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No breath of dishonour has reached the name of De Lloseta de Mallorca. I got her out of Majorca, and my old friend Challoner set himself the task of silencing the gossips. But I found that I had to leave Lloseta for the name's sake I quitted my home." He spread out his hands with a patient gesture of resignation. "Such has been my life," he went on.
"Tell me, my friend," said Hillyard. "Pontiana Tabor swears that José Medina was seen to enter the German Consulate before noon on August the 22nd. But on August the 21st Medina was in Palma, Mallorca; he was seen there by a captain of the Islana Company, and a friend of mine spoke to him on the quay.
"Yes," he answered, turning and looking into the Count's face with a certain honest interest. He was thinking of what Eve had said about this man. "Yes I know Mallorca." The Count struck a match and lighted his cigar with the air of a connoisseur. "I am always glad," he said conversationally, "to meet any one who knows Mallorca. It was my home. Perhaps you knew?"
The first, written six weeks ago, related how Pontiana Tabor, a servant of the firm, had come into Lloyd's private office and informed him that on the night of the 27th June a German submarine had entered a deep cove at the lonely north-east point of the island of Mallorca, and had there been provisioned by José Medina's men, with José Medina's supplies, and that José Medina had driven out of Palma de Mallorca in his motor-car, and travelling by little-known tracks, had been present when the operation was in process.
Well, he was an old swell who flourished in the twelve hundreds, and who was by trade rake, philosopher, quack, fanatic, organizer, and martyr. He hailed from Mallorca or Majorca, as you English persist in calling it and he wrote books on Apologetic Theology, Dogmatic Divinity, and Practical Alchemy.
It pursued a French steamer between Minorca and Mallorca. It spoke to a fishing boat! What did it not do? Señor, there was no submarine yesterday in the channel between Minorca and Mallorca. If there had been I must have known." And he sat back as though the subject were disposed of. "But submarines do visit these waters, Señor Medina, and they do sink ships," replied Hillyard.
"Yes," he said, after deep thought, "we must do what he tells us. There's no harm in that." Eve laughed. "I thought," she said, "that we understood pride in Spain and Mallorca; but I have never met such a proud caballero as you." She was standing behind him where he stood, looking grimly out of the window, her two hands resting on his broad shoulders.
If you'd heard him talking about his book that is to be, you'd have stood good chance of choking with suppressed emotion. It's going to turn out a great success. He will spend quite three weeks here and in Mallorca, so as to 'do' both islands thoroughly. And then he would like to go to Iviça, but didn't know whether it was advisable to risk it. Could I advise him?
In England el Senor Conde de Lloseta de Mallorca would be looked upon as a mystery, because he lived in a large house by himself; because it was not known what his tastes might be; because the interviewer interviewed him not, and because the Society rags had no opportunity of describing his drawing-room. In Spain things are different.
Mallorca, I regret to say, is too strictly Catholic to be a profitable sowing ground for our propaganda, but we have scattered adherents here, and these are working their best for us. But our presence in that island is imperatively demanded. Unfortunately, the next steamer does not sail for two days." "Then we'll take the cutter," said Haigh.
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