Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of EnglandLe Queux, William
History
Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England
Le Queux, William
Espionage, German -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Invasions -- Fiction; Intelligence service -- Fiction; Spy stories
"Ah! Look, M'sieur Jacox!" she shrieked a second later. "Yes--yes, it is
that man!" she went on, pointing her finger at him. "At last! Thank God!
I have found him!"
"What do you mean?" I demanded. "This is M'sieur Pierron."
"I tell you," she cried, "that is the man whom I saw at the Rue de
Royat--the man who strangled poor Madame Levitsky!"
"You lie!" he cried, stepping towards her. "I--I've never seen you
before!"
"And yet you have just uttered mademoiselle's name, m'sieur," I remarked
quietly.
"He knows that I was present at the time of the tragedy," exclaimed
Suzette quickly, "and that he was the paid assassin of Henry Banfield.
He killed the unfortunate woman for two reasons: first, in order to
obtain her husband's papers, which had both political and financial
importance; and secondly, to obtain her jewellery, which was of very
considerable value. And upon me, because I was defenceless, the guilt
was placed. They said I was jealous of her."
"Suzette," I said slowly, "leave this man to me."
Then, glancing towards him, I saw what a terrible effect her
denunciation had had upon him. Pale to the lips, he stood cowed, even
trembling, for before him was the living witness of his crime.
I stood with my back to the door, barring his escape.
"Now," I said, "what is your defence?"
He was silent.
I repeated my question in a hard, distinct voice.
"Let's cry quits," he said in a low, hoarse tone. "I will preserve your
secret--if you will keep mine. Will you not accept terms?"
"Not those," I replied promptly. "Suzette has been accused by Banfield,
and by you, of the crime which you committed. She shall therefore name
her own terms."
Realising that, by the fortunate discovery of the assassin of Madame
Levitsky, she had at once freed herself from the trammels cast about her
by Banfield, it was not surprising that the girl should stipulate as a
condition of allowing the spy his freedom that he should hand over to me
all the copies of the secret diplomatic correspondence which he
possessed.
At first he loudly protested that he had none, but I compelled him to
hand me the key of his despatch-box, and accompanying him to his room at
the further end of the corridor, we searched and there found within the
steel box a file of papers which he held ready to hand over to the Quai
d'Orsay--the actual information of which I had been in such active
search.
The German inducements were all set out clearly and concisely, the
copies being in the neat hand of the traitorous clerk in the Treaty
Department.
Pierron, the tables thus turned upon him, begged me to allow him at
least to have copies. This I refused, triumphantly taking possession of
the whole file and bidding him good-night.
In an hour we had both left the German capital, and next day I had the
satisfaction of handing the copy of the German proposals and the whole
correspondence to the Minister for Foreign Affairs at Downing Street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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