“Civilization,” he answered, “is a very pretty word for occasions. We are proud of it, in theory, but it is never allowed to stand in the way of political expediency. The head of all law and authority in this country is the Chancellor; the King himself is but his creature, and Rallenstein’s methods are, when necessary, quite mediæval.”
“But men in your position——”
“Bah! He would have the King poisoned to-morrow if it suited his purpose. We have no party government here, worse luck!”
“Then there is nothing to do but to find a way of escape.”
“Escape? Outwit the Jaguar!” He laughed at the idea.
“We’ll try, anyhow. Let us view the situation calmly. You are supposed to have drunk that dose of Furello’s, and are dying. We have the start of them there.”
He made an impatient gesture. “It comes to the same in the end; the agony is only prolonged. Better get it over.”
“Nonsense. You have a chance, and a good one. I tell you both you must not be so mad and wicked as to throw it away.”
Thus appealed to, and perhaps catching hope from my confident manner, they made an effort to look more cheerfully at the business.
“There may be half a chance,” Von Lindheim said.