the lost road-第39节

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garden。　　The　moon　was　so　bright　that　the　roses　still　held　their
color。

〃I　would　like　to　thank　him；〃　said　the　young　wife。　　She　meant　the
Young　Man　of　Wall　Street。　　〃But　for　him　we　would　have　lost　this。〃

Her　eyes　caressed　the　garden；　the　fruit…trees；　the　house　with　wide；
hospitable　verandas。　　〃To…morrow　I　will　send　him　some　of　these
roses；〃　said　the　young　wife。　　〃Will　he　understand　that　they　mean
our　home？〃

At　a　scandalously　late　hour；　in　a　scandalous　spirit　of　independence；
Champ　Thorne　and　Barbara　were　driving　around　Central　Park　in　a
taxicab。

〃How　strangely　the　Lord　moves；　his　wonders　to　perform；〃　misquoted
Barbara。　　〃Had　not　the　Young　Man　of　Wall　Street　saved　Mr。　Hastings；
Mr。　Hastings　could　not　have　raised　your　salary；　you　would　not　have
asked　me　to　marry　you；　and　had　you　not　asked　me　to　marry　you；
father　would　not　have　given　me　a　wedding…present；　and〃

〃And；〃　said　Champ；　taking　up　the　tale；　〃thousands　of　slaves　would
still　be　buried　in　the　jungles；　hidden　away　from　their　wives　and
children　and　the　light　of　the　sun　and　their　fellow　men。　　They
still　would　be　dying　of　fever；　starvation；　tortures。〃

He　took　her　hand　in　both　of　his　and　held　her　finger…tips　against
his　lips。

〃And　they　will　never　know；〃　he　whispered；　〃when　their　freedom
comes；　that　they　owe　it　all　to　you。〃


On　Hunter's　Island；　Jimmie　Reeder　and　his　bunkie；　Sam　Sturges；
each　on　his　canvas　cot；　tossed　and　twisted。　　The　heat；　the　moonlight；
and　the　mosquitoes　would　not　let　them　even　think　of　sleep。

〃That　was　bully；〃　said　Jimmie；　〃what　you　did　to…day　about　saving
that　dog。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　you　he'd　ha'　drownded。〃

〃He　would　not！〃　said　Sammy　with　punctilious　regard　for　the　truth；
〃it　wasn't　deep　enough。〃

〃Well；　the　scout…master　ought　to　know；〃　argued　Jimmie；　〃he　said
it　was　the　best　'one　good　turn'　of　the　day！〃

Modestly　Sam　shifted　the　lime…light　so　that　it　fell　upon　his
bunkie。

〃I'll　bet；〃　he　declared　loyally；　〃your　'one　good　turn'　was　a
better　one！〃

Jimmie　yawned；　and　then　laughed　scornfully。

〃Me！〃　he　scoffed。　　〃I　didn't　do　nothing。　　I　sent　my　sister　to　the
movies。〃





〃SOMEWHERE　IN　FRANCE〃




Marie　Gessler；　known　as　Marie　Chaumontel；　Jeanne　d'Avrechy；
the　Countess　d'Aurillac；　was　German。　　Her　father；　who　served
through　the　Franco…Prussian　War；　was　a　German　spy。　　It　was
from　her　mother　she　learned　to　speak　French　sufficiently　well
to　satisfy　even　an　Academician　and；　among　Parisians；　to　pass
as　one。　　Both　her　parents　were　dead。　　Before　they　departed；
knowing　they　could　leave　their　daughter　nothing　save　their
debts；　they　had　had　her　trained　as　a　nurse。　　But　when　they
were　gone；　Marie　in　the　Berlin　hospitals　played　politics；
intrigued；　indiscriminately　misused　the　appealing；　violet
eyes。　　There　was　a　scandal；　several　scandals。　　At　the　age　of
twenty…five　she　was　dismissed　from　the　Municipal　Hospital；
and　as　now…save　for　the　violet　eyesshe　was　without　resources；
as　a　compagnon　de　voyage　with　a　German　doctor　she　travelled
to　Monte　Carlo。　　There　she　abandoned　the　doctor　for　Henri
Ravignac；　a　captain　in　the　French　Aviation　Corps；　who；
when　his　leave　ended；　escorted　her　to　Paris。

The　duties　of　Captain　Ravignac　kept　him　in　barracks　near　the
aviation　field；　but　Marie　he　established　in　his　apartments　on　the
Boulevard　Haussmann。　　One　day　he　brought　from　the　barracks　a
roll　of　blue…prints；　and　as　he　was　locking　them　in　a　drawer；　said：
〃The　Germans　would　pay　through　the　nose　for　those！〃　　The　remark
was　indiscreet；　but　then　Marie　had　told　him　she　was　French；　and
any　one　would　have　believed　her。

The　next　morning　the　same　spirit　of　adventure　that　had　exiled　her
from　the　Berlin　hospitals　carried　her　with　the　blue…prints　to　the
German　embassy。　　There；　greatly　shocked；　they　first　wrote　down　her
name　and　address；　and　then；　indignant　at　her　proposition；　ordered
her　out。　　But　the　day　following　a　strange　young　German　who　was
not　at　all　indignant；　but；　on　the　contrary；　quite　charming；　called
upon　Marie。　　For　the　blue…prints　he　offered　her　a　very　large　sum；
and　that　same　hour　with　them　and　Marie　departed　for　Berlin。　　Marie
did　not　need　the　money。　　Nor　did　the　argument　that　she　was　serving
her　country　greatly　impress　her。　　It　was　rather　that　she　loved　intrigue。
And　so　she　became　a　spy。

Henri　Ravignac；　the　man　she　had　robbed　of　the　blue…prints；　was　tried
by　court…martial。　　The　charge　was　treason；　but　Charles　Ravignac；　his
younger　brother；　promised　to　prove　that　the　guilty　one　was　the　girl；
and　to　that　end　obtained　leave　of　absence　and　spent　much　time　and
money。　　At　the　trial　he　was　able　to　show　the　record　of　Marie　in
Berlin　and　Monte　Carlo；　that　she　was　the　daughter　of　a　German
secret　agent；　that　on　the　afternoon　the　prints　disappeared　Marie；
with　an　agent　of　the　German　embassy；　had　left　Paris　for　Berlin。
In　consequence　of　this　the　charge　of　selling　military　secrets　was
altered　to　one　of　〃gross　neglect；〃　and　Henri　Ravignac　was　sentenced
to　two　years　in　the　military　prison　at　Tours。　　But　he　was　of　an　ancient
and　noble　family；　and　when　they　came　to　take　him　from　his　cell　in　the
Cherche…Midi；　he　was　dead。　　Charles；　his　brother；　disappeared。　　It　was
said　he　also　had　killed　himself；　that　he　had　been　appointed　a　military
attache　in　South　America；　that　to　revenge　his　brother　he　had　entered
the　secret　service；　but　whatever　became　of　him　no　one　knew。　　All　that
was　certain　was　that；　thanks　to　the　act　of　Marie　Gessler；　on　the　rolls
of　the　French　army　the　ancient　and　noble　name　of　Ravignac　no　longer
appeared。

In　her　chosen　profession　Marie　Gessler　found　nothing　discreditable。
Of　herself　her　opinion　was　not　high；　and　her　opinion　of　men　was
lower。　　For　her　smiles　she　had　watched　several　sacrifice　honor；　duty；
loyalty；　and　she　held　them　and　their　kind　in　contempt。　　To　lie；　to
cajole；　to　rob　men　of　secrets　they　thought　important；　and　of　secrets
the　importance　of　which　they　did　not　even　guess；　was　to　her　merely
an　intricate　and　exciting　game。

She　played　it　very　well。　　So　well　that　in　the　service　her　advance
was　rapid。　　On　important　missions　she　was　sent　to　Russia；　through
the　Balkans；　even　to　the　United　States。　　There；　with　credentials
as　an　army　nurse；　she　inspected　our　military　hospitals　and
unobtrusively　asked　many　innocent　questions。

When　she　begged　to　be　allowed　to　work　in　her　beloved　Paris；
〃they〃　told　her　when　war　came　〃they〃　intended　to　plant　her
inside　that　city；　and　that；　until　then；　the　less　Paris　knew　of
her　the　better。

But　just　before　the　great　war　broke；　to　report　on　which　way　Italy
might　jump；　she　was　sent　to　Rome；　and　it　was　not　until　September
she　was　recalled。　　The　telegram　informed　her　that　her　Aunt
Elizabeth　was　ill；　and　that　at　once　she　must　return　to　Berlin。
This；　she　learned　from　the　code　book　wrapped　under　the　cover
of　her　thermos　bottle；　meant　that　she　was　to　report　to　the　general
commanding　the　German　forces　at　Soissons。

From　Italy　she　passed　through　Switzerland；　and；　after　leaving　Basle；
on　military　trains　was　rushed　north　to　Luxemburg；　and　then　west　to
Laon。　　She　was　accompanied　by　her　companion；　Bertha；　an　elderly
and　respectable；　even　distinguished…looking　female。　　In　the　secret
service　her　number　was　528。　　Their　passes　from　the　war　office
described　them　as　nurses　of　the　German　Red　Cross。　　Only　the
Intelligence　Department　knew　their　real　mission。　　With　her；　also；
as　her　chauffeur；　was　a　young　Italian　soldier　of　fortune；　Paul
Anfossi。　　He　had　served　in　the　Belgian　Congo；　in　the　French
Foreign　Legion　in　Algiers；　and　spoke　all　the　European　languages。
In　Rome；　where　as　a　wireless　operator　he　was　serving　a　commercial
company；　in　selling　Marie　copies　of　messages　he　had　memorized；
Marie　had　found　him　useful；　and　when　war　came　she　obtained
for　him；　from　the　Wilhelmstrasse；　the　number　292。　　From　Laon；
in　one　of　the　automobiles　of　the　General　Staff；　the　three　spies
were　driven　first　to　Soissons；　and　then　along　the　road　to　Meaux
and　Paris；　to　the　village　of　Neufchelles。　　They　arrived　at　midnight；
and　in　a　chateau　of　one　of　the　Champagne　princes；　found　the
colonel　commanding　the　Intelligence　Bureau。　　He　accepted　their
credentials；　destroyed　them；　and　replaced　them　with　a　laissez…
passer　signed　by　the　mayor　of　Laon。　　That　dignitary；　the　colonel
explained；　to　citizens　of　Laon　fleeing　to　Paris　and　the　coast　had
issued　many　passes。　　But　as　now　between　Laon　and　Paris　there　were
three　German　armies；　the　refugees　had　been　turned　back　and　their
passes　confiscated。

〃From　among　them；〃　said　the　officer；　〃we　have　selected　one　for
you。　　It　is　issued　to　the　wife　of　Count　d'Aurillac；　a　captain　of
reserves；　and　her　aunt；　Madame　Benet。　　It　asks　for　those　ladies
and　their　chauffeur；　Briand；　a　safe…conduct　through　the　French
military　lines。　　If　it　gets　you　into　Paris　you　will　destroy　it　and
assume　another　name。　　The　Count　d'Aurillac　is　now　with　his
regiment　in　that　city。　　If　he　learned　of　the　presence　there　of　his
wife；　he　would　seek　her；　and　that　would　not　be　good　for　you。　　So；
if　you　reach　Paris；　you　will　become　a　Belgian　refugee。　　You　are
high…born　and　rich。　　Your　chateau　has　been　destroyed。　　But　you
have　money。　　You　will　give　liberally　to　the　Red　Cross。　　You　will
volunteer　to　nurse　in　the　hospitals。　　With