CHAPTER XVII
"W. MISCHEN'S" WAREHOUSE
When I read Borsen's letter through the second time, I thought I coulddetect a little more in it than appeared on the surface. "Any timeto-morrow will do, but not later," he wrote; and he had dated his note"midday."
I judged therefore that he was really stretching a point in order togive me time to get my visitor away, and so be able to "contradict thereport." There was plenty of time for him to have seen me thatafternoon: the obvious course in the case of a matter so really serious.But he had given me the interval to afford me the time to free myselffrom suspicion.
He was a very good fellow, and had at one time been very friendly withme; but there was something besides friendship behind his present step.I had convinced him in Chalice's matter that I was likely to succeed aswell with Althea; and being a negotiator with a preference for the pathof least resistance, he preferred that I should have the time to pullthat chestnut out of the fire for him rather than that he should have todo it himself.
There was a still further reason. The presence of Baron von Ringheim inBerlin was likely to be more than a little embarrassing to Count vonFelsen's scheme for his son. They knew perfectly well that he wouldonly venture to come to the capital for some such purpose as that whichhad actually brought him; and if he were to be taken at such a junctureand under such suspicious circumstances, the Kaiser's promise of apardon was pretty sure to be withdrawn.
Borsen was thus turning the screw on me to force me to take the stepswhich they greatly desired and could not take for themselves.
I determined to put this to the test at once, therefore, with a littlebluff, I scribbled a hasty line to the effect that I could go roundimmediately, if he wished; but that on the following day I shouldprobably be going on a journey with a friend.
I intended him to infer that I should be taking the Baron out of thecity. He read the letter in that light; and sent back word that he wasgoing away at once, and that under the circumstances the next day butone would do well enough for the purpose.
I had a respite of twenty-four hours. I told Althea what had passed,and that I could not possibly face Borsen unless in the meanwhile wecould prevail upon her father to leave the city, and I described myrough idea of getting him away by a fairy-tale about the discovery ofthe plot.
Partly with the object of being able to give colour to the story, andpartly out of a desire to ascertain something more about the doings ofthe Baron's associates, I went down to the riverside to have a look attheir headquarters.
I was extremely anxious about his account of the intended attempt towreck the _Wundervoll_, and resolved of course to prevent it. The wholeEmpire was in one of those flushes of feeling about the navy which theEmperor's policy had created; and I knew that such an outrage wouldincense the authorities, and that the punishment meted out would be inproportion to their wrath.
Directly or indirectly, some of that demand for vengeance would fall onAlthea as well as on myself--if it became generally known that I hadsheltered one of the chief perpetrators--and I had to find the means ofsecretly preventing so disastrous a result.
The riverside premises looked harmless enough. The name, "W. Mischen,"had been newly painted up, and a suggestion that a corn business wasbeing carried on there was evidenced by some sacks of grain.
The office was open, and I could see one man inside, lounging idly at adesk, obviously with nothing to do. But the moment he heard my step andcaught sight of me, he began to work on a big ledger with over-actedactivity.
I resolved to risk going in. The adjoining premises were to let, so Iused that as an excuse and asked him if he could tell me anything aboutthem. A very few questions convinced me that he was a Berliner who hadprobably been engaged as a clerk to give a cover to the fictitiousbusiness.
Under the pretext of a desire to see whether the water front would suitmy purposes--I was a wharfinger for the moment--I got him to show meover the premises. I found, of course, that the place would not suit me.
"Some one appears to be very busy over there," I said, pointing a littleway down the river where a number of men in boats were at work.
"They are dockyard men laying down moorings. They have all but finishednow. I believe the _Wundervoll_ is to be moored there for a while.Have you seen her? A splendid ship she'll be when she's fitted. I am abig navy man. We shall never be safe until we have a fleet as big asEngland's."
"It will come in time," I replied; and we went inside again. I saw thereason for the wharf now; and wondered how they had succeeded in gettingwind of the Government's intention so early.
"I am really very much obliged to you," I said as we stood again in theoffice. "You seem rather short-handed too, so I mustn't take up yourtime."
"Oh, I haven't much to do yet. The firm is only just starting here.This is to be only the Berlin branch; the business is at Hamburg, youknow. I wish I had more to do; but of course it takes a lot of time toget things going."
I thanked him again and left. I was well repaid for the visit. Thescheme had been shrewdly planned. When the vessel lay within so short adistance of the wharf, the attack would be comparatively easy, andsuccess quite attainable. A bomb with a time fuse attached could easilybe thrown on board her.
How could I prevent it? That was the rub. I went up to the Press Clubthinking this out.
If I could have been certain that the bomb which I had thrown into theriver was really that which was to be used, I should almost have beenwilling to let the matter rest where it was, for I had already preventeddisaster.
But a little further consideration almost made my flesh creep. The bombI had given the Baron would do no harm to the vessel, but it might verywell blow me into prison. It would be found, of course; inquiries wouldfollow, and the obliging young man who had made it for me, "for privatetheatricals," would give a description of me and an account of thetransaction which I should be unable to explain away; while theagreeable fellow at the wharf would be able to tell how I had gone downto "inquire about the untenanted premises."
That wouldn't do; so with a curse at the Baron and all his works--exceptpaternity of Althea--I turned to think of some other plan.
There was only one way. I must get such information to the authoritiesas would induce them to choose some other moorings for the warship. AndI must do it at once.
My old press connexions must find the means. There were plenty ofGerman newspaper men who would have given their ears for such a story asI could tell them; but I could not trust them to hold their tongues asto the source of the information. And that was of course essential.
The story must come from London, or better, from Paris; and the only manI dared to trust in the matter was Bassett--the correspondent who hadtaken my place. I telephoned him to come to me at the club, and when hearrived I told him as much of the case as was necessary.
I explained that I had stumbled on the information by chance, but in amanner which rendered it impossible for my name to be mentioned. He wasanxious enough to get a "scoop," and readily promised to keep myconnexion absolutely secret. Together we drew up such a paragraph aswould set the ball rolling, and he agreed to warn the naval authoritiesin his own name that the object of attack was the _Wundervoll_, and thather safety depended upon her not being taken to the proposed moorings.
It was a common enough thing for newspaper men to get hold ofinformation a long way ahead of the authorities, and for the sources ofit to be kept secret.
"I'll hold my tongue about you, of course," he said as we were parting."And I'm awfully obliged to you. It's just what I want, as a matter offact. The navy people here have been awfully close with me andstandoffish, and this will put matters on just the footing I need."
I went home in a well satisfied mood. One of the many tangles wasunravelled. There would be no outrage of any sort; and for my ownprotection I must get that bogus bomb back into my own hands as soon aspossible.
That was almost as essential as getting the Baron away.
But I found trouble waiting for me at home. The Baron had gone to bedill, and Althea was at her wits-end to know whether she dared call in adoctor. I went up with her to his room, and found him apparently verybad indeed. He looked very ill, and had been complaining of intensepain.
To move him was clearly impossible, even if he had been willing to goaway.
"For his own sake we must do without a doctor if we can," I told her.
"I thought he was going to die a little time ago, but he appears to beeasier now. I did not know what to do for the best," she replied as shebent over him and smoothed his pillows and kissed him.
"After Borsen's letter I meant to get him to leave the city. Every hourafter to-morrow will be one of danger for him."
Unfortunately he heard this, and between his gasps and groans of pain heabused me for a traitor and ordered me out of the room. I did not payany heed at first, but it soon became evident that my presence excitedhim so much that Althea begged me to go.
His illness was checkmate so far as getting him out of the house for thepresent was concerned; and as that was all important, I deemed it bestto take the additional risk of having a doctor to get him well enough totravel.
While I was still considering this, Althea came down, and I told her.
"Not yet," she said decidedly. "I think he is better again. He ravedalmost deliriously after you had left the room; that you and all of usin fact were bent upon betraying the cause, and that if any attempt weremade to get him out of the city he would---- Oh, he talked most wildly.What can we do, Mr. Bastable? I am so grieved that I have brought allthis on you."
"I told you before that we would not go out to look for trouble. Afterall, it may end in nothing serious. We have all to-morrow; and it willbe quite time enough if he goes then."
"You try to make so light of it, but----" She broke off and threw upher hands.
"We shall have plenty of time to worry when the need comes, if it is tocome," I answered with a smile. "You will be ill yourself if you are notmore careful."
"The excitement has worn him out so that he is sleeping a little now,"she said. "I dare not leave him for long; but I felt I must come downto you for a minute."
"It may be the beginning of an improvement. Of course there is one wayin which we might venture to move him."
"How?"
"A sleeping draught, and take him away as an invalid."
But she shook her head vigorously at the suggestion.
"I dare not. His heart is so weak, he might die under it."
"That closes that door then"; and I endeavoured to make her feel that Irefused to take things too seriously.
There was a slight pause during which she glanced at me twice nervouslyand said hesitatingly: "There is another way if you will take it."
"Not the last resource, yet. It has not come to that by a long way."
"No. I--I mean--you ought to think of Bessie. I wish that. You must."
"Do you mean she should go away? I am afraid she would not care to go.I wish she would."
"But you--you might take her."
"Althea!" The Christian name slipped from me unwittingly in my quickprotest against the suggestion that I should desert her. I stopped inconfusion, and the colour rushed to her face. We were both embarrassedby the blunder.
Presently she raised her eyes to mine. "Please do it. I wish it," sheurged in a low, intensely earnest tone.
"Do you believe it possible?"
"If you care at all for what I say or wish, you will do it."
"Then I am afraid we must take it that I do not," I answered, smiling.
"But if Bessie were only safely away, I should not mind so much."
"She is not in any serious danger. They would not do anything to her."
"You know what I mean," she cried quickly. "Why force me to say it? Icannot bear the thought of bringing you into this danger. The fear ofwhat may happen haunts me every moment, day and night. You must go."
"You are letting your fears exaggerate the danger. I cannot go."
"You must. I insist." Quite vehemently uttered, this.
"Don't force me to the discourtesy of a flat refusal."
Her earnestness was only magnified. "You shall go. I am quitedetermined. You shall go or----" Her eyes were flashing and herfeatures set with resolve.
"I am just as determined as you."
She paused and then said very deliberately, but with lips that quivered:"If you do not, I shall go to Herr von Felsen and accept his terms. Iwill not accept the sacrifice which you are intent on making for me."
There was a pause while we looked one at the other, every line of herlovely face eloquent of her purpose; and before I could reply, we wereface to face with another crisis that drove everything else out of ourthoughts for the moment.
Believing that I was alone, Ellen opened the door and announced HerrDormund.
I had just time to whisper to Althea, "You had better be Bessie,remember," when he came in bristling with importance. He paused onseeing that I was not alone, and I went forward and offered him my hand."Come in, Herr Dormund. It is only my sister. Then you'll see to thatfor me, Bessie; and don't let me have to bother again about it."
Dormund had bowed when I referred to her and then turned to me with avery significant look. "I have not yet had the pleasure of beingpresented to--your sister."
"I clean forgot. Pardon. Bessie, Herr Dormund. You have often heard mespeak of him."
She was close to the door and turned to give him a gracious bow. Wouldhe let her go? I watched him very anxiously.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting you once before, Fraeulein--at thestation a day or two ago," he said. "I am delighted to see you again."
She was at a loss for a reply, so I cut in: "Run and see to that atonce, Bess; and then perhaps when Herr Dormund has finished his businessyou can return."
He did let her go; so I gathered that Feldermann had passed on to himthe instructions from Borsen.
And very fortunate it was. For just as the door closed behind her, Iheard Bessie's voice calling loudly and with some alarm: "Althea!Althea!" followed by the voices of the two as they met.
"Then you have two sisters, Herr Bastable?" said Dormund very drily ashe turned with a very meaning look. "It is a coincidence that the nameof one of them should be Althea."
"'Tis odd, isn't it?" and forcing a smile, as though it was acoincidence and nothing more, I motioned him to a chair, sat down, andpushed the cigar-box across to him.
It should be his move first at any rate.