The Kingdom of the Blind [38]
it if you will. In Brazil you will find it of little use."
Monsieur Pailleton folded his arms.
"I am a Frenchman," he proclaimed. "What I may do, I do for France."
"You refuse my mission, then?"
"I refuse it."
The ambassador struck a bell upon his table. One of his secretaries promptly appeared.
"Send Colonel Defarge to me at once," his chief ordered.
There was a brief pause. The ambassador was busy writing at his table. Pailleton, who was breathing heavily, said nothing. Presently an officer in French uniform entered.
"Monsieur le Colonel," the ambassador said, stretching out his hand towards Pailleton, "you will accept the charge of this man, whom you will consider under arrest. I take the full responsibility for this proceeding. You will conduct him to your rooms here and you will search him. Any document found in his possession you will bring to me. When you have finished, let me know and I will give you an authority to proceed to his apartments in the Milan Hotel. You understand?"
"Certainly, my chief."
The officer saluted and moved to Pailleton.
"You will come quietly, monsieur, is it not so?" he asked.
Pailleton waved him away. He turned to the ambassador.
"Monsieur," he decided, "I will go to Brazil."
CHAPTER XV
TWO MORE GERMAN SUBMARINES SUNK WITH ALL HANDS
The Admiralty report that they received last night a message from Commander Conyers of the destroyer "Scorpion," announcing that he has destroyed German submarines U 22 and 27, with all hands.
"Well, I'm damned!" the Admiral exclaimed, as he laid down the newspaper a few mornings later. "Ralph's done it this time, and no mistake."
Geraldine looked over his shoulder, her cheeks aglow.
"I knew at seven o'clock," she declared. "Harris brought me the paper up. They are all so excited about it in the kitchen. You'd just gone out in the Park."
"I want to know how it was done," the Admiral speculated. "Can't have been ramming if he bagged two of them, and they surely never came to the surface voluntarily, with a destroyer about."
Geraldine glanced around the room to be sure that they were alone.
"Don't you remember when Olive and I were at Portsmouth?" she said. "Ralph has been absolutely dumb about it but he did just give us a hint that he had a little surprise in store for the submarines. There was something on deck, covered all up and watched by a sentry, and just before we sat down to lunch, you know, we were turned off and had to go to the Ship. Ralph wouldn't tell us a word about it but I'm sure he's got some new contrivance on the Scorpion for fighting the submarines."
"There may be something in it," the Admiral admitted cheerfully. "I noticed the Morning Post naval man the other day made a very guarded reference to some secret means of dealing with these vermin."
Lady Conyers sailed into the room, a telegram in her hand.
"A wireless from Ralph," she announced. "Listen."
Have sunk two of the brutes. More to come. Love. Ralph.
They pored over the telegram and the newspaper until the breakfast was cold. The Admiral was like a boy again.
"If we can get rid of these curses of the sea," he said, settling down at last to his bacon and eggs, "and get those Germans to come out, the war will be over months before any one expected. I shall go down to the Admiralty after breakfast and see if they've got anything to tell. Ralph gave me a hint about the net scheme but he never even mentioned anything else."
The telephone rang in the next room and a servant summoned Geraldine.
Captain Granet wishes to speak to Miss Conyers," he announced.
Geraldine left her place at once and hastened into the library. She took up the receiver.
"Is that you, Captain Granet?" she asked.
"I felt that I must ring you up," he declared, "to congratulate you, Miss Conyers, upon your brother's exploit. I have had half a dozen soldier fellows in already this morning to talk about it, and we're simply mad with curiosity. Do you think we shall
Monsieur Pailleton folded his arms.
"I am a Frenchman," he proclaimed. "What I may do, I do for France."
"You refuse my mission, then?"
"I refuse it."
The ambassador struck a bell upon his table. One of his secretaries promptly appeared.
"Send Colonel Defarge to me at once," his chief ordered.
There was a brief pause. The ambassador was busy writing at his table. Pailleton, who was breathing heavily, said nothing. Presently an officer in French uniform entered.
"Monsieur le Colonel," the ambassador said, stretching out his hand towards Pailleton, "you will accept the charge of this man, whom you will consider under arrest. I take the full responsibility for this proceeding. You will conduct him to your rooms here and you will search him. Any document found in his possession you will bring to me. When you have finished, let me know and I will give you an authority to proceed to his apartments in the Milan Hotel. You understand?"
"Certainly, my chief."
The officer saluted and moved to Pailleton.
"You will come quietly, monsieur, is it not so?" he asked.
Pailleton waved him away. He turned to the ambassador.
"Monsieur," he decided, "I will go to Brazil."
CHAPTER XV
TWO MORE GERMAN SUBMARINES SUNK WITH ALL HANDS
The Admiralty report that they received last night a message from Commander Conyers of the destroyer "Scorpion," announcing that he has destroyed German submarines U 22 and 27, with all hands.
"Well, I'm damned!" the Admiral exclaimed, as he laid down the newspaper a few mornings later. "Ralph's done it this time, and no mistake."
Geraldine looked over his shoulder, her cheeks aglow.
"I knew at seven o'clock," she declared. "Harris brought me the paper up. They are all so excited about it in the kitchen. You'd just gone out in the Park."
"I want to know how it was done," the Admiral speculated. "Can't have been ramming if he bagged two of them, and they surely never came to the surface voluntarily, with a destroyer about."
Geraldine glanced around the room to be sure that they were alone.
"Don't you remember when Olive and I were at Portsmouth?" she said. "Ralph has been absolutely dumb about it but he did just give us a hint that he had a little surprise in store for the submarines. There was something on deck, covered all up and watched by a sentry, and just before we sat down to lunch, you know, we were turned off and had to go to the Ship. Ralph wouldn't tell us a word about it but I'm sure he's got some new contrivance on the Scorpion for fighting the submarines."
"There may be something in it," the Admiral admitted cheerfully. "I noticed the Morning Post naval man the other day made a very guarded reference to some secret means of dealing with these vermin."
Lady Conyers sailed into the room, a telegram in her hand.
"A wireless from Ralph," she announced. "Listen."
Have sunk two of the brutes. More to come. Love. Ralph.
They pored over the telegram and the newspaper until the breakfast was cold. The Admiral was like a boy again.
"If we can get rid of these curses of the sea," he said, settling down at last to his bacon and eggs, "and get those Germans to come out, the war will be over months before any one expected. I shall go down to the Admiralty after breakfast and see if they've got anything to tell. Ralph gave me a hint about the net scheme but he never even mentioned anything else."
The telephone rang in the next room and a servant summoned Geraldine.
Captain Granet wishes to speak to Miss Conyers," he announced.
Geraldine left her place at once and hastened into the library. She took up the receiver.
"Is that you, Captain Granet?" she asked.
"I felt that I must ring you up," he declared, "to congratulate you, Miss Conyers, upon your brother's exploit. I have had half a dozen soldier fellows in already this morning to talk about it, and we're simply mad with curiosity. Do you think we shall