"Ay, Napoleon. The Corsican Brothers' daggers and vendetta, the restless island! It is full of interest. I have been there." Breitmann smiled pleasantly at the girl, but his thought was unsmiling. Versed as he was in reading at a glance expression, whether it lay in the eyes, in the lips, or the hands, he realized with chagrin that he had made a misstep somewhere. For some reason he would have given much to know, Fitzgerald was covertly watching him.
"You have been there, too, have you not, Mr. Fitzgerald?" asked Laura.
"Oh, yes; but never north of Ajaccio."
"Laura, what a finishing touch this will give to my book." For the admiral was compiling a volume of treasures found, lost and still being hunted. "All I can say is, that I am really sorry that the money wasn't used for the purpose intended."
"I do not agree there," said Fitzgerald.
"And why not?" asked Breitmann.
"France is better off as she is. She has had all the empires and monarchies she cares for. Wonderful country! See how she has lived in spite of them all. There will never be another kingdom in France, at least not in our generation. There's a Napoleon in Belgium and a Bourbon in England; the one drills mediocre soldiers and the other shoots grouse. They will never go any further."
The secretary spread his fingers and shrugged. "If there was only a direct descendant of Napoleon!"
"Well, there isn't," retorted Fitzgerald, dismissing the subject into limbo. "And much good it would do if there was."
"This treasure would rightly be his," insisted Breitmann.