Selden nodded without looking at her.
“That man was Lappo’s son,” said the countess.
Selden stared.
“Lappo’s son?”
“The son of a woman he loved very much. He had made a state marriage—a very unhappy one—and had a legitimate son, so he could not acknowledge the other. But he got for him a little estate and the courtesy title of Count Rémond. Afterwards he had reason to be glad he had not acknowledged him, for Rémond’s mother died, and he developed a streak of madness, became involved in frightful scandals and was finally sent to America. Practically all our people in America had settled in one place—at a little town in Montana where there was a great copper mine. Rémond came there. We met each other and—were married. He was not without fascination of a sort—and I was very young. Then came the war, and Rémond was soon travelling about the country in what he told me was the Allies’ secret service. I saw him very little. When America entered the war, he enlisted. I was very proud of him. I never suspected what he was really doing until I heard....”
“But how could you hear?” asked Selden. “It was a military secret.”
“The baron found out. He had sources of information.”
“Then he knows....”
“That you were the one who denounced Rémond? But of course!”
Selden involuntarily glanced behind him.