“He is to be court-martialled at Valpre, and I have accepted an offer to go as correspondent to the Morning Despatch and report upon his trial.  As you know, I represented them at Bertrand’s affaire, and this is a sequel to that.  In fact, Bertrand himself is very nearly concerned in it.  Certain transactions have recently come to light tending to show that the crime of which he was accused was not only committed by this same Rodolphe, but that he also deliberately manufactured evidence to shield himself at the expense of Bertrand, the author of the betrayed invention, against whom it seems he had a personal grudge.  By the way, he managed skilfully to keep in the background at Bertrand’s trial.  I fancy he was away on some special mission at the time, and he did not appear.  I never saw him before that day at Sandacre Court, and I did not so much as know then that he and Bertrand were acquainted.  Did you know that?”

She started at the question, but answered it more naturally than she had before spoken.  “Yes.  I knew that Bertie had belonged to the same regiment.  They did not speak to each other that afternoon.  You see, I was there.”

“Ah!  And you never met him in the old Valpre days?”

Again she answered without apparent agitation; but her hands were fast gripped together in the gloom.  “I may have seen him.  I never spoke to him.  Bertie was the only one I ever knew.”

“Ah!” Mordaunt said again.  He was plainly thinking of Bertrand’s affairs.  “Well, he is to stand his trial now, and I couldn’t resist the chance of being present at it.  He was recalled to Paris a week ago, and summarily arrested; but as popular feeling is running very high, the trial is to be held at Valpre, which is a fairly important military station.  That means that the court-martial will take place probably in the fortress in which the crime was committed—­a pleasing consummation of justice.”

“And—­Bertie will be vindicated?” breathed Chris.

“If Rodolphe is convicted,” Mordaunt answered, “Bertrand will be in a position to return to France and demand a second trial, the outcome of which would be practically a foregone conclusion, and at which I hope I shall be present.”

Chris drew a sharp breath.  “Then—­then he will go to Valpre too?”

“Not yet.  He would be arrested and imprisoned if he did, and might possibly ruin his cause as well.  No, he will have to play a waiting game for the present.  I think myself it is the turn of the tide, but things may yet go against him.  There is no knowing.  He is better off where he is till we can see which way the matter will go.  He doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a fortress.”

Chris shuddered uncontrollably at the bare thought.  “Oh no—­no!  Trevor, you won’t let him run any risk of that?”

“I shall certainly counsel prudence,” Mordaunt answered.  “If he runs any risks, it will be with his eyes open.”