I didn't trust to anything except
Rocco, and he deceived me.'
'But why did you quarrel with him?'
'I didn't quarrel with him. I found him embalming a corpse in the
State bedroom one night - '
'You what?' Babylon almost screamed.
'I found him embalming a corpse in the State bedroom,' repeated
Racksole in his quietest tones.
The two men gazed at each other, and then Racksole replenished
Babylon's glass.
'Tell me,' said Babylon, settling himself deep in an easy chair and
lighting a cigar.
And Racksole thereupon recounted to him the whole of the Posen
episode, with every circumstantial detail so far as he knew it. It
was a long and complicated recital, and occupied about an hour.
During that time little Felix never spoke a word, scarcely moved a
muscle; only his small eyes gazed through the bluish haze of
smoke. The clock on the mantelpiece tinkled midnight.
'Time for whisky and soda,' said Racksole, and got up as if to ring
the bell; but Babylon waved him back.
'You have told me that this Sampson Levi had an audience of
Prince Eugen to-day, but you have not told me the result of that
audience,' said Babylon.
'Because I do not yet know it. But I shall doubtless know
to-morrow. In the meantime, I feel fairly sure that Levi declined to
produce Prince Eugen's required million. I have reason to believe
that the money was lent elsewhere.'
'H'm!' mused Babylon; and then, carelessly, 'I am not at all
surprised at that arrangement for spying through the bathroom of
the State apartments.
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