“Oh, that mysterious and interesting individual,” I said indifferently. “Do you mind telling what he said about her?”
“Not at all. It appears that he admires her enthusiastically, in a quite impersonal sort of way—high-flown and sentimental. He’s a typical German! He says she is back in Russia, with her father or uncle. She belongs to the Vassilitzi family, Poles who have been political intriguers for generations, and have suffered accordingly. They’re actively engaged in repairing the damage done to their precious Society in that incident you know of, when all the five who formed the executive, and held and pulled the strings, were either killed or arrested.”
This was startling news enough, and it was not easy to maintain the non-committal air of mild interest that I guessed to be the safest. Still I think I did manage it.
“That’s queer,” I remarked. “He said the Society had turned against her, condemned her to death.”
Southbourne shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“I’m only repeating what he told me. Thought you might like to hear it. She must be an energetic young woman; wish I had her on my staff. If you should happen to meet her you can tell her so. I’d give her any terms she liked to ask.”
Was he playing with me,—laughing at me? I could not tell.
“All right, I’ll remember; though if she’s in Russia it’s very unlikely that I shall ever see her in the flesh,” I said coolly. “Did he say just where she was? Russia’s rather vague.”
“No. Shouldn’t wonder if she wasn’t Warsaw way. McIntyre—he’s at Petersburg in your place—says they’re having no end of ructions there, and asked if he should go down,—but it’s not worth the risk. He’s a good man, a safe one, but he’s not the sort to get stuff through in defiance of the censor, though he’s perfectly willing to face any amount of physical danger. So I told him not to go; especially as we shan’t want any more sensational Russian stuff at present; unless—well, of course, if you should happen on any good material, you can send it along; for I presume you are not going over to Soper, eh?”