"Did he indeed? Very nice of him. I should like to see that special authority. A swine of an Englishman on a special State business! What next, I'd like to know."
It wasn't easy to keep one's temper with this sort of brute; but there was Nessa to be thought of. "Unfortunately I have partially burnt it."
"Dear me! What a misfortune, eh?" he sneered. "Let me look at the precious fragments and your other papers."
I handed over the burnt paper. "I have already reported the accident to Baron von Gratzen by telegraph." I dragged in the Baron's name as much as possible, for I had noticed that the mention of it had had some impression even on him.
He scrutinized the authority and shook his head over it. "A forgery, of course;" and he was going to tear it up when I interposed.
"I shall have to report the destruction of it to the Baron, of course," I said quietly.
The officer who sat next him whispered something and the paper was not destroyed. "And your other papers? I must see them."
I did not reply, and he repeated his demand angrily. But I had taken his measure by this time. He had not ventured to destroy the remnant of the authority; and although its destruction didn't matter two straws either way, it mattered very much to see that he was sufficiently in awe of von Gratzen to abstain.
"Do you want me to take them from you?" he thundered.
"Do so, if you think it safe," I said in a very different tone.