“You have seen—” he paused, and I filled in the words for him.
“The Princess? Yes.”
“Did she send you to me?”
“No.”
“I can do nothing for you,” he answered, as if to close matters.
Then I let the money talk. I counted out the sum which I thought would be necessary for paying a search party and also such an amount as I guessed he would be glad to have for his church and his poor; and laid them on the table in two heaps.
“This is for the church and your poor; and this is for you to disburse for me;” and I described very briefly what I wanted done.
“Are you thinking to bribe me?”
“Nothing of the kind. The Princess is involved in this matter of the Austrian, and for her sake as well as mine the thing must be arranged. She knows what passed at the camp and would, of course, testify if necessary. But I can take care of myself when I get to Vienna; and I am going there to-night by special train.” I added the last detail as an impressionist money argument.
“Who are you?”