The Cab of the Sleeping Horse Part 31

"I did--somewhat more emphatically."

"And what, if you care to tell, did he say?"

"He quite agreed with me; he even went further."

"Wise man, Harleston!" the Marquis chuckled.

"Implying that he was not sincere?"

The Marquis threw up his hands. "Perish the thought! I imply that he is a man of rare discrimination and admirable taste."

"Now won't you please tell me, your Excellency, if you credit, no, if you _believe_, my story--and don't be a diplomat for the telling."

"My dear Madame Clephane, I do believe your tale--it bears the impress of truth in what you've not done, as well as in what you've done. Had you ever been in the service you would recognize my meaning. That the abductors did not triumph was due first to their carelessness, and second to chance, in the person of Monsieur Harleston. He plays the game; and is violating no rule of diplomacy by his course in the affair.

Indeed he would be recreant to his country's service were he to do otherwise. And France would infinitely prefer the United States to have the letter rather than Germany. It's unfortunate, but it's not as unfortunate as it might be."

"You make me feel much, oh, so much better!" Mrs. Clephane replied. "I feared lest my blunder could never be forgiven nor forgotten; and that Madame Durrand would be held responsible and would never again be trusted."

The Amba.s.sador smiled and shook his head. "I think you need not worry,"

he replied.

"And I'm perfectly sure, your Excellency, that if the United States is neither directly or indirectly concerned in the matter of the letter, and if you were to submit a translation of the letter to prove it, Mr.

Harleston will deliver to you the original."

"Did Monsieur Harleston tell you so?" the Marquis smiled.

"No, oh, no! I only thought that--"

"--in this one instance diplomats would trust each other?" he interjected. "Alas, no! Monsieur Harleston would only a.s.sume the translation to be false and given for the sole purpose of deception. I should a.s.sume exactly the same, were our positions reversed."

"Couldn't you prove your translation by giving him the key to the cipher?" she asked.

"My dear madame," the Marquis smiled, "such a thing would be unprecedented--and would mean my instant dismissal from the service, and trial for treason."

She made a gesture of defeat. "Well, you can at least have the letter repeated by cable."

"Also we can cable the government to dispatch another letter," the Amba.s.sador soothed. "There are plenty of ways out of the difficulty, so don't give yourself any concern--and the United States is welcome to the letter. It will be a far day, I a.s.sure you, ere its cipher bureau translates it."

He glanced at the clock. Mrs. Clephane arose.

"I'm sorry for the mess I have made," she said.

"Don't give it a thought," he a.s.sured her. "If you can help us, you will be where?"

"I will be at the Chateau until this matter is straightened out--and subject to your instant call."

"Good--you are more than kind; France appreciates it."

He took her hand, escorted her with gracious courtesy to the door, and bowed her out.

Then he stepped to his desk and rang twice.

The First Secretary entered.

"Did you hear her entire story?" the Marquis asked.

"I did, sir," the First Secretary replied.

"You believe it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then set Pasquier to work to ascertain what this Madame Spencer is about. Let him report as quickly as he has anything definite. I'll cable Paris at once as to the letter."

XIV

THE SLIP OF PAPER

Madeline Spencer, leaning languidly against the mahogany table in the corner of the drawing-room, drummed softly with her finger tips as she listened.

"What is the use of it all?" Marston was asking. "We can't get the letter. Harleston evidently told the truth; he has turned it over to the State Department, so why not be content that it's there, and let well enough alone?"

"I've been letting well enough alone by occupying them with the notion that the letter is the thing most desired," Mrs. Spencer returned.

"Muddying the water, as it were, so as to obscure the main issue and get away with the trick. Direct your attention here, if you please, gentlemen! Meanwhile we escape from the other end."

"Mrs. Clephane was at the French Emba.s.sy this afternoon," he observed.

"At last she had a glimmering of sense!" Mrs. Spencer laughed. "Why she didn't beat it there direct from the train I can't imagine. Such ignorance is a large a.s.set for those of us who know. I had thought of impersonating her and amusing myself with d'Hausonville, but I concluded it wasn't worth while. It _riles_ me, however, that the affair was so atrociously bungled by Crenshaw and the others. What possessed them to release Mrs. Clephane once they had her?--and what in Heaven's name made them overlook the letter in the cab?"

"Search me!" Marston replied.

"There is no occasion to search you, Marston," she smiled, "I shouldn't find very much except--placidity."

"Placidity has its advantages," he smiled back.

"It has; that's why I asked the Chief for you. You were not as happy in your choice of a.s.sistants, Marston. They are a stupid lot. You may send them back to New York. We'll handle this matter ourselves, with Mrs.

Chartrand's involuntary a.s.sistance."

"Very good, madame!" said Marston. "The trouble, you see, came with that chap Harleston's b.u.t.ting into the affair. Who would have foreseen that he would happen along just at that particular moment and scoop the letter without turning a hair. It was rotten luck sure."

"It was all easy enough if the blundering fools had only exercised an atom of sense," Mrs. Spencer retorted. "Mrs. Clephane couldn't deceive a normal two-year-old child; she is as transparent as plate gla.s.s."

"She was clever enough to get rid of the letter in the cab, and to give them the plausible story that it was locked in the hotel safe. And the hotel safe was the reasonable place for her to leave the letter until she had seen the Amba.s.sador, and someone from the Emba.s.sy could return with her and get the letter."

"Granted--if Mrs. Clephane were a wise woman and in the service. She isn't wise and she isn't in the service; and both these facts are so apparent that he who runs may read. She played the Buissards for fools and won. If they had exercised the intelligence of an infant, they'd have known that she had the letter with her when she left the hotel. You got a glimmer of light when you thought of the cab--and Mrs. Clephane told you that Mr. Harleston had stopped and looked at the sleeping horse and then started him toward Dupont Circle. You came to me to report--and I, knowing Harleston, solved the remainder of the mystery.