The young officer, who had shown such unmistakable marks of distress, interposed at this:
“But the whole affair was disclaimed, sir, by the Austrian military authorities.”
“Well, so may all our proceedings to-day be disclaimed by the Prussian military authorities.”
Dreisel said this with a diabolical grin.
“TAKE CHARGE OF THE PRISONER UNTIL I SEND FOR HIM”
“But I am zealous in the King’s cause; and if I hang a man because I think him a spy, and, moreover, has designs upon the King’s life—for that is the meaning of his skulking about the King’s headquarters for three weeks—if he ever was there—it ought not to go very hard with me. Let me ask each and all of you this, Do you believe all the prisoner has told us?”
A dead silence greeted this. Dreisel called to the sergeant outside the door, and said to him when he came in:
“Take charge of the prisoner until I send for him.”
Gavin rose without a word. Had words availed him, he would have poured them forth; but he saw that they were worse than useless. As he passed out, the young officer who had shown such sympathy for him half rose from his chair, and looking at Gavin with eyes of misery, seemed about to hold out his hand.