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Behind the Throne
Behind the Throne
Chapter One
The Cat’s-Paw
“Of course the transaction is a purely private one. There is, I suppose, no chance of the truth leaking out? If so, it might be very awkward, you know.”
“None whatever. Your Excellency may rely upon me to deal with these people cautiously. Besides, they have their own reputation to consider – as well as ours.”
“And how much do you say they offer?” asked His Excellency in Italian, so that the English servants, if they were listening, should not understand.
“If you accept their conditions as they stand, they pay one hundred thousand francs – four thousand pounds sterling – into your account at the Pall Mall branch of the Credit Lyonnais on Monday next,” replied the other in the same language.
“And your share, my dear Angelo?”
“That is apart. I have arranged it.”
“And they’ll profit a million, and dress our unfortunate infantry in shoddy?”
“Possibly, but what does it really matter? A soldier’s clothes are of little concern, as long as he is well armed.”
“But the boots? – the contract is for boots as well.”
“Your Excellency forgets that the English soldiers have more than once been sent into the field in boots made of brown paper. And they were of English make! Ours are German – and we must expect the foreigner to take advantage of us.”