Translation:The Mysterious Individual/XIV

The following morning Kronenberg took his place in the carriage without seeing any members of the Count's family; Liancourt sat down beside him; the two arrested officers occupied the back seat, and twelve dragoons and their leader accompanied the open chaise on horseback. Kronenberg scarcely listened to Liancourt's friendly words of encouragement. As the carriage was turning, he saw a white figure at the window, which he thought he recognized as Cecilia. His life had coalesced, as it were, into a dream or a strange fairy-tale.

My dear young fellow, resumed Liancourt, how could you be so impetuous as to trust an enemy officer with your most dangerous secrets? I would like to think that not everything you said about yourself is true; you were merely tempted by youthful vanity to pass yourself off as someone of importance. It is highly unlikely that any of us would have accepted that. But should it turn out to be so, then an inexplicable attack of insanity must have overcome you, though I have never encountered such a case before. But no court-martial will take that into account, since your own words and the testimony of Duplessis condemn you. How can one ever prove a negation?

Kronenberg agreed entirely with the grave man, whom everyone up to now had completely misjudged; he said nothing in his defence, but gave himself over completely to a dull stupor. From time to time he could not help laughing at himself for clothing his actions in a cloak of criminality, and all for the sake of a farce that now seemed ludicrous to him. He could not help feeling envious of those other two victims, whose blood was to be spilt by enemy bullets for a feat of courage and desperation.

They arrived in the city; thousands of curious onlookers scrutinized the prisoners. Kronenberg was given a small room for himself alone.

__________