The Ambassador smiled and shook his head. "I think you need not worry,"
he replied.

"And I'm perfectly sure, your Excellency, that if the United States is
neither directly or indirectly concerned in the matter of the letter,
and if you were to submit a translation of the letter to prove it, Mr.
Harleston will deliver to you the original."

"Did Monsieur Harleston tell you so?" the Marquis smiled.

"No, oh, no! I only thought that--"

"--in this one instance diplomats would trust each other?" he
interjected. "Alas, no! Monsieur Harleston would only assume the
translation to be false and given for the sole purpose of deception. I
should assume exactly the same, were our positions reversed."

"Couldn't you prove your translation by giving him the key to the
cipher?" she asked.

"My dear madame," the Marquis smiled, "such a thing would be
unprecedented--and would mean my instant dismissal from the service,
and trial for treason."

She made a gesture of defeat. "Well, you can at least have the letter
repeated by cable."

"Also we can cable the government to dispatch another letter," the
Ambassador soothed. "There are plenty of ways out of the difficulty, so