XXIII
LONDON AND PARIS
Juve and Henri de Loubersac passed the night on the quay. Daybreakfound them marching side by side, keeping their weary watch and ward.De Loubersac had fallen silent; monosyllabic replies to Juve's remarkshad given place to no remarks at all. Juve looked at Henri and smiled.
"He has gone to the country of dreams: he sleeps standing."
In brotherly fashion, the policeman guided the young man towards theshelter: settled him in, and left him. He was within call if needed;meanwhile, he could have his sleep out.
Filling his pipe afresh, Juve resumed his walk along the quay. He wasuneasy; he was also in a bad humour. Why did Vinson and this priesttarry on the way? Why should Corporal Vinson, bearer of thiscompromising artillery piece, plant himself at a little hotel in Rouenfor the night? Had they been warned and stopped? Juve feared so.
"Evidently these men are acting for Fantomas," said he to himself:"Fantomas must be watching the police: he knows them, but they do notknow him.... Suppose he knows of our arrival at Dieppe?... Suppose thetwo traitors, being warned, have given our men the slip on the way?Suppose this stop at Rouen was caused by the telegram they received atthe garage?... If our arrival here has been signalled, our watch willbe fruitless: neither Vinson nor the priest will show themselves onthis quay!"
As he kept his tireless vigil. Juve eyed the yacht swinging gently onthe rising tide. Could he find a pretext which would take himaboard--justify a thorough investigation of boat and crew?... Theanswer to more than one tormenting problem might lie hidden there!
Then Juve recalled his talk with de Loubersac. Had he been happilyinspired to speak so to him of the girl he loved, the enigmaticWilhelmine? Suppose de Loubersac, instead of questioning her, brokewith her?
"It would be abominable of me to spoil this child's love affair forwhat are less than suspicions on my part--only the vaguesthypothesis!"
Juve smoked and ruminated as he paced the lonely quay.
"I need not worry," concluded he at last. "Granting that we shallclear up all these mysteries, Wilhelmine's innocence, her candour,will be made manifest; that being so, Henri de Loubersac will be thefirst to acknowledge it, the first to beg her forgiveness!... Lovers'quarrels are not serious quarrels--so!"...
Juve continued his tireless promenade.
Sailors seeking their fishing-boats swung past him in the growinglight of day.
Juve looked at his watch.
"I told them to put on a special for the night, and they haveinstructions to send me any telegrams.... Still, it is six o'clock....I will see if there is anything fresh!"
Juve found de Loubersac fast asleep in the sentry box, and shook himby the shoulder.
"Lieutenant!... Lieutenant!" he shouted: "Wake up! I want you to keepwatch while I run to Headquarters here.... There may be news!"
De Loubersac jumped up, wide awake in a moment. He took his turn onthe quay at once. Juve hurried to the police station. He was on thedoorstep when a telegraph boy rode up with a telegram. It was for ourdetective. The paper shook in Juve's hands as his eyes devoured themessage: it was in cypher.
_"Corporal Vinson taken refuge in London--recognised and identified by me this morning at four o'clock when leaving Victoria Station. I followed him and know where he is. What to be done next? Awaiting your orders."_
Juve wondered whether he was on his head or his heels. Vinson inLondon! Left Victoria Station this morning! What did it mean?
"The wire is precise in its details. The man who sends it is a sharppolice spy--never hesitates, never makes a blunder!... It seemsevident that Vinson has given us the slip! He must have reached thecoast at some point, and, in an unnoticed boat, has passed under ournoses this very night!... Here's a go! The very deuce of a go!"
Intensely irritated, excited, Juve read and reread the telegram,fussed and fumed about the police station under the scared eyes of thepoliceman on guard duty. That worthy began to think the detective fromParis was an unmitigated nuisance.
Juve did not take this humble colleague into his confidence. He issuedorders.
"You must not stir from here till the superintendent arrives. You willhand him this telegram addressed to me here. I will wire instructionsin the morning where they are to be forwarded to me in England."
"In England!"
"Yes, I am crossing immediately by a Cook's excursion steamer, whichgoes in an hour, unless I am mistaken!"
Juve found de Loubersac pacing the quay. He had been smoking cigarafter cigar to clear his head. Juve handed him a sheet of paper; on ithe had copied the text of the telegram.
"Read that!" he cried.... "These confounded spies have found means toescape our attentions--but this is not the end of the game!"
Lieutenant Henri was thunderstruck.
"What are you going to do, Juve?"
"Reach London with all speed. Will you come, Lieutenant?"
De Loubersac considered.
"No," he decided.... "In the first place, I have no right to leavethe country unless authorised to do so. I am not free to act accordingto my own good will and pleasure: besides, I have an idea there iswork for me in Paris.... To watch that little intriguer, Bobinette,will be an interesting task: from what you told me yesterday, she isup to the neck in those villainous plots and plans! While youinvestigate in London, Paris shall be my field of operations. Youapprove of this, Juve?"
"I think you are right."
Juve accompanied the lieutenant to the station: de Loubersac was in ahurry to be off. He would not wait for the noon express: he took theslow train. As it began to move, he and Juve exchanged a cordialhandshake.
"Good luck!" cried he.
"Thanks, Lieutenant. Good courage!"
The latter admonition was given with a purpose; for Juve was under noillusion as to de Loubersac's feelings.
"At any other time," thought he, "de Loubersac would have seen it tobe his duty to accompany me to London: he could have secured anauthorisation from his headquarters if required; besides, attached tothe Second Bureau as he is, no doubt the ordinary military rules andregulations would hardly apply to him: to a large extent he must beallowed a free hand in emergencies. This is an emergency--an importantone!... No, he wishes to see Wilhelmine: he is in love, is worried,suspicious: he wishes to clear up the mystery surrounding Wilhelmine'sidentity: he is determined to know what exactly were her relationswith Captain Brocq: also, he wants to find out all there is to findregarding Bobinette and her doings.... To get to the bottom of thesedark mysteries, unravel the tangled threads needs a clear head and abrave heart, for his feelings are deeply involved, and they may yet becut to the quick!... He is a straight goer, that young man!" wasJuve's concluding thought.... "He will do his duty: and when one doesone's duty, with rare exceptions, the result is happiness."
* * * * *
Whilst Juve returned to the jetty to await the departure of theexcursion steamer, Henri de Loubersac, alone in his compartment,reflected sadly on his relations with Wilhelmine.... He had loved hera long time. A frank, a sincere affection for her had gradually growninto a love which filled his whole heart and mind. Juve's words hadtroubled him profoundly. This spy chase had been a momentarydistraction, but now his anxieties, his suspicions, his fears, swarmedand buzzed among his thoughts: he could not banish them!
His reflections so absorbed him that he lost consciousness of time andplace: when the train came to a stand-still in Rouen station, he couldhave vowed they had left Dieppe but a few miles behind!
He would stretch his limbs on the platform. He jumped out; but, as hestrolled past the kiosks, gazing at the papers and magazines exhibitedin them, his mind was haunted but by one vision: Wilhelmine....
The train was about to leave: the porters were shouting: he hastenedto his compartment: his foot was on the mounting board: it might havebeen nailed there, for the moment!... A young woman was seated in thefurther corner. She had lowered her window, and, with head out,
waseither saying good-bye to someone or was watching the comings andgoings of the station.
Her attitude, the lines of her figure, were familiar to de Loubersac.He felt sure he knew her. He took his seat and awaited the turning ofher head.
A piercing whistle and the train began to move. The young woman drewback, pulled up the window, and sat back in her seat.
Henri de Loubersac saw her.
She made a movement of surprise.
"You! Monsieur Henri!"
"You! Mademoiselle Bobinette!"
"By what chance?" began de Loubersac.
Bobinette interrupted:
"It is rather I who might ask you that, Monsieur Henri!... As for me,I have been spending four days with my family at Rouen.... I asked fora holiday and Monsieur de Naarboveck very kindly granted it ... butyou?"
De Loubersac was nervously chewing the end of his blonde moustache.With a shrug he replied:
"Oh, I! It is never surprising to meet me in a train: I am constantlyon the move: here--there--everywhere!... You have news of MademoiselleWilhelmine?"
"Excellent news. You are coming to Monsieur de Naarboveck's soon?"
"I think of calling on the baron this evening."
Talk continued, commonplace, desultory. What questions crowded to hislips, sternly repressed!
"She lies," thought he, while listening to the details of her familyvisit. "She certainly lies!... I must pretend to be her dupe--themiserable creature!"
His whole soul revolted at the thought that this Bobinette, involvedas she must be in disgraceful adventures, abominable tragedies, sharedWilhelmine's home, was her so-called friend! He was seized by a maddesire to grip Bobinette by the throat--silence her lyingtongue--arrest, handcuff her on the spot--render her powerless!
He had noticed a vague line of black showing below her light colouredtaffeta skirt. It might be the frill of a petticoat just too long.Thinking no more of it he continued to chat of indifferent things....Presently, a quick movement of Bobinette's raised her skirt a littlemore. This time the watchful de Loubersac could not be mistaken: hehad seen clearly that what showed beneath Bobinette's skirt, every nowand again, was a priest's cassock!
Bobinette's dress concealed the disguise of a priest.
Too well he understood the part this perverse creature had beenplaying! Now he could account for their meeting in this train comingfrom Rouen!... She had recently associated with Corporal Vinson as apriest. She had seen him off, no doubt, and, anxious to rid herself ofher ecclesiastical exterior as quickly as might be, she had slipped ona dress over her ecclesiastical garment.
What was all this but a painful confirmation of Juve's words?... Howcould Wilhelmine be entirely ignorant of this dreadful creature'scharacter? How could Wilhelmine be wholly innocent of the terriblycompromising actions of her daily companion? Did Wilhelmine lackintuition? Was she without that delicate sensitiveness which is thebirthright of all nice women? How could a pure girl breathe themiasmic atmosphere which must emanate from the soul of this abominablewoman?
It was terrible!
The desultory commonplace chat went on, whilst de Loubersac wasconsidering how best to act.
Arrest Bobinette?
Yes. He must not, dare not, hesitate. It was his duty. If he held thisyoung woman at his mercy, it was, perhaps, the only way, painful as itwas, to ultimately clear up the position of Wilhelmine.
How proceed?
Whilst still chattering of this and that, Henri de Loubersac made uphis mind.
"Being a soldier, and not a policeman, I cannot myself arrest thiswoman. The scandal would be tremendous! I should get into the hottestof hot water with my chiefs: it is not my job.... Directly we arriveat the Saint Lazare station I will manage to signal one of the plainclothes men always on the watch there! Two of them will have her fastbefore she knows where she is!"
This seemed the easier because Bobinette had a heavy valise with her:she would have to call a porter and give him instructions--this wouldgive him time to act.
Reassured, Henri de Loubersac continued to laugh and joke, though itwent sorely against the grain....
At last! Saint Lazare station! The train stopped.
"I will say good-bye, Mademoiselle Bobinette.... I must hurry away!...You will excuse me?"
De Loubersac leaped on to the platform, jostling the passengerscrowding his path. He must reach the platform exit without a second'sdelay!... As he handed his ticket to the collecter, a hubbub arose.Passengers were stopping, turning back, running--something sensationalmust have happened!
He paused. He heard a porter at his elbow say in a low voice:
"Don't stop, Monsieur Henri--you may be noticed."
De Loubersac identified the speaker as a man in the employ of theSecond Bureau. He handed his wraps to this detective, dressed as anordinary porter.
"What is happening, then?" he asked.
"An arrest, ordered by the Second Bureau. There was a man, or a woman,in your train."
"Ah, Bobinette must have been identified at Rouen when she got intothe train--Juve's men must have wired from there!" Henri de Loubersacrejoiced. How he hated this creature, whose detestable influence mustharm Wilhelmine, whose wickedness might work woe to the girl he loved!This traitorous wretch would be under lock and key now!
Splendid!
With mind relieved, he thanked the informer and prepared to leave thestation. But, as he descended the steps leading to the Cour du Havrehe stopped. Two police detectives whom he knew well were walking oneither side a soldier in corporal's uniform--Vinson, of course! Theymust be taking him to the Cherche Midi prison.
De Loubersac realised what had happened.
"By-Jove! The telegram Juve had received at Dieppe must have beenfalse!... Vinson and Bobinette, discovering that they were underobservation, had found means to send Juve a telegram announcing thatVinson had been met in London: having thus drawn Juve over to Englandthey had returned to Paris.... The traitors must have separated: thiswould lessen their chances of being recognised.... They must havearrested Vinson as he was leaving the train.... Bobinette, becomeunrecognisable when her cassock was hidden, must have escaped!"
De Loubersac ran back. He hunted the station all over. He jumped intoa taxi and drove up and down all the adjoining streets; but the chasewas a useless one! Bobinette was invisible--Bobinette had seized heropportunity. She had disappeared!