"I must admit that I found it inadequate."
"And yet M. de la Rocheterie has been at such pains to prove that the plan was so complete and void of risk that he very nearly carried it out with no other motive than a desire to trap the Bonapartists!"
De Fresne shifted uneasily.
"Why did you not accept this explanation?"
"It was after the disaster had occurred, and the risk then, naturally, seemed indefensible."
The unknown dark officer whom Laurent had already christened "Fouquier-Tinville" leant forward.
"Your two replies do not tally, Monsieur de Fresne. If you found the explanation inadequate, as you admit, it must be that you had some other reason than that you considered the risk indefensible. The latter would be merely a case of condemning your leader's judgment. Which reply are we to accept?"
"I suppose," replied de Fresne reluctantly, "I must say that I considered the explanation inadequate."
"And why?"
A slight pause. "Because I knew from what Colonel Richard had said that there was a bargain of some sort."