“You are a little puzzled,” she suggested.
“Truly,” said Westerham, “I was never so puzzled in my life. Can you tell me what it all means?”
“I would that I were able,” said Madame, earnestly, “but it is quite impossible.”
“These things,” urged Westerham, stretching out his limbs, “what is the meaning of it? I can quite understand,” he added bitterly, “that it might be necessary for Melun to chloroform me for various reasons, but one of those reasons was apparently not theft.
“Indeed,” he added, with a wry smile, “the captain seems to have been spending money on me.
“Tell me,” he cried, starting up and then falling back weakly, “tell me what all this means. I have had my fill of mystery during the last week.”
“Don't you think,” suggested Madame, quietly, “that it would be best to begin at the beginning? Surely it would be more reasonable for you to ask why you were chloroformed and brought here.”
“Well,” said Westerham, “why was it?”
“It was done,” said Mme. Estelle, “because it was necessary to make you a prisoner for nearly thirty hours—and it was the only way to do it. You see,” she added lightly, “you are a strong man, and I don't blame Melun for declining to risk a struggle with you.”
“But I don't understand any better now,” Westerham complained, passing his hand across his forehead. “Why should I be made a prisoner?”