“‘As to that—impossible!’ he exclaimed with vigour. ‘That is our secret—ours, you understand.’”
‘Suppose you explain to me what information you are in search of?’ he said, throwing himself into a chair.
I thought the battle was won, as I responded—
‘It concerns the Dreyfus Case.’
To my surprise, Garnier bounded out of the seat into which he had just dropped.
‘As to that—impossible!’ he exclaimed with vigour. ‘That is our secret—ours, you understand.’
I listened to this declaration with secret dismay. It revealed to me that the fate of Dreyfus was in some manner connected with the interest of the heads of the French Army, in short, with Garnier’s own; and from his tone I suspected that I was questioning the arch-plotter.
There was still the chance that he might be willing to part with the secret if he could be assured that it would not be used against him.
‘Suppose I required this information on behalf of a friendly monarch, who is himself a soldier, and who might be willing to pledge his word that it should not be made use of to your disadvantage?’
Garnier gazed at me as though he would have read the name of this monarch in my eyes.