Show H t J I 47 CHAPTER Incriminating Dispatches Sho She had bad been arranging the papers deftly tn in n somo some sort nort of order You read French I think The let leti ot i for cr of Ferdinand is in that language I Sir Mortimers Mortimor rB notes noe and answers are I of course courso In English I I drew toward me the tho first of or the i papers sho she Indicated I You are nothing If It not modern In n your methods I scoffed glancing down the page Your safes and typewriters bring back to mo rue the asso associations of or my banking business s And Anda I a n banker let lot me warn wara you rOUt scans the 1 signature of a draft carefully before j he cashes It IL ItI I The typewriter Is Js an amusing I I Instrument she Rho yawned and I am i proud of ot my mJ success In mastering It As for the Ule safe If I you have bare ha e been a hanker banker you ou know that thai the tho combination combInatIon combination tion Is carefully guarded M Coward C It gave her the cruelest delight to taunt me with the shameful word Dur During During ing log the next half hour she Insulted me mo moso meso meso so at least half haIr a dozen times I bent my mr attention on the paper before me ma meI mar I r translate roughly Ferdinands let lot lotI I tor tar Strictly confidential Hotel HotOI du RhIn Place Paris May Maj 23 Iffy y Dear Sir Mortimer T J I expect to start for Sofia via vin Vien Vienna Viena na a and Budapest In about a week I trust I shall see you lOU at tho the Palace shortly after my m arrival lot et me mo urge on you rou once moro mora that you ou exert without further delay dela your great grent Influence with your our Foreign Of or Office orI I flee fice that your ministers may nUl be bo con convinced vinced that the crisis has come the opportunity wo we have so long awaited Now or 0 never I must lead my mr army to toI I the succor of oC the distressed people of oC y Macedonia Mace onla I think that the profound knowledge you ron have always shown of oC affairs In the tho Balkan Peninsula must mike you rou realize the tho truth of or this statement It IL Is useless for mo me to re repeat repeat repeat peat my arguments For what you youhao have hao dono done I thank than you ou But It Is not notto notI notto to the diplomatist I am now speaking I but to the tho man I written this letter with my mr own hand for reasons I I that you Jou will understand Believe me mo my mr dear Sir Mortimer i Faithfully yours youra I 1 Ferdinand FerdinandI I II wy I 1 see seo nothing incriminating In this i H letter Jelter I said nor anything out of l the usual run of letters let I You will notice on the back of the letter this brief brier statement Answered June M B As to the answer anser of ot tho the letter It Is equally innocent It Is simply the tile guarded reply of a diplo diplomatist matist dealing with wilha a delicate topic tople In these typewritten copies this letter lottor and its answer are arc meaningless The I originals are arc simply useful to prove the authenticity of Sir Mortimers handwriting I scanned the answer It was vms not an exact copy but the tho substance of ot Sir Mortimers 1 letter Jotted jolted down to re refresh reI refresh I fresh tresh his memory I replied In substance as J was tM as useless to bring up the matter again my personal wishes would not be sufficient to change the of the Foreign Office at present I did not Dot seo see my way clear to advocate as asa asa asa a diplomatist espousal of ot this cause causa I would continue continuo to lay laj the matter before beCore the Foreign Forel Office more than that when then events Justified the ther r act lct t I would see that such Influence as asI asI asI I possessed was exerted In tho man manner manDOl ner DOl Prince 3 but at present I could offer no encourage encouragement i ment Note NoLo concerning the he above aboe also In Sir Mortimers handwriting This reply will put an end I think to further correspondence In that quarter quarter ter Certainly the hopes of ot the nation seem so radically from those of ot the tile ruler that I can favor one ono only at nt the expense of tho other Naturally Naturally ally I prefer to favor the party that promises tho the most for my m own later inter interests ests k I told you that the originals are particularly useful to Identify the 4 I handwriting and signature of Sir Mor Mol Mortimer MolI Mortimer I timer Umer But observe monsieur the ex cx expression I j Naturally I prefer proCer to favor favorI I Ithe I tho the party that promises the tho most for Cor formy formy my mj own on Interests That sentence Is Isto Isto isto to be remembered when you read rend the theother theother theother other letters It has its significance Again she Bhe lie stretched out her hand to receive the papers rs 1 I had read road I did not Dot relinquish them however I laid them carelessly careless on my knee as if to refer reCer to them thorn later lator That remains to be proved I said Ii I I grImly primly The seems simple to mo me on the faco face of ot it it I would would mean simply that Sir Morti Mortimers f mers mera Interests were Identical with the tho Interests of England I Wo We shall see she returned with i confidence The papers of the second seconda I a 1 I fu elope which I have havo called Docu Doeu Documents ments B ll are arc all in English The Tho writhe wan waG evidently an educated Bul Bui Bult t t gar of oC tho the official class many man c this t cl s aro are trained at Roberts Roberth College i 1 i and in II h fluently Sofia Headquarters of ot tho the Society of Freedom Fr dom To His Excellency Sir Mortimer Brett Minister plenipotentiary and Consul General to Ills HIs Britannic Ma Majesty Majesty jesty at nt the tho t e Court of Sofia Sir We Wo of tho the Society of or Freedom wait watt patiently and anxiously for your s answer to our humble petition Wo We trust your Excellency docs does not nol Ignore thin petition because tho the signatures of the tho o petitioners aro arc not added thereto Surely yoi Ex Excellency Excellency understands that the tho dictates of prudence prudenco make alte It Inevitable that it itIs ItIs itis Is sent sont to you rou anonymously ano 1 Your Excellency must be bo familiar with our Our present resent ruler cannot and will not be bo longer tolerated by his subjects We fear Cear tho the British Foreign Office however h does not the extent of ot Prince Ferdinands unpopularity Even It If your jour ministers care nothing for that do they feel foel no concern c that he ho la is tho the tool of oC Russia Hussla He has asked Russia repeatedly repeated that ho he be recognized a King and that ho receive that title His vanity anIty Is such that ho lie would sacrifice the tho tree free freedom dom of his people to be on equal terms with the tho sovereigns of Senia anti and Roumania Once more perhaps for the last time wo 0 petition your Excellency to exert the extraordinary Influence your our Excellency possesses that the tho English Minister be advised In time The gov bOV of ot Prince Ferdinand must fall We Wo do not desire bloodshed There shall shaH be none we swear It If England will support the insurgent party part But Dut In any an case caso Bulgaria must be bo free Wo We do not ask isk for the active aid of or England We beg e that England shall shaH not interfere with tho the ambitions of tho the people Your Tour Excellency shall have no rea rca reason reason son to regret being our friend And there are other means means of or rewarding friendship besides words of gratitude Lot L your our Excellency once assure us of oC you rou Intention to support our cause and we w shall shaH make this more moro clear Your Excellency knows tho the man manner manner I ner ncr in which your OUr may y bo be con convoyed convoyed convoyed voyed to this society With profound d expressions of ot re respect wo we submit ourselves The Tho Committee a of the Society of or Freedom I placed this LIlIs letter leller on my m with the others I had read This Society of Freedom is it con conS concerned Concerned corned with the trick of oC the death mask stamp I I fear rear so 80 she answered in a low voice Then has the fact act no significance for you that Dr received a let ter ler with one of those stamps on the envelope last night These stamps aro are proscribed They could bo h b sent through the tho mall mail only onh because certain of or the Postal authorities were In sym sm sympathy path pathy with the revolutionaries Let with these stamps It Is sate safe to Infer would bo be sent only to those who are equally In sympathy Dr must be favorable to this party If he Is la not actually one of the committee I warned you ou night that there thoro was I t rr n r In tho th If tt Dr Stana has proved to bo be a traitor to the tho cause couso ho he will receive punishment The memorandum of Sir Mortimers reply to lo the tho letter you have bave Just read Is pinned planed on the back of the sheet Read Head It she sho commanded harshly harsh harshIt It In Iii a n perplexing dilemma that has confronted me mo To 10 keep my mj honor as asa asa asa a minister Intact and yet not to sac sacrifice my own personal hopes I think this Is the Ute first temptation of oC my m dip diplomatic diplomatic career I have havo fulfilled my m diplomatic duties hitherto as ns a ma machine machIne machine chine that neither thinks nor feels Now Nov I flail that I am nm human that I Iam Iam Iam am a n man with a 1 mans ninas weaknesses I sy I am tempted I believe that lofty principles actuate Bulgaria That I say to myself Is my excuse But lofty lefty principles arc aro not sufficient I disguised my true feeling In answer answering answerIng ing lag this letter by objections I J confessed my iny Ill self seH In sympathy with s cause causo but I t protested that inoru moTU potent arguments must be used to convince me inc Tile The interests of England arc are my own but If It could I Ibe be done without too I great a risk I be I hero 1100 God help me mo r I would further my mr myown myown own ambitions at her expense expanse I say sayI I 1 am tempted J I say Y f am tempted If IC It could bo ho dOM dono without too too great risk I be believe behove hove lieve God help mo me I would further my m own ambitious at hor her expense such expressions were wore hideously sig significant IS But ut I mot rout calmly the male malevolent malevolent relent triumph of Madame do When you jOU read re d the next letter feller she sho said watching mo me closely you OU will understand the meaning or of b tho the expression There Thero are other means of oC rewarding friendship besides empty em words of ot o gratitude Even Eyen so stanch an advocate of Sir Mortimers rs honor as aJ yourself must realise that In tho the words wo ds you OU have just read lead he ho was on en endeavoring to discover Just what that vague ague promise meant meent I received the tho next letter In silence To His Excellency etc ete Our answer to your kind letter lottor wishes to make this fact clear The people of o Bulgaria pledge their word through this committee ii 1 tJI 1 i f I 1 J Jc I c 1 I 1 I Tore Them to Atoms Before Her Eyes that If England gives to the Insurgent party part Is support In overthrowing the lie rule rulo of ot Ferdinand the relation of Eng land to Bulgaria shall be similar to that which exists between Egypt and England The Society of oC Freedom Is fully aware that your Incon and labor must bo ho recompensed pens d The sum slim of or IB is al nl already already ready placed In tho the Ottoman bank banle payable to your u Excellency E oil oti de dc demand demand mand roand Note by Sir Mortimer pinned to tho above letter To this I replied that tho the sum men mentioned mentioned was too ludicrously small to be bec considered c Only the tho most substantial sul stan guarantee could justify me in tak taking takIng taking ing the risks involved Third Th nl letter to Sir SI Mortimer from the ho society To His Excellency Etc The Thu sum of has been placed in tho the Ottoman bank banle to your account Tho The society trusts that this sum sun will be to lo justify tho the risks Will your Excel Excellency Excellency lency give Kive his answer without delay delav Note Noto by Sir Mortimer pinned to the tho above letter letterI I have taken the step It Is too late to ask myself now no whether I have ha C been indiscreet It If I have consulted my own wishes If I have furthered my m own plans plane I feel that 1 I am Justified morally I am helping an nn oppressed people gain gam their liberty My own recompense Is meager enough If iC the lie Foreign Office should probe probo tho the mat matter matt matter ter t r and discover the extent of my In Indiscretion Indiscretion Indiscretion discretion my diplomatic car career er vIl bo be ended But I am content to do a little evil eil that lint good tony may ma come como comeI I crushed the paper In my handI handl sick sich at heart I 1 shuddered at tho the r had bad hugged to his breast I had hoped hope against hope But if It they were truo true copies copiO I could no longer longor doubt that Sir Mortimer Mortimor had bad stooped to the tho tak taking takIng ing lag of or bribes And those these documents aro arc word for Cor word copies of o those in tho safe I demanded gloomily 1 I swear It by br every eor oath I hold sa sacred sacred sacred cred she sho replied without hesitation and kissed tho the cross that hung about her neck She stretched out her hand for the tho papers I tore toro them to atoms atom before beloro her eyO For a moment sho she struggled to rca res rescue re cue cuo them from my m grasp When she saw that it was too late Into she laughed boisterously a laughter that showed at contempt defiance and tri trl triumph tn Bravo Bra yo She Sho clapped chipped her hands You take your our precautions precautions You arc are desperate Protest as you will you are convinced of Sir Mor Mortimers Mortimers timers guilt You are ale mistaken I replied cool coolly coolly ly Ir But even OYon If It these theo papers aro are truo true copies of genuine documents It 11 Is as aswell aswell aswell well that oven even the copies be bc destroyed If they are forgeries and you have yet jet yetto jetto yetto to prove to me they tile the are arc not they thor are aro dangerous toys and so better de tie destroyed destroyed Another copy Is easily made so long as 1 I have tho the combination of oC my m safe M 11 Coward You fro fere never neer weary of insulting mo me I said indifferently But Dut bo be sure suro of ot this you rOil will find I 1 am not coward enough to yield weakly to your scheme of oC blackmail No you are so brave that you OU leave a helpless girl to bear tho the dia dis disgrace grace of Ivr I r dead brother when by a aw aWard w Ward rd you ou might save her the suffer suffering ing lag Your pretended honor bono I Is so pre pro precious does cious to you ou that you OU scorn to aid the woman whom you ou love loe Silence woman I cried passion passionately Do you think I am convinced of or Sir Mortimers guilt because of oC these flimsy films typewritten copies caples You must let lot me see bee the papers in tho the safe If It you are desperate enough to de tie destroy destroy stroy a copy cop I should scarcely trust you with the original For the last time must the woman you love know of her hor brothers disgrace ce I am In your OUr power perhaps you OU hope that I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall be coaxed Into opening the safe Or are you ou about to compel me mo meI moI I should have havo resorted to that measure long ago ngo had hal haci I thought It would prove effectual It seems seem seem that there Is again a deadlock between us usI I refuse absolutely not only on I to help you but hut to believe that Sir Mortimer Is guilty guilt If lit I show tho the papers In tho the safe to Helena Helen l Brett Brott even oven she must believe the tho evidence of or her ber eyes Shall I call her and ask hor her If it she recognizes |