CHAPTER XXXIII
Mills' words were plainly audible throughout the room. Philippa madeeager signs to Lessingham, pointing to the French windows. Lessingham,however, shook his head.
"I prefer," he said gently, "to finish my conversation with yourhusband."'
There was another and more insistent summons from outside. This time itwas Captain Griffiths' raucous voice.
"Sir Henry Cranston," he called out, "I am here with authority. I beg tobe admitted."
"Where is your escort?"
"In the hall."
"If I let you come in," Sir Henry continued, "will you come alone?"
"I should prefer it," was the eager reply. "I wish to make this businessas little unpleasant to--to everybody as possible."
Sir Henry softly turned the key, opened the door, and admittedGriffiths. The man seemed to see no one else but Lessingham. He wouldhave hastened at once towards him, but Sir Henry laid his hand upon hisarm.
"You must kindly restrain your impatience for a few moments," heinsisted. "This is a private conference. Your business with the BaronMaderstrom can be adjusted later."
"It is my duty," Griffiths proclaimed impatiently, "to arrest that manas a spy. I have authority, granted me this morning in London."
"Quite so," Sir Henry observed, "but we are in the midst of a veryinteresting little discussion which I intend to conclude. Your turn willcome later, Captain Griffiths."
"I can countenance no discussion with such men as that," Griffithsdeclared scornfully. "I am here in the execution of my duty, and Iresent any interference with it."
"No one wishes to interfere with you," Sir Henry assured him, "but untilI say the word you will obey my orders."
"So far as I am concerned," Lessingham intervened, "I wish it to beunderstood that I offer no defence."
"You have no defence," Sir Henry reminded him suavely. "I gather thatnot only had you the effrontery to steal a chart from my pocket in themidst of a life struggle upon the trawler, but you have capped thisexploit with a deliberate attempt to abduct my wife."
Griffiths seemed for a moment almost beside himself. His eyes glowed.His long fingers twitched. He kept edging a little nearer to Lessingham.
"Both charges," the latter confessed, looking Sir Henry in the eyes,"are true."
Then Philippa found herself. She saw the sudden flash in her husband'seyes, the grim fury in Griffiths' face. She stepped once more forward.
"Henry," she insisted, "you must listen to what I have to say."
"We have had enough words," Griffiths interposed savagely.
Sir Henry ignored the interruption.
"I am listening, Philippa," he said calmly.
"It was my intention an hour ago to leave this place with Mr. Lessinghamto-night," she told him deliberately.
"The devil it was!" Sir Henry muttered.
"As for the reason, you know it," she continued, her tone full ofcourage. "I am willing to throw myself at your feet now, but all thesame I was hardly treated. I was made the scapegoat of your stupidpromise. You kept me in ignorance of things a wife should know. You evenencouraged me to believe you a coward, when a single word from youwould have changed everything. Therefore, I say that it is you who areresponsible for what I nearly did, and what I should have done but forhim--listen, Henry--but for him!"
"But for him," her husband repeated curiously.
"It was Mr. Lessingham," she declared, "who opened my eyes concerningyou. It was he who refused to let me yield to that impulse of anger.Look at my coat there. My bag is on that table. I was ready to leavewith him to-night. Before we went, he insisted on telling me everythingabout you. He could have escaped, and I was willing to go with him.Instead, he spent those precious minutes telling me the truth about you.That was the end."
"Lady Cranston omits to add," Lessingham put in, "that before I didso she told me frankly that her feelings for me were of warmfriendliness--that her love was given to her husband, and her husbandonly."
"How long is this to go on?" Griffiths asked harshly. "I havethe authority here and the power to take that man. These domesticexplanations have nothing to do with the case."
"Excuse me," Sir Henry retorted, with quiet emphasis, "they have a greatdeal to do with it."
"I am Commandant of this place--" Griffiths commenced.
"And I possess an authority here which you had better not dispute," SirHenry reminded him sternly.
There was a moment's tense silence. Griffiths set his teeth hard, buthis hand wandered towards the back of his belt.
"I am now," Sir Henry continued, "going to announce to you a pieceof news, over which we shall all be gloating when to-morrow morning'snewspapers are issued, but which is not as yet generally known. Duringlast night, a considerable squadron of German cruisers managed to crossthe North Sea and found their way to a certain port of considerableimportance to us."
Lessingham started, His face was drawn as though with pain. He had theair of one who shrinks from the news he is about to hear.
"Incidentally," Sir Henry continued, "three-quarters of the squadronalso found their way to the bottom of the sea, and the other quarter metour own squadron, lying in wait for their retreat, and will not return."
Lessingham swayed for a moment upon his feet. One could almost fancythat Sir Henry's tone was tinged with pity as he turned towards him.
"The chart of the mine field of which you possessed yourself," he said,"which it was the object of your visit here to secure, was a chartspecially prepared for you. You see, our own Secret Service is notaltogether asleep. Those very safe and inviting-looking channels forBritish and Allied traffic--I marked them very clearly, didn't I?--werewhere I'd laid my mines. The channels which your cruisers so carefullyavoided were the only safe avenues. So you see why it is, Maderstrom,that I have no grudge against you."
Lessingham's face for a moment was the face of a stricken man. There wasa look of dull horror in his eyes.
"Is this the truth?" he gasped.
"It is the truth," Sir Henry assured him gravely.
"Does this conclude the explanations?" Captain Griffiths demandedimpatiently. "Your news is magnificent, Sir Henry. As regards thisfelon--"
Sir Henry held up his hand.
"Maderstrom's fate," he said, "is mine to deal with and not yours,Captain Griffiths."
Philippa was the first to grasp the intentions of the man who wasstanding only a few feet from her. She threw herself upon his arm anddragged down the revolver which he had raised. Sir Henry, with a shoutof fury, was upon them at once. He took Griffiths by the throat andthrew him upon the sofa. The revolver clattered harmlessly on to thecarpet.
"His Majesty's Service has no use for madmen," he thundered. "You knowthat I possess superior authority here."
"That man shall not escape!" Griffiths shouted.
He struggled for his whistle. Sir Henry snatched it from him and pickedup the revolver from the carpet.
"Look here, Griffiths," he remonstrated severely, "one single movein opposition to my wishes will cost you your career. Let there beno misunderstanding about it. That man will not be arrested by youto-night."
Griffiths staggered to his feet. He was half cowed, half furious.
"You take the responsibility for this, Sir Henry?" he demanded thickly."The man is a proved traitor. If you assist him to escape, you aresubject to penalties--"
Sir Henry threw open the door.
"Captain Griffiths," he interrupted, "I am not ignorant of my positionin this matter. Believe me, your last chance of retaining your positionhere is to remember that you have had specific orders to yield to myauthority in all matters. Kindly leave this room and take your soldiersback to their quarters."
Griffiths hesitated for a single moment. He had the appearance of a manhalf demented by a passion which could find no outlet. Then he left theroom, without salute, without a glance to the right or to the left. Outin the hall, a moment later, they heard a harsh voice of command.The hall door was opened
and closed behind the sound of retreatingfootsteps.
"Sir Henry," Lessingham reminded him, "I have not asked for yourintervention."
"My dear fellow, you wouldn't," was the prompt reply. "As for the littletrouble that has happened in the North Sea, don't take it too much toheart, it was entirely the fault of the people who sent you here."
"The fault of the people who sent me here," Lessingham repeated. "Iscarcely understand."
"It's simple enough," Sir Henry continued. "You see, you are about asfit to be a spy as Philippa, my wife here, is to be a detective. Youpossess the one insuperable obstacle of having the instincts of agentleman.--Come, come," he went on, "we have nothing more to say to oneanother. Open that window and take the narrow path down to the beach.Jimmy Dumble is waiting for you at the gate. He will row you out to aDutch trawler which is lying even now off the point."
"You mean me to get away?" Lessingham exclaimed, bewildered.
"Believe me, it will cost nothing," Sir Henry assured him. "I was notbluffing when I told Captain Griffiths that I had supreme authorityhere. He knows perfectly well that I am within my rights in aiding yourescape."
Philippa moved swiftly to where Lessingham was standing. She gave himher hands.
"Dear friend," she begged, "so wonderful a friend as you have been,don't refuse this last thing."
"Be a sensible fellow, Maderstrom," Sir Henry said. "Remember that youcan't do yourself or your adopted country a ha'porth of good by playingthe Quixote."
"Besides," Philippa continued, holding his hands tightly, "it is, afterall, only an exchange. You have saved Henry's life, set Richard free,and brought us happiness. Why should you hesitate to accept your ownliberty?"
Sir Henry threw open the window and looked towards a green light out atsea.
"There's your trawler," he pointed out, "and remember the tide will turnin half an hour. I don't wish to hurry you."
Lessingham raised Philippa's fingers to his lips.
"I shall think of you both always," he said simply. "You are verywonderful people."
He turned towards the window. Sir Henry took up the Homburg hat from thetable by his side.
"Better take your hat," he suggested.
Lessingham paused, accepted it, and looked steadfastly at the donor.
"You knew from the first?" he asked.
"From the very first," Sir Henry assured him. "Don't look soconfounded," he went on consolingly. "Remember that espionage is theonly profession in which it is an honour to fail."
Philippa came a little shyly into her husband's arms, as he turned backinto the room. The tenderness in his own face, however, and a littlecatch in his voice, broke down at once the wall of reserve which hadgrown up between them.
"My dear little woman!" he murmured. "My little sweetheart! You don'tknow how I've ached to explain everything to you--including the Russianladies."
"Explain them at once, sir!" Philippa insisted, pretending to draw herface away for a moment.
"They were the wife and sister-in-law of the Russian Admiral, Draskieff,who was sent over to report upon our method of mine laying," he toldher.
"You and I have to go up to a little dinner they are giving to-morrow orthe next day."
"Oh, dear, what an idiot I was!" Philippa exclaimed ruefully. "Iimagined--all sorts of things. But, Henry dear," she went on, "do youknow that we have a great surprise for you--here in the house?"
"No surprise, dear," he assured her, shaking his head. "I knew the veryhour that Richard left Wittenberg. And here he is, by Jove!"
Richard and Helen entered together. Philippa could not even wait for theconclusion of the hearty but exceedingly British greeting which passedbetween the two men.
"Listen to me, both of you!" she cried incoherently. "Helen, youespecially! You never heard anything so wonderful in your life! Theyweren't fishing excursions at all. There weren't any whiting. Henry waslaying mines all the time, and he's blown up half the German fleet! It'sall in the Times this morning. He's got a D.S.O.--Henry has--and he's aRear-Admiral! Oh, Helen, I want to cry!"
The two women wandered into a far corner of the room. Richard wrung hisbrother-in-law's hand.
"Philippa isn't exactly coherent," he remarked, "but it sounds allright."
"You see," Sir Henry explained, "I've been mine laying ever since thewar started. I always had ideas of my own about mine fields, as you mayremember. I started with Scotland, and then they moved me down here.The Admiralty thought they'd be mighty clever, and they insisted upon mykeeping my job secret. It led to a little trouble with Philippa, but Ithink we are through with all that.--I suppose you know that those twoyoung women have been engaged in a regular conspiracy, Dick?"
"I know a little," Richard replied gravely, "and I'm sure you willbelieve that I wouldn't have countenanced it for a moment if I'd had anyidea what they were up to."
"I'm sure you wouldn't," Sir Henry agreed. "Anyway, it led to no harm."
"Maderstrom, then," Richard asked, with a sudden more completeapprehension of the affair, "was over here to spy upon you?"
"That's the ticket," Sir Henry assented.
Richard frowned.
"And he bribed Philippa and Helen with my liberty!"
"Don't you worry about that," his brother-in-law begged. "They must haveknown by instinct that a chap like Maderstrom couldn't do any harm."
"Where is he now?" Richard asked eagerly. "Helen insisted upon keepingme out of the way but we've heard all sorts of rumours. The Commandanthas been up here after him, hasn't he?"
"Yes, and I sent him away with a flea in his ear! I don't like thefellow."
"And Maderstrom?"
"The pseudo-Mr. Lessingham, eh?" Sir Henry observed. "Well, to tell youthe truth, Dick, if there is one person I am a little sorry for in thehistory of the last few weeks, it's Maderstrom."
"You, too?" Richard exclaimed. "Why, every one seems crazy about thefellow."
Sir Henry nodded.
"I remember him in your college days, Dick. He was a gentleman and agood sort, only unfortunately his mother was a German. He did his bit ofsoldiering with the Prussian Guards at the beginning of the war, got aknock and volunteered for the Secret Service. They sent him over here.The fellow must have no end of pluck, for, as I dare say you know, theylet him down from the observation car of a Zeppelin. He finds hisway here all right, makes his silly little bargain with our dear butgullible womenkind, and sets himself to watch--to watch me, mind. Thewhole affair is too ridiculously transparent. For a time he can't bringhimself even to touch my papers here, although, as it happens, theywouldn't have done him the least bit of good. It was only the stressand excitement of the shipwreck last week that he ventured to steal thechart which I had so carefully prepared for him. I really think, ifhe hadn't done that, I should have had to slip it into his pocket orabsolutely force it upon him somehow. He sends it off like a lamb andbehold the result! We've crippled the German Navy for the rest of thewar."
"It was a faked chart, then, of course?" Richard demanded breathlessly.
"And quite the cleverest I ever prepared," Sir Henry acknowledged. "Ican assure you that it would have taken in Von Tirpitz himself, if he'dgot hold of it."
"But where is Maderstrom now, sir?" Richard asked.
Sir Henry moved his head towards the window, where Philippa, for thelast few moments, had softly taken her place. Her eyes were watchinga green light bobbing up and down in the distance. Suddenly she gave alittle exclamation.
"It's moving!" she cried. "He's off!"
"He's safe on a Dutch trawler," Sir Henry declared. "And I think," headded, moving towards the sideboard, "it's time you and I had a drinktogether, Dick."
They helped themselves to whisky and soda. There were still manyexplanations to be given. Half-concealed by the curtain, Philippa stoodwith her eyes turned seawards. The green light was dimmer now, and thelow, black outline of the trawler crept slowly over the glittering trackof moonlight. She gave a little start as it came into sight.
There wasa sob in her throat, tears burning in her eyes. Her fingers clutched thecurtains almost passionately. She stood there watching until her eyesached. Then she felt an arm around her waist and her husband's whisperin her ear.
"I haven't let you wander too far, have I, Phil?"
She turned quickly towards him, eager for the comfort of his extendedarms. Her face was buried in his shoulder.
"You know," she murmured.
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