We know that they are a fake. But we are going
to sell them through that friend of ours in the United States War
Department. But that is only part of the coup, the part that will
give us the money to turn the much larger coups we have in the
future. You can understand why it has all to be done so secretly
and how vexatious it is that as soon as one obstacle is overcome
a dozen new ones appear. Louise, here is the big secret. By using
those fake plans as a bait we are going to obtain something which
when we all return to Paris we can convert into thousands of francs.
There, I can say no more. But I have told you so much to impress
upon you the extreme need of caution."
"And how much does Miss Lovelace know?"
"Very little - I hope. That is why I must go to Washington myself.
She must know nothing of this coup nor of the real de Nevers, or
the whole scheme may fall through. It would have fallen through
before, Louise, if you had failed us and had let any of de Nevers's
letters slip through to Miss Lovelace. She richly deserved her fate
for that act of treachery. The affair would have been so simple,
otherwise. Luck was with us until her insane jealousy led her to
visit Miss Lovelace. It was fortunate the young lady was out when
Madame called on her or all would have been lost.
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