Let me see, where was I?
Ah! The general scheme of defence is, of course, known to you ?" "Naturally," I admitted.
"With a list of the places to be fortified, eh?
The positions to be held and the general distribution of troops?
No doubt, too, you have gone into the railway and commissariat arrangements ?" "All these details," I assented, "have gone through my hands." He dabbed his forehead with a corner of his handkerchief.

There was a streak of purple colour in his checks.

He kept his bloodshot eyes fixed upon me.
"I will tell you something, Guy," he said, "which will astonish you.
You realize for yourself, of course, that such details as you have spoken of can never be kept altogether secret?
There are always leakages, sometimes very considerable leakages.

Yes, Guy," he added, "there are people, friends of mine in Paris, who are willing to pay a very large sum of money--such a large sum of money that it is worth dividing, Guy--for just a bare outline of the whole scheme.

Foolish! Of course it is foolish.