CHAPTER XXXVI
CHECKMATE!
Of the four men, Selingman was the first to recover himself.
"Who the hell are you, and how did you get up there?" he roared.
"I am Richard Lane," the young man explained affably, "and there's a wayup from the music-room. You probably didn't notice it. And there's a waydown, as you may perceive," he added, pointing to the spiral staircase."I'll join you, if I may."
There was a dead silence as for a moment Richard disappeared and wasseen immediately afterwards descending the round staircase. Mr. Grextouched Selingman on the arm and whispered in his ear. Selingman nodded.There were evil things in the faces of both men as Lane approached them.
"Will you kindly explain your presence here at once, sir?" Mr. Grexordered.
"I say!" Richard protested. "A joke's a joke, but when you ask a man toexplain his presence on his own boat, you're coming it just a littlethick, eh? To tell you the truth, I had some sort of an idea of askingyou the same question."
"What do you mean--your own boat?" Draconmeyer demanded.
He was, perhaps, the first to realise the situation. Richard thrust hishands into his pockets and sat upon the edge of the table.
"Seems to me," he remarked, "that you gentlemen have made some sort of amistake. Where do you think you are, anyway?"
"On board Schwann's yacht, the _Christabel_," Selingman replied.
Richard shook his head.
"Not a bit of it," he assured them. "This is the steam-yacht,_Minnehaha_, which brought me over from New York, and of which I am mostassuredly the owner. Now I come to think of it," he went on, "there wasanother yacht leaving the harbour at the same time. Can't have happenedthat you boarded the wrong boat, eh?"
Mr. Grex was icily calm, but there was menace of the most dangerous sortin his look and manner.
"Nothing of that sort was possible," he declared, "as you are, withoutdoubt, perfectly well aware. It appears to me that this is a deliberateplot. The yacht which I and my friends thought that we were boardingto-night was the _Christabel_, which my servant had instructions to hirefrom Schwann of Monaco. I await some explanation from you, sir, as toyour purpose in sending your pinnace to the landing-stage of the VillaMimosa and deliberately misleading us as to our destination?"
"Well, I don't know that I've got much to say about that," Richardreplied easily.
"You are offering us no explanation?" Selingman demanded.
"None," Richard assented coolly.
Selingman suddenly struck the table with his clenched fist.
"You were not alone up in that gallery!"
"Getting warm, aren't you?" Richard murmured.
Selingman turned to Grex.
"This young man is Hunterleys' friend. They've fixed this up betweenthem. Listen!"
A door slammed above their heads. Some one had left the music gallery.
"Hunterleys himself!" Selingman cried.
"Sure!" Richard assented. "Bright fellow, Selingman," he continuedamiably. "I wouldn't try that on, if I were you," he added, turning toMr. Grex, whose hand was slowly stealing from the back of his coat."That sort of thing doesn't do, nowadays. Revolvers belong to the lastdecade of intrigue. You're a bit out of date with that little weapon.Don't be foolish. I am not angry with any of you. I am willing to takethis little joke pleasantly, but----"
He raised a whistle to his lips and blew it. The door at the further endof the saloon was opened as though by magic. A steward in the yacht'suniform appeared. From outside was visible a very formidable line ofsailors. Grex, with a swift gesture, slipped something back into hispocket, something which glittered like silver.
"Serve some champagne, Reynolds," Richard ordered the steward who hadcome hurrying in, "and bring some cigars."
The man withdrew. Richard seated himself once more upon the table,clasping one knee.
"Look here," he said, "I'll be frank with you. I came into this littleaffair for the sake of a pal. It was only by accident that I found myway up yonder--more to look after him than anything. I never imaginedthat you would have anything to say that was interesting to me. Seems Iwas wrong, though. You've got things very nicely worked out, Mr.Selingman."
Selingman glared at the young man but said nothing. The others, too,were all remarkably bereft of words.
"Don't mind my staying for a little chat, do you?" Richard continuedpleasantly. "You see, I am an American and I am kind of interested inthe latter portion of what you had to say. I dare say you're quite rightin some respects. We are a trifle too commercial and a trifle toococksure. You see, things have always gone our way. All the same, we'vegot the stuff, you know. Just consider this. If I thought there was anyreal need for it, and I begin to think that perhaps there may be, Ishould be ready to present the United States with a Dreadnoughtto-morrow, and I don't know that I should need to spend very much lessmyself. And," he went on, "there are thirty or forty others who couldand would do the same. Tidy little fleet we should soon have, you see,without a penny of taxation. Of course, I know we would need the men,but we've a grand reserve to draw upon in the West. They are notbothering about the navy in times of peace, but they'd stream into itfast enough if there were any real need."
The chief steward appeared, followed by two or three of hissubordinates. A tray of wine was placed upon the table. Bottles wereopened, but no one made any attempt to drink. Richard filled his ownglass and motioned the men to withdraw.
"Prefer your own wine?" he remarked. "Well, now, that's too bad. HopeI'm not boring you?"
No one spoke or moved. Richard settled himself a little more comfortablyupon the table.
"I can't tell you all," he proceeded, "how interested I have been,listening up there. Quite a gift of putting things clearly, if I may beallowed to say so, you seem to possess, Mr. Selingman. Now here's myreply as one of the poor Anglo-Saxons from the West who've got to makeroom in the best parts of the world for your lubberly German colonists.If you make a move in the game you've been talking so glibly about, ifmy word counts for anything, if my persuasions count for anything--andI've facts to go on, you know--you'll have the American fleet to dealwith at the same time as the English, and I fancy that will be a triflemore than you can chew up, eh? I'm going back to America a littleearlier than I anticipated. Of course, they'll laugh at me at first inWashington. They don't believe much in these round-table conferences andEuropean plots. But all the same I've got some friends there. We'll tryand remember this amiable little statement of policy of yours, Mr.Selingman. Nothing like being warned, you know."
Mr. Grex rose from his place.
"Sir," he said, "since we have been and are your unwilling guests, willyou be so good as to arrange for us at once to relieve you of ourpresence?"
"Well, I'm not so sure about that," Richard remarked, meditatively. "Ithink I'd contribute a good deal to the comfort and happiness of thisgeneration if I took you all out to sea and dropped you overboard, oneby one."
"As I presume you have no such intention," Mr. Grex persisted, "I repeatthat we should be glad to be allowed to land."
Richard abandoned his indolent posture and stood facing them.
"You came on board, gentlemen, without my invitation," he reminded them."You will leave my ship when I choose--and that," he added, "is not justat present."
"Do you mean that we are to consider ourselves your prisoners?"Draconmeyer asked, with an acid smile.
"Certainly not--my guests," Richard replied, with a bow. "I can assureyou that it will only be a matter of a few hours."
Monsieur Douaille hammered the table with his fist.
"Young man," he exclaimed, "I leave with you! I insist upon it that I ampermitted to leave. I am not a party to this conference. I am merely aguest, a listener, here wholly in my private capacity. I will not beassociated with whatever political scandal may arise from this affair. Idemand permission to leave at once."
"Seems to me there's something in what you say," Richard admitted. "Verywell, you can come
along. I dare say Hunterleys will be glad to have achat with you. As for the rest of you," he concluded, as MonsieurDouaille rose promptly to his feet, "I have a little business to arrangeon land which I think I could manage better whilst you are at sea. Ishall therefore, gentlemen, wish you good evening. Pray consider myyacht entirely at your disposal. My stewards will be only too happy toexecute any orders--supper, breakfast, or dinner. You have merely to saythe word."
He turned towards the door, closely followed by Douaille, who, in astate of great excitement, refused to listen to Selingman's entreaties.
"No, no!" the former objected, shaking his head. "I will not stay. Iwill not be associated with this meeting. You are bunglers, all of you.I came only to listen, on your solemn assurance of entire secrecy. Weare spied upon at the Villa Mimosa, we are made fools of on board thisyacht. No more unofficial meetings for me!"
"Quite right, old fellow," Richard declared, as they passed out and onto the deck. "Set of wrong 'uns, those chaps, even though Mr. Grex is aGrand Duke. You know Sir Henry Hunterleys, don't you?"
Hunterleys came forward from the gangway, at the foot of which thepinnace was waiting.
"We are taking Monsieur Douaille ashore," Richard explained, as the twomen shook hands. "He really doesn't belong to that gang and he wants tocut adrift. You understand my orders exactly, captain?" he asked, asthey stepped down the iron gangway.
"Perfectly, sir," was the prompt reply. "You may rely upon me. I amafraid they are beginning to make a noise downstairs already!"
The little pinnace shot out a stream of light across the dark, placidsea. Douaille was talking earnestly to Hunterleys.
"Pleasantest few minutes I ever spent in my life," Richard murmured, ashe took out his cigarette case.