Adventure stories; British -- Spain -- Fiction; Love stories; Spain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
"I have not been at either of those places for three years past. At the
dates you mention I was in London; and I warn you that you are giving me
information which may prove very compromising for you and those
associated with you. I am no Carlist." My protestation was received
with fresh symptoms of utter disbelief.
"You were to go to Paris in connection with the funds needed for the
enterprise; the two leaders chosen to go with you to receive the money
were Tomaso Garcia and Juan Narvaez; and a list of the names of all the
leaders in the matter was given to you."
"This is all an absolute blunder," I cried, indignantly. "I know nothing
whatever of a jot or tittle of it."
"I warned you not to lie," cried Corpola, sternly. "This is all proved
here in black and white under your own name;" and he flourished before
me some documents. "This is the charge against you and explain it if you
can. Almost directly afterwards our two comrades, Garcia and Narvaez,
disappeared; nearly the whole of the men whose names were on that list
given to you were arrested at one swoop by the Government; and a secret
information in your handwriting together with the original list of the
leaders found their way into the hands of the Government. Explain that
act of foul treachery if you can"—and his voice almost broke with
passion—"or may the Holy Mother have more mercy on you than we will
have."
The intense earnestness and passion of the man were a proof of his
sincerity, and also of the danger in which I stood. The whole thing was
a mad mistake, of course; but that I could prove it in time to stop them
taking the steps which I could see they contemplated was far less clear;
and for the moment I was nonplussed. Up to that instant I had been so
confident the mistake would be discovered that I had felt no misgivings
as to the issue. But the sight of Corpola’s burning indignation, his
obvious conviction. that I was the man who had been guilty of the act
which had so moved him, and my intuitive recognition that his fanaticism
made him really dangerous, disturbed me now profoundly.
"Speak, man, speak," he cried, stridently, when I stood thinking in
silence.
"I can only say what I have said before, that it is all a horrible
mistake. I am not the man you think me."
"You are Ferdinand Carbonnell, you have admitted it."
"I am not the Ferdinand Carbonnell you accuse of treachery."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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