"Why do you continue so persistently antagonistic?"
"I am French."
"That is silly. You are an outlaw, a man without a country. Why not change all that?"
"And how does one effect miracles?"
"Germany offers you a refuge, security, freedom to ply your trade unhindered—within reasonable limits."
"And in exchange what do I give?"
"Your services, as and when required, in our service."
"Beginning when?"
"To-night."
"With what specific performance?"
"We want, we must without fail have, that document you took from the Brooke girl."
"Perhaps we had better continue in English. You are speaking a tongue unknown to me."
"Don't talk rot. You know well what I mean. We know you have the thing. You didn't steal it to turn it over to England or the States. What is your price to Germany?"
"Whatever you have in mind, believe me when I say I have nothing to sell to the Wilhelmstrasse."
"But what else can you do with it? What other market?"
"My dear Sophie, upon my word I haven't got what you want."
"Then why so keen to get the Brooke girl on the telephone as soon as you found out where she was stopping?"
"How did you learn about that, by the way?"
