Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/276

256 Marie, "when it is necessary to break one's word rather than cling to a wrong resolve."

"Don't tell me that!" I cried. "My word's the only god I've got. It's the only thing that's never failed me!"

Maybe my voice was rough, for she drew back a little and seemed startled and a bit frightened. Then she looked at me, and her eyes softened.

"And you have always kept your word?" she asked. "Always," I answered. "I don't give it lightly; but, once given, I stick to it."

Then, in this case, I will not advise you to break it, since to do so would be to break faith with yourself. But there is something else which has occurred to me. This man who is at the head of the criminal organisation is, you tell me, so powerful that if you were to incur his enmity you would feel as if already dead?"

"That is true," I answered.

"And if he were to forbid you to destroy this terrible criminal, Chu-Chu, you would not dare?" "It would not be worth my while to try."

Then is it not possible that your enemy might feel the same way—that if he were forbidden by this same Chief to murder you he would not dare?"

I hesitated. It had never occurred to me to ask Ivan to call off Chu-Chu under pain of punishment from headquarters. Yet, when I came to think of it, I doubted that Chu-Chu would dare to go ahead against Ivan's strict injunction any more than I would. Sœur Anne Marie saw the hesitation in my face, and went on quickly: