Suffice it that it is so
situated that there is not one chance in a million of anyone else
coming upon it. Its date is different from that of any known catacomb,
and it has been reserved for the burial of the highest Christians, so
that the remains and the relics are quite different from anything which
has ever been seen before. If I was not aware of your knowledge and of
your energy, my friend, I would not hesitate, under the pledge of
secrecy, to tell you everything about it. But as it is I think that I
must certainly prepare my own report of the matter before I expose
myself to such formidable competition." Kennedy loved his subject with a love which was almost a mania--a love
which held him true to it, amidst all the distractions which come to a
wealthy and dissipated young man. He had ambition, but his ambition
was secondary to his mere abstract joy and interest in everything which
concerned the old life and history of the city. He yearned to see this
new underworld which his companion had discovered. "Look here, Burger," said he, earnestly, "I assure you that you can
trust me most implicitly in the matter. Nothing would induce me to put
pen to paper about anything which I see until I have your express
permission. I quite understand your feeling and I think it is most
natural, but you have really nothing whatever to fear from me. On the
other hand, if you don't tell me I shall make a systematic search, and
I shall most certainly discover it. In that case, of course, I should
make what use I liked of it, since I should be under no obligation to
you." Burger smiled thoughtfully over his cigar. "I have noticed, friend Kennedy," said he, "that when I want
information over any point you are not always so ready to supply it." "When did you ever ask me anything that I did not tell you? You
remember, for example, my giving you the material for your paper about
the temple of the Vestals." "Ah, well, that was not a matter of much importance. If I were to
question you upon some intimate thing would you give me an answer, I
wonder! This new catacomb is a very intimate thing to me, and I should
certainly expect some sign of confidence in return." "What you are driving at I cannot imagine," said the Englishman, "but
if you mean that you will answer my question about the catacomb if I
answer any question which you may put to me I can assure you that I
will certainly do so." "Well, then," said Burger, leaning luxuriously back in his settee, and
puffing a blue tree of cigar-smoke into the air, "tell me all about
your relations with Miss Mary Saunderson." Kennedy sprang up in his chair and glared angrily at his impassive
companion. "What the devil do you mean?" he cried. "What sort of a question is
this? You may mean it as a joke, but you never made a worse one." "No, I don't mean it as a joke," said Burger, simply. "I am really
rather interested in the details of the matter. I don't know much
about the world and women and social life and that sort of thing, and
such an incident has the fascination of the unknown for me. I know
you, and I knew her by sight--I had even spoken to her once or twice. I should very much like to hear from your own lips exactly what it was
which occurred between you." "I won't tell you a word." "That's all right. It was only my whim to see if you would give up a
secret as easily as you expected me to give up my secret of the new
catacomb. You wouldn't, and I didn't expect you to. But why should you
expect otherwise of me? There's Saint John's clock striking ten. It
is quite time that I was going home." "No; wait a bit, Burger," said Kennedy; "this is really a ridiculous
caprice of yours to wish to know about an old love-affair which has
burned out months ago. You know we look upon a man who kisses and
tells as the greatest coward and villain possible." "Certainly," said the German, gathering up his basket of curiosities,
"when he tells anything about a girl which is previously unknown he
must be so. But in this case, as you must be aware, it was a public
matter which was the common talk of Rome, so that you are not really
doing Miss Mary Saunderson any injury by discussing her case with me. But still, I respect your scruples; and so good night!" "Wait a bit, Burger," said Kennedy, laying his hand upon the other's
arm; "I am very keen upon this catacomb business, and I can't let it
drop quite so easily. Would you mind asking me something else in
return--something not quite so eccentric this time?" "No, no; you have refused, and there is an end of it," said Burger,
with his basket on his arm. "No doubt you are quite right not to
answer, and no doubt I am quite right also--and so again, my dear
Kennedy, good night!" The Englishman watched Burger cross the room, and he had his hand on
the handle of the door before his host sprang up with the air of a man
who is making the best of that which cannot be helped. "Hold on, old fellow," said he; "I think you are behaving in a most
ridiculous fashion; but still; if this is your condition, I suppose
that I must submit to it. I hate saying anything about a girl, but, as
you say, it is all over Rome, and I don't suppose I can tell you
anything which you do not know already. What was it you wanted to
know?" The German came back to the stove, and, laying down his basket, he sank
into his chair once more. "May I have another cigar?" said he. "Thank you very much! I never
smoke when I work, but I enjoy a chat much more when I am under the
influence of tobacco. Now, as regards this young lady, with whom you
had this little adventure. What in the world has become of her?" "She is at home with her own people." "Oh, really--in England?" "Yes." "What part of England--London?" "No, Twickenham." "You must excuse my curiosity, my dear Kennedy, and you must put it
down to my ignorance of the world. No doubt it is quite a simple thing
to persuade a young lady to go off with you for three weeks or so, and
then to hand her over to her own family at--what did you call the
place?" "Twickenham." "Quite so--at Twickenham. But it is something so entirely outside my
own experience that I cannot even imagine how you set about it. For
example, if you had loved this girl your love could hardly disappear in
three weeks, so I presume that you could not have loved her at all. But if you did not love her why should you make this great scandal
which has damaged you and ruined her?" Kennedy looked moodily into the red eye of the stove. "That's a logical way of looking at it, certainly," said he. "Love is a
big word, and it represents a good many different shades of feeling. I
liked her, and--well, you say you've seen her--you know how charming
she could look. But still I am willing to admit, looking back, that I
could never have really loved her." "Then, my dear Kennedy, why did you do it?" "The adventure of the thing had a great deal to do with it." "What! You are so fond of adventures!" "Where would the variety of life be without them?