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That he would return I firmly believed; statistically the chances were in his favour as this was his fourth trip, and hope was backing the favourable odds of the law of chance. So I set myself to prepare for that event. My faith was strong that Grauble could be won over to the cause of saving the Germans by betraying Germany.
But as I now turned to be presented to the other, I saw the black-eyed beauty shrink and cower in an uncanny terror. Grauble again repeated my name and then the name of the girl, and I, too, started in fear, for the name he pronounced was "Katrina" and there flashed before my vision the page from the diary that I had first read in the dank chamber of the potash mine.
Marguerite came with me and stood trembling at my side as we watched Grauble, whose eyes still riveted upon the many dials and indicators before him. "Watch the chart," said Grauble. "The red hand shows our position." The chart before him was slowly passing over rolls. For a time we could only see a straight line thereon bordered by many signs and figures.
Within a few hours we three were at the seat of the World Government at Geneva. Grauble surrendered his charts of the secret passage and was made a formal prisoner of state, until the line of the passage could be explored by borings and the reality of its existence verified. I was in daily conference with the Council in regard to momentous actions that were set speedily a-going.
Had Grauble given me the least encouragement I should have done so, but he seemed to wish to avoid further discussion and I feared to risk it. My hope of a fuller understanding with Grauble seemed destroyed, and we soon separated without further confidences. When I returned home from my offices one evening some days later, my secretary announced that a visitor was awaiting me.
I was commissioned to leave Berlin by submarine and that too by the vessel in command of Captain Grauble, whom I knew to be nursing rebellion and mutiny in his heart. If deliverance from Berlin was ever to come, it had come now. To refuse to embrace it would mean to lose for ever this fortunate chance to escape from this sunless Babylon.
"Captain," I said, placing my hand on the shoulder of the palsied man, "you and I have great secrets and the burden of great sorrows in common. It is well that we have found each other. It is well that we have spoken of these things that shake our souls. You have confessed much to me and I have much that I shall confess to you. I must see you again before you leave." Grauble gave me his hand.
Grauble and myself. "Do you see," he said, "how perfectly our records take care of these crazy accusations? The black haired one is evidently touched in the head with jealousy, and now that she has chanced upon you, she makes up this preposterous story, which might cause you no end of annoyance, but here we have the absolute refutation of the charge.
Report my treasonable utterances if you like. I am prepared for that; suicide is easy and certain." "But is it not rather cowardly, Captain?" I asked, looking him steadily in the eye. Grauble flung out his hand with a gesture of disdain. "That is an easy word for you to pronounce," he sneered.
The three of us who remained at the table resumed our seats and I ordered dinner. "My, how Katrina frightened me!" exclaimed the fragile Elsa. "She does have temper," admitted Grauble. "Odd, though, that she would conceive that idea that you were some one else. I have heard of all sorts of plans of revenge for disappointments in love, but that is a new one."
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