CHAPTER VI
A STROKE OF LUCK
As soon as I reached my room I sat down to look the difficulties of theproblem before me fairly in the face. And formidable enough they were.
The interview with Althea had shifted the axis of everything. What Ihad deemed the mere comedy of the Imperial marriage--a matter which afew words of explanation would set right instantly--had developed into agrave drama in which Althea's future was imperilled. And with that wasintertwined my own happiness.
Her confidence in telling me everything so frankly, no less than thehundred little touches with which it had all been told, had at onceraised my own hopes of being able to win her if only I could clear awaythe tangle, and at the same time had convinced me of her belief that theforces arrayed against us were too formidable to be overcome.
I did not make the mistake of underrating them. This summons to Countvon Felsen was a proof that I must reckon with powerful Courtinfluences; and that if I was not to be beaten, I must find some meansof defeating not only von Felsen but his influential father also.
That meant that I must be able to secure the pardon for Althea's erraticfather which was to be the price of her consent to the proposedmarriage.
For such a purpose it would not be enough to rouse old Ziegler's furyagainst von Felsen on the score of the latter's contemplated refusal tomarry Hagar. Even if that marriage took place and von Felsen were thusunable to marry Althea, the latter's case would not be helped. Herfather would remain unpardoned, and she herself and Chalice would be inthe same danger.
I must dig deeper than that. I had appreciated this when Althea hadbeen telling me her story, and my thought had been to get von Felsen socompletely into my power that I could make terms even with his father.
This would be difficult, of course; but not perhaps impossible. If Icould but get proofs that he had been acting in collusion with thePolish party, and had actually used his position in his father's officeto obtain information and sell it to them, I should have him surelyenough.
That he had done it, and was going to do it again, my talk with Zieglerhad made me pretty certain. But how was I to get the proof?
I spent several profitless hours wrestling with that puzzle, and sat farinto the night endeavouring to hit on a scheme by which von Felsen mightbe trapped. Only to be utterly baffled, however.
If it could be done at all, it would have to be through Ziegler; but howto use him without rousing his suspicions of my purpose, I could notsee.
On the following morning I was starting for the interview with theMinister, when a letter came from Ziegler asking me to see him on "veryparticular business." Glad of the opportunity to see him so soonwithout having appeared to seek the interview, I sent word I would callin the course of the morning; and I was not a little curious as to whatthe "very particular business" would prove to be. I could only hope itwould give the opportunity I sought.
My reception at the Count's office was very different from what I hadanticipated from the peremptory nature of the summons. I did not seethe Minister himself but his secretary named Borsen, whom I knew to beclosely in his confidence. He had moreover been friendly with me duringmy time as newspaper correspondent. He received me very pleasantly, andshook hands with a great show of cordiality. "I just want to have alittle informal chat over matters with you, my dear Bastable, in aperfectly frank and friendly way," he said with a smile.
"The invitation was not exactly informal, Borsen," I replied.
"Ah well, you know we are sticklers for red tape. If I had been inLondon I should have dropped in on you without any invitation at all,but here----" and he flourished his hands as a finish to the sentence.
"I should have been pleased to see you in Berlin, also," I laughed,adapting my manner to his.
"But you have visitors and I might have been in the way, you see."
"Visitors?" I repeated with a lift of the brows. "Ah, let us beperfectly frank with one another."
"Certainly. Will you lead the way?"
"Well, we know that Fraeulein Korper is in your house." He paused forme to make the admission.
"If she were there, I should certainly know it. My sister wouldscarcely----"
"Won't you admit it?" he interrupted. "And save time?"
"Hadn't you better tell me first why you think it?"
He laughed. "You were leaving Berlin and changed your plans at the lastmoment. At the station you were with your sister whose looks had sochanged--she was dark, you know, not fair--that no one could recognizeher. The dark young lady drove with you to your house. Your Germanservant, Gretchen, I think her name is, saw her on her arrival. Youdischarged that most worthy young woman suddenly. There is a lady inyour house who sings the songs of the accomplished Chalice Mennerheim ina voice which is the counterpart of Fraeulein Korper's. Need I say anymore?"
"My dear Borsen, nobody knows better than you the absolute unreliabilityof merely circumstantial evidence. Herr Dormund came yesterday to see mysister, and would instantly have recognized her as the lady he saw atthe station, but just as she was coming down to him, he had to leave thehouse."
"Very well, then we'll assume she is not there. But report says thatyou take a deep personal interest in her. Do you know who she is?" andhe went on to tell me what Althea herself had already told me about theBaron von Ringheim, her father, his ill reputation as an irreconcilable,the desire to arrest him, and further that Althea herself was believedto have been helping him in his designs.
"All of which means?" I asked when he ended.
"That I am sure your knowledge of political matters and police methodshere in Berlin will render you extremely unwilling to run counter tothem in any way."
"I am much obliged to you for the warning, Borsen; and now suppose weget on to the real purport of this interview."
"As blunt as ever, eh?" he laughed.
"Well, my dear fellow, of course if she was in my house and your peopleknew it, you'd send straight away and arrest her; and then probably dosomething unpleasant to me for having helped her. Why don't you?"
"That may come, and be followed by the arrest of Fraeulein ChaliceMennerheim as well. But we don't wish to involve you in any bother, youknow. And if you were found to have helped her to escape, it might bevery awkward for you. It might really."
"Oh, I think I have friends influential enough to see me through alittle thing like that. Shall we get on? You spoke of frankness,remember."
"Well, in the first place I am bound to warn you; but we also wish todeal very confidentially with you. The fact is that a marriage has beenarranged between her and Count von Felsen's son, young Hugo von Felsen,you know."
"I wish for his father's sake that I knew less about him, or rather thatthere was less to know. I know also that the Count is very anxious tosee him settling down a bit; but what I am not so sure about is why agirl like Fraeulein Korper should be sacrificed in the interest of athorough-paced young scoundrel like Hugo von Felsen."
"You put it rather strongly; but he is not a very brilliant type,perhaps. Still, we can't talk of sacrifice. As a matter of fact such amarriage would be of the greatest advantage to the lady herself. HisMajesty would pardon her father, and all the family estates andproperty, confiscated on his banishment, would be restored. You can seefor yourself the advantages to her and her people."
"Another Imperial marriage, eh?" I said drily. "And the Prince vonGraven?"
"That is another reason why she must really consent. If the Emperor wereto get wind of that matter, well----" The consequences were tooterrible to be told in words.
"It's a pretty mix up, anyhow," said I. It was clear that that secretabout Chalice had been kept, at any rate. "And not particularlychivalrous to attack the girl in the case. But now suppose I hadsufficient influence to induce her to abandon that Prince business?"
"Could you really do that?" he asked eagerly.
"Persuasion migh
t succeed where force would certainly fail. Now,suppose she did give him up, would the Imperial clemency follow--for herfather, I mean."
"That is the Emperor's matter. His Majesty does not make terms, helooks for submission to his wishes."
"The Prince would be a better match than von Felsen, even at the worst.Drive matters, and you may find some morning you have driven those twoto the altar," I said meaningly as I got up. "Let me have a day or twoto see what can be done."
He smiled, but not without some chagrin. "I sent for you to warn you,and here you are making terms, as if you were a delegate. Myinstructions are to tell you frankly that if you interfere in thismatter, we shall ask you to return to England."
"That's better than gaol, anyway. But, seriously, don't you think itwould be useful to have a delegate? Your own term. All said and done itisn't a pretty story--for the newspapers, say."
"Going to threaten us now, hanged if you're not. You ought to have gonein for diplomacy. Assurance like that would carry you far," he jested."Well, come and see me again in a day or two and tell me that the Princeaffair is at an end for a start."
I had gained two important things by the interview: delay, which wasinvaluable to me; and a confirmation of von Felsen's statement toAlthea. I knew Borsen well enough to feel sure that, although he hadreferred in a tone of jest to his instructions to send me packing fromBerlin, they were genuine; and I should have been under orders to leave,had he not managed to convince himself that more was to be gained byletting me remain "as a delegate."
As I had said, it was not a pretty story; and the affair was one whichall concerned would be much more willing to settle secretly andpeacefully than by force. He remembered no doubt that in a former matterI had won my way by means of suggestive paragraphs in the Englishpapers. Publicity is a fairly sure card to play with the officials ofhis Imperial Majesty the Kaiser.
What I had to do was to make the best use of my time of grace, and Iwent straight from Borsen to old Ziegler.
"This is indeed an act of friendship to come so promptly, HerrBastable," he declared with his customary effusiveness, as he placed achair for me and put a box of cigars at my elbow.
"You said it was urgent, Ziegler. What's the matter?"
"There is nothing the matter; at least nothing that I should allow youto be disturbed about. But I want to have a little very confidentialchat with you. You will smoke?"
I lighted a cigar. "Well?"
"I have been thinking over our talk of yesterday, and your expressionsof sympathy with us; and a curious thing has happened. I have notbreathed a word to a soul about that talk; but last night one of ourfriends mentioned your name with a hint that some one had been talkingto you of our plans."
"A curious coincidence," I replied drily.
"By my mother's memory, it is nothing more, Herr Bastable. I declarethat most solemnly." He was very earnest and appeared to be telling thetruth. "You were seen to leave here yesterday, and the question wasasked whether you were ferreting out things, or whether you were likelyto be in sympathy with our plans and objects."
"And what did you say?" I asked with a smile.
"I spoke of your expressions of sympathy."
"Yes?" I queried.
He smiled and rubbed his hands. "You see you have never before given mea hint."
"Intentionally."
"Yet I should like to know the extent of your sympathy."
"Why?"
"You are chary of your words, Herr Bastable."
"All the more time for you to talk, Ziegler. Out with it."
He rolled his eyes round his head and then let them rest on me. "Youmake it difficult; but at any rate you will not speak of what I maysay?"
"You know that without my repeating it."
"Well, you English are like us Poles in one respect--you all love yourcountry, Herr Bastable. What if I could get you news which closelyconcerns your country? You would not refuse to hear it, or to make useof it, eh? Merely because that course would prejudice the GermanGovernment?"
"I say nothing until I know more."
He lowered his voice and bent toward me. "England would like to knowexactly the German policy in naval matters? This Government does notwish it known, because it would prejudice the Kaiser. If I had suchinformation, Heir Bastable, could you get it published broadcast inEngland in such way as to prevent the source being known?"
"Easily and readily. But I must be convinced."
"If there were a naval scheme already in the pigeon-holes of theGovernment here formulated against England, and based upon knowledge ofthe strength of the English navy, its publication would make a blaze,eh?" His eyes were positively scintillating with cunning as he fixedthem now upon me.
"You may gamble on that," I said. "But you'd have to be sure of yourfacts."
"If you were to have the secret papers themselves, eh?"
His eyes were off me so that he missed my start of intense satisfactionat this. To make a pause I took my cigar from my lips and pretended torelight it. "Von Felsen?" I asked then in a casual tone.
He was quick enough to detect that my calm tone was assumed and he shota very keen glance at me. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I don't trust him, and because he would not have anything to dowith it if he thought I was in it."
"He will not know, and he will do what I tell him," was the terse reply.
"And why are you keen on it?"
"Do you think it would do this Government any good to be caught indouble dealing with a power like England?" and he launched into a tiradeagainst the Kaiser and his Government, all the venom and bitterness ofhis hatred apparent in every word.
This gave me time to think the thing round. It was just a lovely strokeof good fortune; and all I had to do was so to arrange matters that theproofs of von Felsen's treachery should come directly into my hands.
As soon as Ziegler's fury had exhausted itself, we set to work todiscuss the details of the plan. He himself was not going to appear init. That was his invariable practice, I knew. There was to be no jotor tittle of evidence in existence which would incriminate him, exceptonly von Felsen's word; and as he would be the actual thief, histestimony would be entirely discredited. As soon as I perceived this, Ioffered to take the risk of receiving the papers direct from von Felsenthe instant they were ready to be handed over. But I made it anabsolute condition that he was not to know I was in the thing until thevery last moment, when he had the papers actually in his possession andwas ready to hand them over.
The hour and place were then to be communicated to me secretly, and Iwas to do the rest. That would fit in with my plans well enough, and Iagreed readily.
"Then there remains only one little point," said Ziegler, after a pause."There will be some money to be paid, of course. And this can only bein return for the papers themselves."
"Who is to find it?"
"My friends, naturally; but----" He paused with a gesture of doubt."It is only equally natural that they would wish to have the papersfirst, and as you are to get them---- What do you think, eh?"
"How much?"
"Only twenty thousand marks," he replied lightly, as if a thousandpounds were a mere bagatelle.
Fortunately I was now in a position to be able to spare such a sumwithout inconvenience, and would willingly have paid a much larger sumto gain the end I had in view. "Not much difficulty there. You couldgive me the money and they could repay you."
"My dear Herr Bastable!" he cried, lifting his hands in horror at theidea. "Do you think I am made of money? Your country is going togain."
"Oh, you want me to find it in the first instance. Very well."
"Oh, what a treat it is to do business with an English gentleman likeyou!" His relief at my ready agreement was comic and I smiled. "Andnow that settles the whole matter, except that one last little point.You must let me take you to one or two of our friends and let them knowthat you are in sympathy with our cause."
&nb
sp; "Stop a moment. I can't turn Irreconcilable in that offhand manner."
"Let me explain. There are some of my friends who think that you areagainst us. Some hints have been dropped that you have been makinginquiries, and not in our interest."
"That I am a spy, eh? You know better than that, Ziegler, don't you?"
"I would trust you with my life," he exclaimed grandiloquently. "But itwould smooth things if you were to do as I suggest. Secrecy iseverything to us; and there are some among us who would go to anyextreme if they thought there was treachery anywhere."
I paused to take breath and think.
"This matter could not be arranged otherwise," he put in, seeing mehesitate.
"Very well. You can assure them I am in full sympathy in thisparticular matter anyhow, and I'll meet any one of them when you please.But von Felsen must know nothing."
It was a risk of course; but I could not let anything come in the way ofmy plans; and I left the house well pleased.
If matters went as they promised, I should have von Felsen so fast in mypower that I could even dictate my terms to his father. For such anend, and all it meant to me, I would have faced twenty times the risk.