.."
The Prussian Guard?" cried No. 13 in an awed voice. "Are you also
of the Prussian Guard, comrade?"
He had risen from his seat and there was something almost of
majesty about his thin, ungainly figure as he drew himself to his
full height.
"Ay, comrade, I was," replied Mortimer.
"Then," cried No. 13, "you are..."
"No names, comrade," warned Mortimer, "no names, I beg!"
"No names, no names!" repeated the other and relapsed into his
seat in a reverie.
"How I got to England," Mortimer continued, "matters nothing; how
I fulfilled my mission is neither here nor there. But I recovered
the gem and the proof..."
He thrust a hand into the inner pocket of his coat and plucked
out a white paper package sealed up with broad red seals.
Desmond held his breath. It was the white paper package, exactly
as Barbara had described.
"Look at it well, Behrend," said Mortimer, holding it up for the
young man to see, "it cost me a man's life to get that. If it had
sent twenty men to their death, I should have had it just the
same!"
Mrs. Malplaquet clapped her hands, her eyes shining.
"Bravo, bravo!" she exclaimed, "that's the spirit! That's the way
to talk, Mortimer!"
"Cut it out," snarled Behrend, "and let's see the goods!"
All had left their seats and were gathered in a group about
Mortimer as he began to break the gleaming red wag seals.
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