With Felsen this was easy. When he arrived I talked over matters with him; listened to the story of his sufferings on my account; promised him a liberal reward for what he had endured; and did my best to make him feel that he still had my confidence.
With the police agent, Burski, I had to be much more wary. I had already had proofs of his shrewdness; and I found him prepared with an explanation of his call to Bremenhof as I was leaving the Department.
He sent up his name openly, and as the hotel servant was leaving the room he said, with official curtness: “A letter from Colonel Bremenhof.”
It was a formal notice that my examination had been postponed.
“We are alone?” he asked in a low voice.
I nodded. “I have only this room.”
He drew a chair close to mine. “We are in luck. You noticed that the chief sent for me?”
“Yes; and was a little surprised.”
“A rare stroke of fortune. He suspects you and questioned me closely as to what I had got out of you on the way to police quarters. You know we agents are supposed to trick a prisoner into admissions.”
“An infernal system it is, too; but they can’t get at me. They had me for nearly a week; but I have friends, and they were forced to let me go.”