the wreck of battle.

Then a strange thing occurred. Dr. Delmont and Professor Tavernier
disappeared without any explanation. They had started for St. Nazaire
with a sum of money--twenty thousand francs, locked in the private
strong-box of the Countess--to be distributed among the soldiers of
Chanzy; and they had never returned.

In the light of what she had learned from me, she feared that
Buckhurst had won them over; perhaps not--she could not bear to
suspect evil of such men.

But she now believed that Buckhurst had used every penny he had
handled for his own purposes; that not one hospital had received what
she had sent.

"I am no longer wealthy," she said, anxiously, looking up at me. "I
did find time in Paris to have matters straightened; I sold La Trappe
and paid everything. It left me with this house in Paradise, and with
means to maintain it and still have a few thousand francs to give
every year. Now it is nearly gone--I don't know where. I am dreadfully
unhappy; I have such a horror of treachery that I cannot even
understand it, but this ignoble man, Buckhurst, is assuredly a
heartless rascal."

"But," I said, patiently, "you have not yet told me where he is."

"I don't know," she said. "A week ago a dreadful creature came here
to see Buckhurst; they went across the moor toward the semaphore and
stood for a long while looking at the cruiser which is anchored off
Groix. Then Buckhurst came back and prepared for a journey. He said
he was going to Tours to confer with the Red Cross. I don't know where
he went. He took all the money for the general Red Cross fund."

"When did he say he would return?"

"He said in two weeks. He has another week yet."

"Is he usually prompt?"

"Always so--to the minute."

"That is good news," I said, gayly. "But tell me one thing: do you
trust Mademoiselle Elven?"

"Yes, indeed!--indeed!" she cried, horrified.

"Very well," said I, smiling. "Only for the sake of caution--extra,
and even perhaps useless caution--say nothing of this matter to her,
nor to any living soul save me."

"I promise," she said, faintly.

"One thing more: this conspiracy against the state no longer concerns
me--officially. Both Speed and I did all we could to warn the Emperor
and the Empress; we sent letters through the police in London, we used
the English secret-service to get our letters into the Emperor's hand,
we tried every known method of denouncing Mornac. It was useless;
every le