Aymar did stay—and very still. "Why should I have had anything up my sleeve, Monsieur?"
"Because it is quite incredible that you should have made me an unconditional present of your men's lives! I thought so at the time—I think so more than ever now. You had some counterplan connected with their presence at the bridge; I am sure of it."
"What does that matter now?" asked Aymar with a long breath, and swept the torn vine leaves into a heap.
Colonel Richard leant over the table. "But you would oblige me greatly if you would answer my question. To me it seems that we have gone too far to leave the business there." And, as Aymar still did not answer, he said, half impatiently, half gently, "Well, then, as you seem determined not to defend yourself, Monsieur de la Rocheterie, take a further step still, and assure me that you intended your men to be ambushed, that you did not do everything in your power to prevent it! Come, now, why did your plan fail?"
Aymar lifted his head and met the keen, half-compassionate eyes for a second. Then, very briefly, he told his story to his adversary.
There was a silence in which even the vine leaves did not stir.
"Monsieur de la Rocheterie," said the man on the other side of the table at last, "will you allow me, as an old soldier with, I suppose, twenty years the disadvantage of you, to give you a piece of advice?"
Aymar, who had put his head back against the trellis, nodded, a little bewildered. This was fantastic—and yet very real.
"Ask for a court-martial, or rather, a court of enquiry!"
But at that the young man moved and flushed. "Impossible, sir."