But they treated me as if I were a dangerous man, whereas all their conduct hitherto had shown that they thought me a fool.

I could not understand it.
'But I had not been one night in that Neuburg place before I thought of the reason.

They wanted to keep me under observation as a check upon you, Cornelis.

I figured it out this way.

They had given you some very important work which required them to let you into some big secret.