with it at any moment."

Amelungen breathed hard. He looked nervously at Heideck, as if trying
to read his thoughts. Then, after a brief struggle with himself, he
whispered--

"Send these men out, Herr major! I should like to speak to you
privately."

When Heideck had complied with his request, Amelungen continued,
speaking hastily, and bringing out his words with difficulty: "In me you
see a man who deserves compassion, a man who has been, entirely against
his will and inclination, compromised. If anyone is guilty in
this matter, it is my brother-in-law Van Spranekhuizen and a lady
correspondent of my wife in Brussels. Occasionally I have acted as
agent, when it was a matter of forwarding letters, or of handing over
sums of money to the Countess--to the lady; but I have never personally
taken any part in the matters in question."

"That statement is not enough for me. I do not doubt the truth of what
you say, but I must be informed of all the details before I can drop
further proceedings against you. Who is the lady you speak of?"

"A former maid of honour to the late Queen."

"Her name?"

"Countess Clementine Arselaarts."

"How did you come to know her?"

"She is a friend of my wife, who made her acquaintance last year when
staying in Brussels."

"And your wife is English?"

"Yes; her maiden name was Irwin."

At the sound of this name a flood of painful recollections rushed over
Heideck's mind.

"Irwin?" he repeated. "Has the lady by chance any relatives in the
British army?"

"I had a brother-in-law, who was a captain in the Indian Lancers. But,
according to the news that has reached us, he was killed at the battle
of Lahore."

The Major found it hard to control his excitement, but as if he had
already allowed himself to be too long diverted from his duty, he
hastily returned to the real subject of his examination.

"You said that you have handed over certain sums of money to Countess
Arselaarts. By whose order? and on whose account?"

"On account of the English Government and on the order of an English
banking house with which I have had business dealings for many years."

"Were the sums large?"

"Latterly, on an average about 10,000 francs a month."

"And how were they paid?"

"Sometimes I sent the amount in cash, often by cheque on Brussels
banks."

"Have you any evidence on the point--a receipt signed by the Countess?"

Amelungen hesitated.

"I strongly advise you to keep nothing