has been irreproachable. How Rivarez
found out about it I can't conceive; but the first thing he did at
interrogation was to bring up this old scandal--before the subaltern,
too! And with as innocent a face as if he were saying his prayers! Of
course the story's all over the Legation by now. If Your Eminence
would only be present at one of the interrogations, I am sure you would
realize---- He needn't know anything about it. You might overhear him
from------"

Montanelli turned round and looked at the Governor with an expression
which his face did not often wear.

"I am a minister of religion," he said; "not a police-spy; and
eavesdropping forms no part of my professional duties."

"I--I didn't mean to give offence------"

"I think we shall not get any good out of discussing this question
further. If you will send the prisoner here, I will have a talk with
him."

"I venture very respe