“At you. I can’t get myself to believe it was really you who made such a neat job of it.”
“I!” Makar protested, exultingly. “Any idiot would know how to be arrested. It’s Clara that carried the scheme through.”
“Still, there is better stuff in you than I gave you credit for.”
Makar was quivering to know something of the use that had been made of his arrest, but conspirators ask no questions. Indeed, to try to know as little as possible, to avoid information upon anything except that in which one was personally participating was (or was supposed to be) an iron law of the movement; and now Makar was more jealous of his reputation as a conspirator than ever.
“Well, it’s all right,” the Janitor said, reading his thoughts. “Something has been done and it’s all right; only under the new system it’s rather slow work.”
Makar did not understand. The abolition of the Third Section had taken place while he was in prison. When he heard of the change he said in dismay: “Will that affect my scheme?”
“Your scheme? I don’t think it will,” the Janitor answered mysteriously. “Of course, we’ll first have to see how the new system works. We must do some sounding and watching and studying before we know how to go about things. Can’t you wait a month or two?”
Makar was silent, then his face broke into a roguish smile.
“I will if you get me into an underground printing office for the interval,” he returned.