"My explanation?" I cried, in amazement, noticing his determined demeanour. "I know nothing of the affair except the telegrams you have shown me." "Upon you alone the responsibility of this catastrophe rests," he said angrily. "It is useless to deny all knowledge of it and only aggravates your offence. Because you come of a diplomatic family I have trusted you implicitly, but it is evident that my confidence has been utterly misplaced." "I deny that I have ever, for a single instant, betrayed the trust you have placed in me," I replied hotly. "I know nothing of the means by which the Tzar's army of spies have obtained knowledge of our secret." He snapped his bony fingers impatiently, saying,-- "It is not to be expected that you will acknowledge yourself a traitor to your country, sir; therefore we must prove your guilt." "You are at liberty, of course, to act in what manner you please," I answered. "I tell you frankly, however, that this terrible charge you bring against me is as startling as the information I have just read. I can only say I am entirely innocent." "Bah!" he cried, turning on his heel with a gesture of disgust. Then, facing me again, his eyes flashing with anger, he added, "If you are innocent, tell me why you were so long absent yesterday when registering the dispatch; tell me why, when such an important document was in your possession, you did not remain in the office instead of being absent over an hour?" "I went out to lunch," I said. "With the document in your pocket?" "Yes. But surely you do not suspect me of being a spy?" I cried. "I do not suspect you, sir. I have positive proof of it." "Proof!" I gasped. "Show it to me." "It is here," he answered, his thin, nervous hands turning over the mass of papers littering his writing-table, and taking from among them an official envelope. In an instant I recognised it as the one containing the treaty. "This remains exactly as I took it from the safe with my own hands and cut it open." With trembling fingers I drew the document from its envelope and opened it. The paper was blank! I glanced at him in abject dismay, unable to utter a word. "That is what you handed me on my return from the Cabinet Council," he said, with knit brows. "Now, what explanation have you to offer?" "What can I offer?" I cried. "The envelope I gave you was the same that you handed to me. I could swear to it." "No, it was not," he replied quickly. "Glance at the seal." Taking it to the light I examined the seal carefully, but failed to detect anything unusual. It bore in black wax the Warnham coat of arms impressed by the large, beautifully-cut amethyst which the Earl wore attached to the piece of rusty silk ribbon that served him as watch chain. "I can see nothing wrong with this," I said, glancing up at him.