"
"As she's fond of him, and trusts him, probably she would have thought
no such thing," I tried to comfort Maxine. "But certainly, it was a
rather bad fix."
"Rather bad fix! Oh, you laconic creatures, Englishmen. All you think of
is to hide your feelings behind icy words. As for me--well, there was
nothing I wouldn't have done to help him--nothing. My life would have
been a small thing to give. I would have given my soul. And already a
thought came flashing into my mind. I begged Raoul to wait, and say
nothing to the Duchess, who didn't even know yet that he'd come back
from Amsterdam. The thought in my mind was about the commission from
your Secretary for Foreign Affairs. As I told you, I'd just sent him
word in the usual cypher and through the usual channels, that I couldn't
do what he wanted. He'd offered me eight thousand pounds to undertake
the service, and four more if I succeeded. I believed I could succeed if
I tried. And with the few thousands I'd saved up, and selling such
jewels as I had, I could make up the sum Raoul had been told to ask for
the necklace. Then he could give it to the Duchess, and she need never
know that the diamonds had been stolen.
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