l the end of an interminable
trial; whereas he, in forty-eight hours ... But this is all talk. The
authorities can't be far away. I want to have my report ready. There are
certain things which I suspect ... the business was a plot from start to
finish...."

He interrupted himself, as though startled by an unexpected thought, and
sat for a long time motionless, with his head in his hands. Then,
suddenly, he struck the table with his fist:

"That's it! I understand the whole thing now! Upon my word, it's taken
me long enough!"

"What?" asked his wife.

"Dourlowski, of course!"

"Dourlowski?"

"Why, yes! From the first minute, I guessed that it was a trap, a trap
contrived by inferior police-agents. But how was it laid? I see it now.
Dourlowski came here yesterday, on some pretext or other. He knew that
Jorance and I would take the frontier-road in the evening; and the
passing of the deserter was contrived to take place at that moment, in
connivance with the German detectives! One of them whistles as soon as
we come up; and the soldier, who has been told, of course, that this
whistle is a signal from the French accomplices, the soldier, whom
Dourlowski or his confederates hold in a leash, like a dog, the soldier
is let go. That's the whole mystery! It was not he, the poor wretch,
whom they were after, but Jorance and Morestal. Morestal, right enough,
flies to the rescue of the fugitive. They collar him, they lay hold of
Jorance; and there we are, accomplices both. Bravo, gentlemen! Well
played!"

Mme. Morestal murmured:

"But, I say, it might be a serious thing ..."

"For Jorance," he replied, "yes, because he is in custody; only--there
is an 'only'--the pursuit of the deserter took place on French soil. We
also were arrested on French soil. It was a flagrant violation of the
frontier. So there's nothing to be afraid of."

"You think so?" asked Suzanne. "You think that my father ...?"

"Nothing to be afraid of," repeated Morestal. And he declared,
positively, "I look upon Jorance as free."

"Tut, tut!" mumbled the old lady. "Things won't go so fast as that."

"Once more, I look upon Jorance as free and for this good reason, that
the frontier has been violated."

"Who will prove the violation?"

"Who? Why, I, of course!... And Jorance!... Do you think they'll doubt
the word of honest men like us? Besides, there are other proofs. They
will find the traces of the pursuit, the traces of the attack, the
tra