What is he coming to Thors for? He is not a sportsman;
why, he would be afraid of a cock pheasant, though he would be plucky
enough among the hens. You don't imagine he is in love with Catrina, do
you?"
"No," said Paul sharply, "I don't."
Steinmetz raised his bushy eyebrows. Etta and De Chauxville skated past
them at that moment, laughing gayly.
"I have been thinking about it," went on Steinmetz, "and I have come to
the conclusion that our friend hates you personally. He has a grudge
against you of some sort. Of course he hates me--cela va sans dire. He
has come to Russia to watch us. That I am convinced of. He has come here
bent on mischief. It may be that he is hard up and is to be bought. He
is always to be bought, ce bon De Chauxville, at a price. We shall see."
Steinmetz paused and glanced at Paul. He could not tell him more. He
could not tell him that his wife had sold the Charity League papers to
those who wanted them. He could not tell him all that he knew of Etta's
past. None of these things could Karl Steinmetz, in the philosophy that
was his, tell to the person whom they most concerned. And who are we
that we may hold him wrong? The question of telling and withholding is
not to be dismissed in a few words. But it seems very certain that there
is too much telling, too much speaking out, and too little holding in,
in these days of much publicity.
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