“I wrote as much to you this morning, Miss Drakona, and gave the letter to my servant, Felsen, to bring to you. Have you received it?”
“Colonel Bremenhof has given it to me, Mr. Anstruther.”
“Turned letter carrier, eh?” said I, drily.
“The explanation of my possession of it is perfectly simple. Your servant was arrested by one of my men this morning; and when he was searched, the letter was found upon him. I deemed it best to bring it here myself.”
“And to add that I betrayed the address to you?”
“Your man told me that you had instructed him to bring it to me. Of course, he may have lied. But how was I to know that?”
His air of blameless innocence, as palpably false as his explanation, was laughable; but it was my cue at the moment to accept both.
“There is only one thing that really matters,” I declared. “Are you prepared to keep your word to release Madame Drakona, to give up the evidence against her, and to certify officially that there is no charge against Miss Drakona here?”
His start of anger and the vicious look he shot at me showed that he appreciated the tight corner in which this put him. He was hesitating how to answer, when unfortunately Volna’s indignation would not be restrained.
“If you are satisfied with the explanation, Mr. Anstruther, I am not. Colonel Bremenhof’s charge against you was of deliberate, not involuntary betrayal. That it was part of your pledge to him.”