“Ask Nur-el-Din,” he said, “that is to say, if you haven’t shot her yet!”
“And if we have?” asked the Chief.
Desmond sprang up.
“It isn’t possible!” he cried. “Why, the woman’s a victim, not a principal! Chief...”
“What if we have?” asked the Chief again.
A curious change had come over the prisoner. His jaunty air had left him and there was an apprehensive look in his eyes.
“I would have saved her if I could have,” Strangwise said, “but she played me false over the jewel. She imperiled the success of my mission. You English have no idea of discipline. To us Prussian officers an order stands above everything else. There is nothing we would not sacrifice to obey our orders. And my order was to recover the Star of Poland for His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, Lieutenant Colonel in the Regiment to which I have the honor to belong, the First Regiment of Prussian Foot Guards. But Nur-el-Din plotted with our friend here and with that little fool upstairs to upset my plans, and I had no mercy on her. I planted those documents in her dress—or rather Bellward did—to draw suspicion away from me. I thought you English would be too flabby to execute a woman; but I reckoned on you putting the girl away for some years to come. I would have shot her as I shot Rass if...” His voice trembled and he was silent.
“If what?” asked the Chief.
“If she hadn’t been my wife,” said Strangwise.