“Why not?” I demanded.
“—But I’ll say this,” he continued. “I want you to come to Paradise with me and that fool of a woman. I want you to report to your government that you are watching the house in Paradise, and that you are hoping to catch me there.”
“How can I do that?” I asked. “As soon as the government catches the Countess de Vassart she will be sent across the frontier.”
“Not if you inform your government that you desire to use her and the others as a bait to draw me to Paradise.”
“Oh, that’s it, is it?” I asked, thoughtfully.
“Yes,” said Buckhurst, “that’s it.”
“And you do not desire to inform me why you are going to stay in Paradise?”
“Don’t you think you’ll be clever enough to find out?” he asked, with a sneer.
I did think so; more than that, I let him see that I thought so, and he was contented with my conceit.
“One thing more,” I said, blustering a little, “I want to know whether you mean any harm to that innocent girl?”