“First,” he said, “there is a question for the patron. Will he quit Dantzig?—that is the question.”
“No,” answered Desiree.
“Rapp is coming,” said Barlasch, emphasizing each point with one finger against the side of his nose. “He will hold Dantzig. There will be a siege. Let the patron make no mistake. It will not be like the last one. Rapp was outside then; he will be inside this time. He will hold Dantzig till the bottom falls out of the world.”
“My father will not leave,” said Desiree. “He has said so. He knows that Rapp is coming, with the Russians behind him.”
“But,” interrupted Barlasch, “he thinks that Prussia will turn and declare war against Napoleon. That may be. Who knows? The question is, Can the patron be induced to quit Dantzig?”
Desiree shook her head.
“It is not I,” said Barlasch, “who ask the question. You understand?”
“Yes, I understand. My father will not quit Dantzig.”
Whereupon Barlasch made a gesture conveying a desire to think as kindly of Antoine Sebastian as he could.
“In half an hour,” he said, “when it is dark, will you come for a walk with me along the Langfuhr road—where the unfinished ramparts are?”