The Mission of Poubalov — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

170 WHAT PAUL PALOVNA SAW. ‘tT have seen him.”’ ‘‘Seen him!’’ echoed both his listeners, and ‘‘where?” asked Clara. ‘‘He was not under arrest,’ answered Poubaloyv; ‘‘t was free, as free as he ever will be with the memory of the recent past to haunt him, as it certainly will. You will never see him again’’—he raised his hand deprecat. ingly; ‘‘pardon me, I did not mean to suggest the slight- est discomfort. He has not committed suicide, and I do not know that he contemplates it.’ He turned his attention to his tea, and both young] dies were silent fora moment, Then Louise found an ex- cuse for withdrawing, and Clara was left alone with the inscrutable foe to her happiness. There was a marke a pause after Louise had gone, Clara waiting for Poubaloy, and the spy—who can tell what was coursing through his mind?’ At length he set down his cup, and with an at- tempt at the aggressive self-possession that usually cha acterized his demeanor, he said: ‘*T owe you an explanation, Miss Hilman.’ “Only one?” sho asked coldly, but there was a strange smile on her face. ‘‘Many,’’ responded the spy, and there was an cae sion on his features, in his bearing, in the tones of his voice, that, but for the circumstances, might have credited to sincerity. He was either not his usual self, : he was playing a much deeper game than any he had yet revealed. ‘‘Many,’’ he repeated, ‘‘and they will all be made in due time. Do you see that I honor you in the highest way that is possible for me? I mean by not treat- ing you to the castomary forms of courtesy which are the more or less transparent garments of falsehood. I do not come here with a plausible story to account for my con- duct, asking you to accept it as an apology whether you believe it, or not. I tell you the truth, so far as I speak at all; and when the nature of the case would compel me to lie if I opened my lips, I am silent.”’ a. Or you evade the question, interposed Clara, ane a