I looked the man straight in the face, and then burst out laughing.
“You certainly do not appear to have any regard for the personal safety of your charge,” he exclaimed angrily. “I have warned you. Therefore, take every precaution.”
I paused for a few seconds, then I said:
“Forgive me for laughing. General Markoff. But it is really too humorous—all this transparency.”
“What transparency?”
“The transparency of your attempt to terrify me,” I said. “I know that the attempt made against the young lady and myself failed—and that His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke was unfortunately killed. But I do not think there will be any second attempt.”
“You don’t think so!” he cried quickly. “Why don’t you think so?”
“For the simple reason that Danilo Danilovitch—the man who is a police-spy and at the same time responsible for plots—is just now a little too well watched.”
The man’s grey face dropped when I uttered the name of his catspaw. My statement, I saw, held him confounded and confused.
“I—I do not understand you,” he managed to exclaim. “What do you mean?”