“Hathaway was absolutely stupefied at the charge against him.  Becoming violently indignant, he knocked down the officers and escaped with the contents of the package.  He then returned home and demanded an explanation from his daughter, who confessed all.

“It was then that Hathaway showed the stuff he was made of, to use an Americanism.  He insisted on shielding his daughter, to whom he was devotedly attached, and in taking all the responsibility on his own shoulders.  The penalty of this crime is imprisonment for life and he would not allow Mrs. Burrows to endure it.  Being again arrested he did not deny his guilt but cheerfully suffered imprisonment.  Before the day set for his trial, however, he managed to escape and since then he has so cleverly hidden himself that the authorities remain ignorant of his whereabouts.  His wife and his grandchild also disappeared and it was found that his vast business interests had been legally transferred to some of his most intimate friends—­doubtless for his future benefit.

“The government secret service was helpless.  No one save I knew that Hathaway was shielding his daughter, whose promise to her dead husband had led her to betray her country to the representative of a foreign power such as our own.  Yet Hathaway, even in sacrificing his name and reputation, revolted at suffering life-long imprisonment, nor dared he stand trial through danger of being forced to confess the truth.  So he remains in hiding and I have hopes that he will be able—­through his many influential friends—­to save himself from capture for many months to come.

“This is the truth of the matter, dear friend, and as this explanation must never get beyond your own knowledge I charge you to destroy this letter as soon as it is read.  When you are abroad next year we will meet and consider this and other matters in which we are mutually interested.  I would not have ventured to put this on paper were it not for my desire to leave someone in this country posted on the Hathaway case.  You will understand from the foregoing that the situation has become too delicate for me to remain here.  If you can, give aid to Hathaway, whom I greatly admire, for we are in a way responsible for his troubles.  As for Mrs. Burrows, I consider her a woman of character and honor.  That she might keep a pledge made to her dead husband she sinned against the law without realizing the enormity of her offense.  If anyone is to blame it is poor John Burrows, who was not justified in demanding so dangerous a pledge from his wife; but he was dying at the time and his judgment was impaired.  Let us be just to all and so remain just to ourselves.

“Write me at the old address and believe me to be yours most faithfully

E. de V.

The 16th of September, 1905.”

During Irene’s reading the others maintained an intense silence.  Even when she had ended, the silence continued for a time, while all considered with various feelings the remarkable statement they had just heard.