you're discharged. You see, they've taken it into
their heads, since the crucifix robbery, to suspect everybody and
anybody short of the Emperor. Mornac came smelling around here the day
you left. He's at the bottom of all this--a nice business to cast
suspicion on our division because we're foreigners. Gad, he looks like
a pickpocket himself--he's got the oblique trick of the eyes and the
restless finger movement."

"Perhaps he is," I said.

Speed looked at me sharply.

"If I were in the service now I'd arrest Mornac--if I dared."

"You might as well arrest the Emperor," I said, wearily.

"That's it," observed Speed, throwing away his chewed cigarette.
"Nobody dare touch Mornac; nobody dare even watch him. But if there's
a leak somewhere, it's far more probable that Mornac did the dirty
work than that there's a traitor in our division."

Presently he added: "Did you catch Buckhurst?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, disgusted.

"--Because," continued Speed, "if you've got him, it may save us.
Have you?"

How I wished that I had Buckhurst safely handcuffed beside me!

"If you've got him," persisted Speed, "we'll shake him like a rat
until he squeals. And if he names Mornac--"

"Do you think that Mornac would give him or us the chance?" I said.
"Rubbish! He'd do the shaking _in camera_; and it would only be a
hand-shaking if Buckhurst is really his creature. And he's rid himself
of our division, anyhow. Wait!" I added, sharply; "perhaps that is
the excuse! Perhaps that is the very reason that he's abolished the
foreign division! We may have been getting too close to the root of
this matter; I had already caught Buckhurst--"

"You had?" cried Speed, eagerly.

"But I'm not going to talk about it now," I added, sullenly. "My
troubles are coming; I've a story to tell that won't please Mornac,
and I have an idea that he means mischief to me."

Speed looked curiously at me, and I went on:

"I used my own judgment--supposing that Jarras was my chief. I knew
he'd let me take my own way--but I don't know what Mornac will say."

However, I was soon to know what Mornac had to say, for a soldier
appeared to summon us both, and we followed to the temporary bureau
which looked out to the east over the lovely Luxembourg gardens.

Jarras passed us as we entered; his heavy head was bent, and I do not
suppose that he saw either us or our salutes, for he shuffled off down
the dark passage, tapping his slow wa