THE DESTROYER _A TALE OF INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE_ [Illustration] BY BURTON E. STEVENSON Author of "The Holladay Case, " "The Marathon Mystery, " "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet, " etc. NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1921 COPYRIGHT, 1913 BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY THE DESTROYER CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF SEPTEMBER 1 II FRANCE IN MOURNING 14 III TWO GREAT MEN MEET 31 IV THE ALLIES AT WORK 47 V AT THE CAFÉ DES VOYAGEURS 60 VI THE MYSTERIOUS SIGNALS 77 VII THE HUT IN THE GROVE 88 VIII THE SECOND INSTALLATION 108 IX CHECKMATE 124 X THE LAND OF FREEDOM 137 XI SHIPMATES 147 XII UNDER RUSSIAN RULE 158 XIII IN THE WIRELESS HOUSE 170 XIV THE MESSAGE 182 XV A WORD OF WARNING 196 XVI A CHARGE TO KEEP 208 XVII THE FIRST CONFERENCE 221 XVIII THE SUBSTITUTE SENTRY 239 XIX THE SECOND CONFERENCE 256 XX THE PRINCE SEEKS DIVERSION 269 XXI ON THE EDUCATION OF PRINCES 283 XXII THE EVENTS OF MONDAY 296 XXIII THE LANDING 310 XXIV PACHMANN SCORES 321 XXV THE TRAP 334 XXVI THE TURN OF THE SCREW 346 XXVII THE VOICE AT THE DOOR 357 XXVIII CROCHARD, THE INVINCIBLE! 370 XXIX THE ESCAPE 382 XXX COUNCIL OF WAR 397 XXXI THE ALLIANCE ENDS 407 XXXII STRASBOURG 420 THE DESTROYER CHAPTER I THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF SEPTEMBER Monsieur Aristide Brisson, the fat little proprietor of the Hotel duNord--a modest house facing the Place Puget at Toulon--turned uneasilyin his sleep, as though fretted by a disturbing dream; then he awokewith a start and rubbed his eyes. A glance at the dark windows showedthat the dawn was yet far distant, and he was about to turn over and gothankfully to sleep again when a sudden remembrance leaped into hisbrain. In an instant, he had bounded from the bed, struck a match, and, after a look at his watch, lighted a candle. Then he returned to thebed, and, without compunction, grasped the plump arm of Madame Brisson, who was sleeping peacefully, and shook her roughly. "Wake, Gabrielle, wake!" he cried--in French, of course. Madame Brisson, who was also little and fat with a white skin that washer pride, opened her eyes, stared an instant, and then sat up in bed. "Heavens, Brisson!" she cried, her hand to her throat. "What is it? Whathas happened? Have you illness?" "No, no!" said her husband, who was struggling with his trousers. "Butrise, quickly!" Madame Brisson glanced at the dark windows. "I do not understand, " she said. "Ah, Gabrielle, " said her husband reproachfully, "I should never havebelieved you could have forgotten! It is to-day, at sunrise, that ourguests depart!" "Heavens!" cried Madame Brisson again, and she, too, bounded from thebed and began to don her clothes with trembling fingers. "That I shouldhave forgotten! Forgive me, Aristide! What hour is it?" "It is almost four and a half. At five, the coffee must be ready. " "It shall be!" Madame promised, and hurried from the room, to completeher toilet in the kitchen. "Fortunately, " M. Brisson muttered to himself, "the fire is laid!" Then, having held his collar to the light and decided that it was cleanenough, he buttoned it about his neck, attached his shiny ready-madetie, donned his little white coat, picked up the candle and left theroom. Passing along the corridor to the front of the house, he tapped ata door. "Who is there?" called a rough voice. "Your coffee will be ready in twenty minutes, sir, " said Brisson. "Very well; and thank you, " answered the voice, and Brisson descended tothe dining-room, opened the shutters, lighted the lamp, and spread thecloth. He was contemplating his handiwork, his head to one side, when heavysteps sounded on the stair, and a moment later two men entered. Theywere both of middle-age, somewhat stocky and heavily-built, their hairclose-cropped, their faces smooth-shaven and deeply tanned. They had, indeed, that indurated look which only years of exposure to wind andrain can give, except that their upper lips were some shades lighterthan the remainder of the face, betraying the fact that they had, untilrecently, been protected by a moustache. They were dressed in somewhatshabby tweed walking-suits, and wore heavy well-worn shoes. At thismoment, each carried in his hand a little knapsack. M. Brisson greeted them bent double, hoped that they had slept well, foretold a fine day, and assured them that coffee would be ready in amoment. "Our bags are in our room, properly labelled, " said one of them, findinghis words with apparent difficulty and accenting them most queerly. "They are to go to Nice, where we will claim them. " "I will attend to it. And you, sirs?" asked Brisson. "It is our intention to walk. " "By way of the Cornice?" "Yes. " "You will find it a most beautiful road; even in your own America youwill find nothing more beautiful. And how fortunate that you will haveso fine a day! Where will you rest to-night?" "At Frejus, probably. " "A beautiful town, well worth a visit. Permit me to recommend you, sirs, that you stop at the Hotel du Midi. The proprietor is a relative ofmine--a nephew, in fact; he will treat you well. " "Thank you, " responded the stranger, and at that moment Madame Brissonentered, flushed but triumphant, bearing a tray on which was a smallpitcher of very black coffee, a large pitcher of very hot milk, a plateof rolls and "crescents, " some pats of butter and a jar of honey. Sheplaced the tray upon the table, greeted the travellers with thebrightest of smiles, and then, as she flitted about attending to theirwants, M. Brisson retired to his bureau to put the finishing touches tothe bill. This was a weighty business. It was not often that the little Hotel duNord had the privilege of entertaining guests from America, and M. Brisson was thriftily determined to make the most of it. The price ofthe room, unfortunately, had been agreed upon in advance; but there werethe meals and, above all, the extras--baggage, lights, attendance, onespecial breakfast at five o'clock--one must be paid for rising in themiddle of the night!--confitures, bath--had there been a bath? Nomatter! Wine, cigars--M. Brisson licked his lips as he put them all in. Then he made a mistake of five francs in the addition, and the thing wasdone. He contemplated it for a moment with satisfaction, then folded it, slipped it into his pocket, and returned to the breakfast-room. His guests were just rising from the table, and a glance told him thatthey had done but scant justice to the meal--fully half the rollsremained uneaten! They were in haste, then; so much the better! Heassisted them to adjust their knapsacks. "And now the bill, " said one of them, taking out his purse. M. Brisson presented it with a bow. The other took it, glanced at thetotal, and his face flushed. He opened his lips to speak, closed themagain, and his eyes ran up the column of figures. The flush deepened, and again he opened his lips; but when he met Brisson's ferret-likegaze, he again closed them. Without a word, he extracted from his pursea note for a hundred francs and placed it in Brisson's hand. "You may keep the change, " he said. "Oh, thanks, sir!" Brisson cried, and he bowed again to hide thetriumphant smile upon his lips. "Many thanks! A pleasant journey! Andwhen you come again to Toulon, remember the Hotel du Nord!" The other nodded glumly, and started for the door, followed by hiscompanion. Brisson and his wife accompanied them, again bade them adieu, and stood for a moment watching them, as they went down the street inthe direction of the quays. "A hundred francs!" said Madame Brisson, and gazed with veneration ather lord and master. "But what was your bill, then, Aristide?" "Ninety-six francs, " said Brisson, sourly, "and, for a moment, I thoughtthe swine was going to protest it!" "If they had not been Americans, " began Madame. "Americans!" burst in Brisson. "Bah! They are not Americans! Germans, perhaps, or Austrians; but Americans, no! Those men, Gabrielle, havesomething to conceal!" and Brisson, frowning darkly, went back into thehouse. * * * * * Meanwhile the two pedestrians made their way rapidly along the dark andsilent street without exchanging a word. There was in their faces astrange excitement, and they stared straight ahead, as though they darednot meet each other's eyes. At the end of a few moments, they came outupon the quays. Here the darkness of the narrow street gave place tothe grey of the approaching dawn, and one of them took his watch fromhis pocket and looked at it. "Nine minutes!" he said in guttural English, and in a voice strangelythick, as with some deep and barely repressed emotion. The other nodded, and with common accord they turned to the right towardthe great basin, where three or four men-of-war lay at anchor. The lightincreased from minute to minute, the horizon turned from grey to pearlywhite, and over the hills to the east a golden halo marked the spotwhere the sun would rise. They stopped to look at it, and then, steppingback into the recess of a doorway, directed their gaze toward a greatbattleship, anchored perhaps three hundred yards away. As the minutespassed, they seemed scarcely to breathe, and their lips were twitchingwith nervous excitement. Suddenly over the trees shot a long ray of yellow light, gilding thehouse-tops, gilding the mast-heads of the vessels in the harbour; andthen, as though in answer to a signal, came a muffled roar from theanchored battleship. There was an instant's silence, then the shrillvoices of sentries sounding the alarm, the whirring of a gong. . . . A second roar drowned all lesser sounds, and then the high, thin notesof a bugle echoed across the water. The deck of the ship was alive withmen; from her open ports wisps of angry smoke swirled upward into themorning air. . . . Above the babble of excited voices, rose a shout of command, the bugleshrilled "Sauve qui peut! Sauve qui peut! Sauve qui peut!" and the crewbegan leaping over the side; and then, straight in front of where stoodthe breathless watchers, a mighty column of black smoke leaped high intothe air, mushroomed and drifted slowly away before the breeze. At thesame instant came a frightful, rending crash, which seemed to shake theearth, and a foam-capped wave swept across the harbour and dashedangrily against the quay. For one tense instant, all nature held herbreath, and then came the splash and clatter of débris falling into thewater and on the docks, the rattle of broken glass from the houses alongthe quay; and finally, quivering through the air, rose the shrill, inhuman cry of men in mortal anguish. The smoke, drifting lazily away, disclosed a mass of twisted wreckagewhere, a moment before, _La Liberté_, the pride of the French navy, hadswung at anchor. "Ach Gott! Es ist doch wahr!" breathed one of the men, and stared rigid, fascinated; but the other laid a trembling hand upon his arm. "We must hasten!" he whispered. "We must not stay here!" "True!" agreed the other, and with a last glance at the wreck, strodeaway along the quay. Already the city was awake; already frightened faces were peering fromshattered windows, half-clothed men were bursting into the streets, andvoices shrill with fear were demanding to know what had occurred. Butour travellers heeded them not. At the first corner they separated, andone of them made his way rapidly up into the town, while the otherhastened along a dark and narrow lane parallel with the quay, andstopped at last before a tall, decrepit house, whose plaster, black withage, was flaking from its walls. On the door-step sat a girl of eighteenor twenty, a dark shawl about her head, from whose shadow her facepeered, strangely white. "Is it by this way one gains the Frejus road?" he asked in English. "Straight on to the end of the street, then to the left, " answered thegirl in the same tongue, speaking it readily and without accent. "Thank you. This for your father, " and thrusting his hand quickly intohis pocket, he drew out a fat envelope, sealed with many seals, placedit in the girl's hand, and hurried on. An hour later, the two travellers, reunited, Toulon well behind them, strode along a beautiful road skirting the Mediterranean, whichstretched, a sheet of greenish-blue, away to the south. But, strangelyenough, they did not even glance at this panorama. Instead, they walkedwith heads down, as though still fearing to meet each other's eyes. * * * * * Back in the narrow Rue du Plasson, the girl, her face still very white, re-entered the house, closed and bolted the crazy door, and slowlymounted the dark staircase. From the street outside came excited cries, hoarse shouting, the clatter of running feet; but she did not stop tolisten. Indeed, she did not seem to hear, but dragged herself up fromstep to step as though a weight was on her feet. The house was of four stories, and she did not pause until she reachedthe top one. A stream of yellow light poured through an open door, andshe entered and closed the door behind her. A lighted candle stood on atable in the centre of the narrow room, but already the rays of the sunwere beating against the single window. Besides the table, the roomcontained two chairs, a rusty stove, and a cupboard in which were a fewdishes. Against one wall stood a cot, and the back of the room wascurtained off, no doubt for the girl's sleeping-chamber. She stood for a moment staring listlessly before her, as though tryingto remember what she should do next; then she laid the envelope on thetable, blew out the candle, started a fire in the stove, and placed akettle upon it. Finally she drew a chair to the window, sat down, andlooked out across the harbour. Opposite the house was a long, low building, the wine-market, so thather view of the harbour was unobstructed. It was alive with boats, circling around or speeding towards a black and shapeless mass, abovewhich some shreds of smoke still lingered. Her lips were moving as shestared at it, and her face was bloodless; and she pressed her hands toher breast, as though in pain. At last the singing of the kettle roused her. She seemed to pull herselftogether; then she rose, made the coffee and placed some rolls upon thetable. Finally she picked up a knife and with the handle smote sharplyagainst the wall. A moment later, the door opened and a man came in. At first glance, one thought him very old, for his hair was white assnow, his body shrivelled and bent, his face lined and sallow. But atthe second glance, one perceived that these were not the marks of agebut of the ravages of the fiery spirit which dwelt within the body andwhich peered from the burning eyes. At this moment, they gleamed with alustre almost demoniacal. "Breakfast is ready, father, " said the girl. "And--and the man camepast, as you expected, and gave me that for you, " she added, with alittle gesture toward the sealed envelope. The man advanced to the table, picked up the envelope, and walked on tothe window. For a moment he stood staring out across the harbour; thenthere was the sound of ripping paper, a moment's silence, and he thrustthe envelope into his pocket and turned back to the table. "It is well!" he said, and sat down. "It is well, Kasia!" "I am glad of that, father, " she answered, in a low voice, and pouredhis coffee. He ate rapidly and as though very hungry; but the girl made only apretence of eating. At last the man looked at her. "We leave at once, " he said. "We are to take the first boat for America. Are you not glad?" "Very glad, father. " "Why is it you so love America, Kasia?" he asked. "You also love it, father. It is the land of freedom--even for us poorPoles, it is the land of freedom!" "The land of freedom!" he echoed. "And I love it, as you say. It isbecause of that I hasten back; I have in store for her a great honour, which will make her more than ever the land of freedom! For she is notfree yet, Kasia--not for poor Poles, nor for poor Jews, nor for the poorof any nation. The poor cannot know freedom--not anywhere in the wholeworld. They must labour, they must sweat, they may not rest if theywould live, for the greater part of what they earn is stolen from them. But I will change all that! Oh, you know my dream--no more poverty, nomore suffering, no more cruelty and tyranny and injustice--but all men, all the nations of the world, joined in brotherhood and love! This dayat dawn I struck the first blow for freedom! Do you know what it was, mydaughter? Did you hear the roar of the waters as they opened? See!" He caught her by the wrist and dragged her to the window. "See!" he cried again, and pointed a shaking finger toward the blackhulk in the harbour. But she did not look. Instead she shrank away from him and pressed herhands before her eyes, and shook with a long shudder. And after a moment, the light faded from her father's face, and left itold and worn; his eyes grew dull and moody; his lips trembled. "Every cause must have its martyrs, " he said, as though answering herthought, and his voice was shaking with emotion; "even the cause offreedom; yea, that more than any other, for the battle against tyrannyis the most desperate of all!" And dropping her wrist, he went slowly from the room. CHAPTER II FRANCE IN MOURNING To M. Théophile Delcassé, Minister of Marine, and first statesman of theRepublic, slumbering peacefully in his bed at Paris that morning, camethe sound of urgent knocking. He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep fromhis eyes, for he knew that not without good cause would any one daredisturb him at that hour. Then he stepped to the floor, thrust his feetinto a pair of slippers, his arms into the sleeves of a dressing-robe, and opened the door. "A telegram, sir, marked 'Most Important, '" said his valet, and passedit in to him. It was from Vice-Admiral Bellue, commander at Toulon, and a moment laterM. Delcassé had learned of the terrible disaster. He ordered his carriage and dressed rapidly with trembling hands. He wasshocked and distressed as he had rarely been before. Would thesedisasters never cease? First the _Jena_ow the _Liberté_--both shipsthe pride of their country, the last formidable word in marinearchitecture! He gulped down the cup of coffee which his valet broughthim, seized hat and gloves, hastened to his carriage, and drovestraight to the Elysée Palace. The President was already up, and his broad face, usually so placid andgood-humoured, was convulsed with grief as he greeted his Minister. Heheld in his hand a telegram, which he had just opened. "See, " he said, after the first moment, "the sad news is alreadyabroad, " and he held out the message. Delcassé took it and read it with astonished eyes. It was from theGerman Emperor, and expressed his grief at the catastrophe, and hissympathy with France, which he had directed his ambassador to call atonce in person to convey more fully. "The Kaiser is certainly well-served!" muttered Delcassé, reading themessage again, his lips twitching with emotion. "There is somethingironical in this promptness. He must have had the news before we did!" The President nodded gloomily. Then the other members of the cabinetcame whirling up, and were convened at once by their chief in secretsession. Not many hours later, as a result of that session, a special trainrolled out of the Gare de Lyon, and headed away for the south, with aclear track and right-of-way over everything. Aboard it were thePresident himself, the Minister of Marine, the Minister of War, and ascore of minor officials. There was also a thin little man with whitehair and yellowish-white beard--M. Louis Jean Baptiste Lépine, Prefectof Police, and the most famous hunter of criminals in the world; and inthe last car were a dozen of the best men of his staff, under command ofhis most trusted lieutenant, Inspector Pigot. At each station, as the train rolled on, great crowds gathered to meetit--crowds strangely silent, inarticulate with grief, furious, suspicious of they knew not what. Terrible rumours were abroad--rumoursof treachery, of treason striking at the very heart of France. No onedared repeat these rumours, but nevertheless they ran up and down theland. The _Jena_ and now the _Liberté_! True, the Board of Inquiry, which had investigated the destruction of the _Jena_, had decided thatthat catastrophe was due to the spontaneous combustion of the powder inher magazines. France had accepted the verdict; but now a secondbattleship was gone. It would be too much to ask any one to believe thatthis was spontaneous combustion, also! Such things do not happen twice. And at every station telegrams were handed in giving fresh details ofthe disaster--horrible details. The ship was a total loss; of thatsplendid mechanism, built by years of toil, by the expenditure of manymillions, there remained only a twisted and useless mass of wreckage;and in that wreckage lay three hundred of France's sailors. Small wonderthat the President sat, chin in hand, staring straight before him, andthat the others spoke in whispers, or not at all. At Dijon, which was reached about the middle of the afternoon, there wasa tremendous crowd, thronging the long platforms and pressing againstthe barriers, which threatened at every moment to be swept away. ThePresident went out to say a few words to them, but at the first sentencehis voice failed him, and he could only stand and look down upon them, convulsive sobs rising in his throat. Suddenly a little red-leggedTurco, weeping too, snatched off his fez and shouted "Vive la France!"and the cheer was taken up and repeated and repeated, until it swelledto a vast roar. As the train rolled out of the station, the crowd, bareheaded, was singing the Marseillaise. M. Delcassé's eyes, behind his heavy glasses, were wet with tears. "It is the same people still!" he said, pressing the President's hand. "They are as ready to spring to arms as they were a hundred years ago. Now, as then, they need only to know that their country is in danger!" His voice had grown vibrant with emotion, for the passion of his lifewas and always had been revenge upon Germany. He made no effort toconceal it or to dissimulate. Alsace and Lorraine were always in histhoughts. To placate Germany, indeed, France had once been compelled todrive him from the Quai d'Orsay, where, for so many years, he had beento his contemporaries a sort of Olympian in the conduct of her foreignaffairs. But even in retirement he remained the most powerful man inFrance; and now he was back in the cabinet again, a giant amongLilliputians, building up the navy, building up the army, strengtheningthe forts along the frontier, increasing the efficiency of theartillery, experimenting with air-ships, devoting his days and nights tothe study of strategy, the discussion of possibilities, always with thesame idea, the same hope! And now, this catastrophe! As he sat gnawing his nails, the President glanced at him, read histhoughts, and shook his head. "No, my friend, " he said, sadly, "the country is not in danger; or, ifit is, the danger is from within, not from without. This is an accident, like all the others. " "You believe so? But it seems to me that we have had more than our shareof accidents!" "So we have, " the President agreed. "Let us hope that this will be thelast--that it will teach us to guard ourselves, in future, from our owncarelessness. " "England, America, Germany, " Delcassé went on, speaking half to himself, "these nations, with navies greater than ours, never have suchaccidents. Small explosions, sometimes, it is true, wrecking a gun ordamaging a turret--but never destroying a whole ship! Is it merelybecause they are never careless?" "There was the _Maine_, " the President reminded him. Delcassé's hand went to his moustache to hide the ironic smile upon hislips. In that close-cropped head of his, along with many other suchsecrets, was that of the cause of the catastrophe in Havana harbour. Inall the chancellories of Europe, it was agreed that the _Maine_ had beendestroyed by the spontaneous explosion of her own magazines. Four menknew the truth, and Delcassé was one of them. There had been a fifth, but an assassin's bullet killed him. In an instant Delcassé's face was composed, and his eyes, behind theirimmense glasses, as inscrutable as ever. The President, so ingenuous andchild-like, must never suspect the truth! "True!" Delcassé agreed. "There was the _Maine_! I had forgotten that, "and he relapsed into thoughtful silence. Evening came, and still the train rolled southward, past Macon, pastLyons, past Vienne, everywhere greeted by surging crowds. At the latterplace, Delcassé arose and, with an almost imperceptible nod to Lépine, entered the last car. The Prefect followed him, and a few minuteslater, they were closeted together in a compartment, where, at a wordfrom his superior, Inspector Pigot had joined them. "And now, " began Delcassé, when the door was closed and the train hadstarted again, "tell me what you think of this affair, Lépine. " The little grey man spread his hands wide with a gesture ofhelplessness. "At this moment I know no more than you, sir, " he answered; "probablynot so much. By morning, I shall have a report ready for you. " "We shall not arrive until after midnight, " the Minister pointed out. "Nevertheless, my report will be ready, sir, " said Lépine, quietly. "Between midnight and dawn there are six hours. " Delcassé looked at him. He knew that this little man never made an emptypromise. "Did you go through the papers at the time of the _Jena_ disaster?" heasked. "I did, sir. I assisted the investigating board. " "You are, then, familiar with the theories in that case?" "There were four theories, " answered Lépine. "The first was that theship had been blown up by treachery; that is always the first thought!But in the case of the _Jena_, it was quickly discovered that treacherywas impossible, unless it was that of the highest officers, for onlythey had access to her magazines. That was unthinkable, for all of themhad served France for many years. More than half of them were killed. Imyself investigated the life of every one of these men, for it wasnecessary to be absolutely certain--but not a breath could be raisedagainst them. " "And the second theory?" "That there had been carelessness of some sort. That, too, wasdisproved, for no one had entered the magazines for many hours previousto the explosion. It is a rule of the service that, except when in use, the keys of all magazines shall be in keeping of the commander, who isresponsible for them. At the inquiry, the commander of the _Jena_testified that the keys had not left his possession during the two dayspreceding the accident. There had been no occasion to enter themagazines during that time. The _Jena_, you will remember, was at anchorin Toulon harbour, just as the _Liberté_ was. " Delcassé glanced at his companion keenly. "Does that fact suggest nothing to you, Lépine?" he asked. "Nothing, sir, " said Lépine firmly. "I have thought of it all day, and Ican see in it nothing except coincidence. " "Coincidence! Coincidence! I detest the word--I do not believe incoincidence!" muttered the Minister. "Nor I, " agreed Lépine; "but even less do I believe in vague theoriesand vague suspicions. We must have a firm foundation before we begin tobuild. " "Well, and the third theory?" said Delcassé, at last. "The third theory was most interesting. It was that the explosion hadbeen caused by waves from the wireless telegraph. It was asserted thatthese waves had upset the unstable equilibrium, either chemical orelectrical, which sometimes exists in the components of modern powder, and that the explosion had resulted. " "And this theory also was disproved?" "The most exhaustive tests failed to confirm it. " "Ah, " said Delcassé; "but to fail to confirm a thing is not to disproveit. " "Our wireless experts agreed in pronouncing the theory absurd. " "Wireless waves penetrate metal, do they not?" "Every metal except lead. " Delcassé turned this over for some moments in his mind. "If that had been the cause, " went on Lépine, at last, "there would havebeen other explosions, many of them--and our navy would not have beenthe only one to suffer. The whole atmosphere is charged with such waves, of every length and every degree of intensity. " "Perhaps you are right, " agreed the Minister. "What was the fourththeory?" "The fourth theory was that finally adopted by the board. It was that acertain kind of powder, known as 'B' powder, degenerates under heat, andbecomes, in time, extremely combustible, so that it will sometimesexplode apparently without any exciting cause. " "In what manner was the truth of this theory demonstrated?" demandedDelcassé. "In a most convincing manner. A certain amount of this powder, which theboard was examining, did explode in this way, under their very hands. Had the amount been larger, not a member of the board would haveescaped. But, sir, you know all this as well as I. " "I wish to refresh my memory, " Delcassé explained. "I wish to see ifyour memory, which I admire so much, agrees with mine. Now tell me this:what was done to prevent a recurrence of such an accident?" "The powder in all French magazines was overhauled, and that which therewas any reason to suspect was destroyed. To prevent futuredeterioration, the magazines of all our battleships were equipped witha special cooling apparatus. In this, we were soon followed by all othernations. " "And yet, " said Delcassé, in a low voice, "the latest and best of ourbattleships blew up this morning!" "I have brought my best men with me, as you suggested, sir, " saidLépine. "If there were any suspicious circumstances attending thisexplosion, depend upon it, they will be laid before you when you awake!" "Do not wait for me to awake!" cried the Minister. "If any suchcircumstance comes to light, wake me--wake me on the instant!" Lépine bowed. "I will do so, sir, " he promised. * * * * * It was some time past midnight when the train reached Toulon; butapparently no one of her hundred thousand inhabitants had thought ofsleep. The streets before the station were crowded from house-front tohouse-front. The carriage containing the President and his Ministers hadthe greatest difficulty in proceeding. Everywhere there were cries forvengeance, shouts of treason, threats, wild imprecations. Men stood witharms extended cursing the heavens. The Place de la Liberté was massedwith people, facing the fountain in honour of the Revolution, bareheaded, singing the Ça Ira. It seemed as though the wheels of timehad rolled back a century, and that at any moment the Sea-greenIncorruptible himself might arise to thunder denunciation. But at lastthe President and his staff reached their hotel. M. Lépine, after final instructions to Pigot, joined them there, andlistened to the reports made by the surviving officers of _La Liberté_. They were in despair, these men, ready to kill themselves at a word;their faces were blackened, their uniforms in tatters, their hands tornand bleeding, for they had laboured all day at the work of rescue. Theyspoke between sobs, but it was little they had to tell. Commander Jaurčs, it seemed, had been absent on leave, the second incommand was ashore, so that Senior Lieutenant Garnier was in charge ofthe ship. Just before dawn, the watch had discovered a small fire in oneof the store-rooms, but it was so insignificant that no one thought ofdanger; the fire was not near the magazines; in any event, the magazineswere all securely closed--the officer in charge had seen to that. Suddenly, apparently without cause, there had been three explosions, about a minute apart, first of the forward magazine, then of the aftermagazine, then of the main magazine--it seemed almost as though they hadbeen fired at spaced intervals, like a heavy gun. There had been time toget the crew on deck, but the final explosion had come before the boatscould be lowered. It had broken the ship in two; the forward part hadturned over and sunk with all on board; the after part was a mere massof twisted wreckage. The explosion had been so violent, that theneighbouring ships also suffered--_La République_ so seriously that itwas only by hurrying her to a dry-dock she was kept from sinking. No onehad any theory, any explanation; there had been no warning, nopremonition. An instant, and it was over. But all agreed that the firecould have had nothing to do with it. Pigot, meanwhile, had spread his men out along the docks, where theylistened to every one, asked questions of every one. Not a rumourescaped them, but, alas, for no rumour could they find foundation. Thewreck in the harbour was illuminated by the searchlights of the otherbattleships, and Pigot caused himself to be rowed out to it, introducedhimself to Admiral Marin-Dabel, Maritime Prefect of Toulon, who hadtaken personal charge of the rescue work, and spent half an hourinspecting the melancholy scene. Then he landed again, and listened fora time to the reports of his lieutenants. There was among them not asingle ray of light--not the slightest evidence to show that thedisaster had been anything but an accident. The fire in the store-roomhad, it was whispered, been much more serious than the officers wouldadmit. Pigot made his way slowly toward the hotel to report to his chief, butas he crossed the Place d'Armes, a hand was laid upon his sleeve. Heturned, expecting to see one of his men. Instead, he found himselflooking into a face he did not know. "Pardon, sir, " he said. "You are, perhaps, mistaken. " "Oh, no, Pigot, " said the stranger, with a little smile, "I am notmistaken. It is you whom I wish to see. " "I do not remember you, sir, " said Pigot, looking at him more closely. "Have we met before?" "Many times. " "Many times!" echoed Pigot, incredulously. "Surely not!" and he lookedagain to make certain that the stranger was not intoxicated. "Where havewe met?" "We met last, " said the stranger, smiling again, "on _La Savoie_, in theharbour of New York City. To be sure, I was not in this incarnation, butI am sure you will recall the incident. "[1] Pigot drew a deep breath, and his face flushed. "Ah, " he said quietly, after a moment. "I remember. I wish you goodevening, M. Crochard. " "One moment, " Crochard commanded, his grasp tightening on Pigot's arm. "Forgive my recalling that meeting to your memory. It was indelicate ofme. Nevertheless you would do well to listen to what I have to say. " Pigot stopped and turned. "Well, " he said, after gazing for a moment into Crochard's eyes, "speakquickly. What is it you have to say?" "I wish to say to you, Pigot, that I have come to offer you my help. " "Your help?" "In solving the mystery of this disaster. " Pigot looked at him coldly. "We do not require your help, " he said, at last. "Perhaps not; and yet you would be mistaken to refuse it. I was at Nice;I have been on the ground since morning; I have discovered. . . . " "Well, what have you discovered?" asked Pigot, as Crochard hesitated. "I have discovered, " Crochard continued slowly, "what I can reveal onlyto M. Delcassé himself. I demand that you cause me to be introduced tohim at once. " Pigot shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "Impossible!" he said, and started on. "Wait!" said Crochard sternly. "Consider whether you are willing to takethe responsibility of this refusal!" "Responsibility!" Pigot burst out, his anger getting the upper hand atlast. "Responsibility! Yes, I take it! Who are you? A notoriouscharacter--a thief. . . . " Crochard's eyes were blazing, and his hand grasped Pigot's arm with avise-like grip. "And with it all, " he sneered, "a better man than you, Pigot! Is it notso? A better man than you! How often have I proved it!" Pigot's hand turned and closed like a flash upon the other's wrist. "You will come with me, " he said. The anger faded from Crochard's face, and an ironic amusement took itsplace. "Where would you conduct me?" he asked. "To the Prefecture!" "You are mistaken. You will conduct me to M. Delcassé. You cannotconduct me to the Prefecture, Pigot; I will not allow it!" "Allow it!" sneered Pigot, and pressed forward. "Fool!" hissed Crochard in his ear. "Thick-headed fool! Have you learnedno wisdom yet? I would smite you, Pigot, but that I have need of you. Listen! I and only I can save France! I demand that you take me to M. Delcassé. " Pigot felt himself waver; a vague uneasiness stirred within him as hemet his companion's flaming gaze. "On what pretext can I introduce you to M. Delcassé?" he asked at last. "You will leave me outside the door, " said Crochard rapidly, almost in awhisper. "You will go in to M. Delcassé alone; you will say to him, 'Sir, I have outside a man who asserts that _La Liberté_ was blown up bythe Germans, and that he can prove it!' Then let M. Delcassé decidewhether or not he will receive me!" Pigot was staring at the speaker with distended eyes. "By the Germans!" he repeated, hoarsely. "By the Germans!" Crochard answered with an impatient pressure of the arm. "You are wasting time, " he said. "You are right, " Pigot agreed. "Come with me, " and he led the way acrossthe square. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 1: See "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet. "] CHAPTER III TWO GREAT MEN MEET M. Delcassé and M. Lépine were still in conference when Pigot wasannounced. He was admitted without delay, and made his report brieflyand clearly. It could have been summed up in a sentence: neither by himnor by his agents had anything been discovered to indicate, evenremotely, that the catastrophe had been the result of intention; everyrumour to that effect had been sifted and disproved; _La Liberté_ hadbeen destroyed from within and not from without. "Another 'accident, ' then, " grunted Delcassé gloomily. "But I do notbelieve it! Something--something here"--and he smote hisforehead--"tells me that it was not an accident!" Pigot, as a practical detective, had no faith in intuition; but whateverhis thoughts may have been, he managed to mask them behind animpenetrable countenance. "Our investigations have but just begun, " Lépine pointed out. "They willbe continued without pause. I will conduct them in person. Nocircumstance, however trivial, will be overlooked. " "I know you are a good man, Lépine, " said the Minister wearily; "I knowthere is none more clever. But something more than cleverness is neededhere--we need genius, inspiration. " He stopped abruptly and rose fromhis chair. "I am sure you will do your best. Remember, if there is anydiscovery, I am to be told at once. " Pigot, who had been standing with lips compressed, undergoing a violentinward struggle, at last managed to open them. "I have a man outside, " he said, as though repeating a lesson, "whorequests an audience with M. Delcassé. He asserts that _La Liberté_ wasblown up by the Germans, and that he can prove it. " Delcassé whirled as on a pivot and stared at the speaker. "But, name of God!" he stammered, barely able to speak for excitement, "why have you not introduced this man at once? Why have you wasted ourtime. . . . " He stopped and took a rapid turn up and down the room. When he spokeagain, his voice was quite composed. "Introduce the man at once, " he commanded. "I think it would be well, " said Pigot tonelessly, "that M. Delcasséshould first be informed as to the name and character of this man. " Again Delcassé stared. "Explain yourself!" he cried. "Who is the man?" "His name is Crochard, sir, " Pigot replied. Delcassé evidently did not recognise the name, but Lépine's face wassuddenly illumined. "Crochard, " he explained, "is the most adroit, the most daring, the mostaccomplished scoundrel with whom I have ever had to deal. SurelyMonsieur remembers the affair of the Michaelovitch diamonds?" "Ah, yes!" cried Delcassé, his face, too, lighting. "So that wasCrochard!" "Crochard the Invincible, he calls himself, " growled Pigot. "He is agreat braggart. " "And with some reason, " added Lépine. "We have never yet been able toconvict him. " "He restored the Mazarin diamond to the Louvre, did he not?" queried theMinister. "And also the Mona Lisa?" "The Mazarin certainly, " assented Lépine. "As for the Mona Lisa, I havenever been quite certain. There is a rumour that the original is nowowned by an American millionaire, and that the picture returned to theLouvre is only a copy--a wonderful one, it is true. Where did you meethim, Pigot?" Pigot related the story of the meeting, while Delcassé listenedthoughtfully. "Is he to be trusted?" he asked, when Pigot had finished. "In this affair I believe so, " answered Lépine quietly. "He may be asgood a patriot as you or I. If he is really in earnest, he can be ofimmense assistance. He has absolute command of the underworld, and athousand sources of information which are closed to the police. Atleast, it can do no harm to hear what he has to say. " Delcassé agreed with a nod, and sat down again. "Bring him in, " he said, and a moment later Crochard entered. If M. Delcassé had expected to perceive anything of the criminal in theman who bowed to him respectfully from the threshold, he was mostthoroughly disappointed. What he _did_ see was a well-built man in thevery prime of life, with clear and fearless eyes of greenish-greyflecked with yellow, a face singularly open and engaging, and a manneras easy and self-possessed as Delcassé's own. The only sign ofapproaching age was the sprinkle of grey in the crisp, brown hair, butthis served rather to accentuate the youthfulness of the face, coverednow by a coat of tan which bespoke a summer spent in the open. In anycompany, this man would have been notable. "M. Crochard, I believe, " said Delcassé, and involuntarily the greatMinister arose and returned his visitor's bow. "Be seated, sir. " "Thank you, " said Crochard, and sat down. "I see that we are going toappreciate each other, " he added, and looked at Delcassé with a friendlysmile. That gentleman's eyes were twinkling behind his glasses, and his lipstwitched under his heavy moustache. "It always pleases me to meet a distinguished man, " he said, "inwhatever field of endeavour. M. Lépine tells me that you are mostdistinguished. " "M. Lépine has every reason to know, " agreed Crochard, and glancedsmilingly toward the Prefect. "Though, since I have eyes, I can see that for myself, " added theMinister. "Why did you wish to see me?" "I wished to see you, sir, " answered Crochard, suddenly serious, "because I have long recognised in you the only man whom Francepossesses who sees clearly the struggle which is ahead of her, whoprepares ceaselessly for that struggle, and who is strong enough toguide her through it triumphantly. " "To what struggle do you refer?" inquired the Minister, but his shiningeyes belied his careless tone. "The struggle to regain possession of Alsace-Lorraine and to avengeourselves upon the nation which once humiliated us. " A slow flush crept into Delcassé's cheeks, and his lips tightened. "You foresee such a struggle?" he asked. "As clearly as you do yourself, sir. " "Well, yes!" cried Delcassé, and smote the arm of his chair a heavyblow. "I _do_ foresee such a struggle--I have never denied it; and fortwenty years I have laboured to prepare for it. You can understand, then, what a blow it is to me--how terrible, how disheartening--to haveall my calculations blasted by such accidents as that of to-day!" "Pardon me, sir, " said Crochard, in a low tone, "but the destruction of_La Liberté_ was not an accident!" "You assert that?" "I do. And furthermore I assert that it was the work of Germany!" Delcassé sprang from his chair, his face livid. "The proof!" he cried. "The proof!" "The proof, sir, is this: at five minutes before dawn, this morning, twostrangers, attired as pedestrians, with knapsacks on their backs, stopped in the recess of the doorway of Number Ten, Quai de Cronstadt. They stepped well within the shadow, as though not wishing to be seen, and stood gazing out on the harbour. Directly before them, at a distanceof not more than three hundred yards, _La Liberté_ was moored. It was ather they stared, with eyes expectant and uneasy. At dawn, _La Liberté_blew up, and one of these men cried out some words of German. " "What were they?" "Unfortunately the person who overheard them does not know German. Heunderstood only the first two words, 'Ach Gott!'" "And the men?" cried Delcassé. "What became of them?" "They strode rapidly away along the quay, and were lost to sight. " Delcassé dropped into his chair, his face dark with passion. "What do you infer from this circumstance?" he demanded. "There is only one possible inference, " answered Crochard. "At fiveminutes before dawn this morning, there were, in this city of Toulon, two Germans who knew that _La Liberté_ was to be destroyed. " A moment's silence followed. Those words, terrible as they were, astounding as they were, carried conviction with them. "Tell me, " said Delcassé, at last, "how you discovered all this. " "I have been spending the month at Nice, " Crochard explained. "I learnedof the disaster as soon as I was up this morning, and I came at once toToulon. Monsieur will understand that, in the many years during which Ihave been at variance with society, I have made many friends and gaineda certain power in quarters of which Monsieur knows little. One ofthese friends is the proprietor of the café which occupies the groundfloor of the house on the Quai de Cronstadt. I stopped to see him, because his house is close to the scene of the disaster--so close, indeed, that all of its windows were shattered. It was he who gave methe first clue. " "Go on, " said Delcassé, who had been listening intently. "I need not sayhow deeply all this interests me. " "My friend had arranged to go to Marseilles this morning, " Crochardcontinued, "to make a purchase of wine. The train, he tells me, leavesat six o'clock. It was about fifteen minutes before that hour when, ashe started to open his door, two men stepped into the little vestibule, as though to screen themselves from observation. He peered through thecurtain, thinking they might be friends, and found that he did not knowthem. Gazing from the darkness of the interior, he could see them verywell. They were staring at _La Liberté_, as I have said, their facesrigid with emotion; and then came the explosion, which, withoutquestion, they anticipated. " "You have a description of them?" broke in Delcassé. "An excellent description. They were men of middle age, heavily builtand clean-shaven. Their faces were deeply tanned, as with long exposure, and had that fulness about the lips which bespeaks the German. Theywore caps and walking-suits with knee trousers. Each had strapped uponhis back a small knapsack. " Lépine, who had been taking rapid notes, looked up with gleaming eyes. "We shall find these men, " he said. "It will not be difficult. " "More difficult than you suppose, M. Lépine, " said Crochard dryly. Lépine looked at him. "What do you mean?" he asked. Crochard turned to Delcassé with a little deprecating gesture. "Before I proceed, " he said, "I must be certain of my position here. With you, sir, no explanations are necessary; we understand each otherand we have no past to prejudice us. But M. Le Prefect and I are oldenemies. We respect each other, but we always welcome an opportunity totry conclusions. Until this affair is ended, I propose a truce. " "I will go further than that, " retorted Lépine, "and call it analliance. I shall welcome your help. I have already told M. Delcasséthat you are probably as good a patriot as he or I. " "I shall try to prove that you are right, " said Crochard, his eyesshining. "There is one more condition. In this affair, it may benecessary for me to call to my assistance certain persons for whom thepolice are looking. Should they be recognised while so engaged, noeffort must be made to arrest them. " "I agree, " said Lépine, instantly. Crochard leaned back in his chair with a sigh of satisfaction. "I am ready to proceed, " he said. "Let us, for the time, forget ourdifferences. " "I have already forgotten them, " said Lépine. Delcassé had listened to this interchange with smiling lips. "Magnificent!" he cried. "I shall remember this scene all my life. Andnow to work!" "First, " said Lépine, "permit me to inquire of Inspector Pigot how ithappened that neither he nor his men heard anything of these twostrangers?" Pigot flushed darkly and opened his lips to defend himself, but Crochardsilenced him with a little gesture. "I can explain that, " he said. "Pigot is not a genius, it is true, butneither is he quite a fool, and I should grieve to see him blamed forsomething not his fault. I was careful to warn my friend to repeat hisstory to no one. That, I think, was the wisest course. Those men mustnot know that we suspect them. " Delcassé nodded. "You are right, " he agreed. "Are you possessed of any furtherinformation?" "I had only a few hours, " Crochard apologised; "but I did what I could. I learned that two men resembling these, and undoubtedly the same, hadbeen staying since Friday at the Hotel du Nord. The proprietor of thathouse informed me that they left before daybreak this morning to walk toFrejus. " "Ah, then, " began Delcassé. "But they did not go to Frejus, " Crochard added. "They stopped atSalins, which they reached about ten o'clock, boarded a smallsteam-yacht which was waiting there, and at once put out to sea. I fearthey are beyond our reach. " Delcassé stamped his foot. "What, then, is to be done?" he demanded. "It seems to me most important that we identify these men, " saidCrochard; "then we shall know where to look for them. " "Yes, " agreed Delcassé; "but how are they to be identified?" "There are, no doubt, in the files of your department, photographs ofthe most prominent German officers, both of army and navy. I believethese men to be officers--one, at least--the other may belong to thesecret service. I would suggest that these photographs be brought toToulon, and that it also be ascertained which officers are on leave ofabsence, or not with their commands. Probably it will be necessary tosearch only among the general officers. An affair so important wouldnot be entrusted to a subordinate. " Delcassé made a quick note. "The photographs will be here to-morrow, " he promised. "I would further suggest that the innkeeper be strictly interrogated, "Crochard went on. "I ventured to ask him only a careless question ortwo; he does not know me, and I did not wish to arouse his suspicions. " Lépine arose. "I will see him at once, " he said. Crochard rose also. "And I will accompany you. That is all the information I have atpresent, sir, " he added to Delcassé. "It is a great deal, " said the Minister quickly. "Just before you came, I was remarking to Lépine that what we needed in this affair was a manof genius. Well, I think that we have found him!" Crochard flushed with pleasure. "I thank you, sir, " he said. "And I thank you for coming to me, " said Delcassé. "You are doing Francea great service. I shall not forget it. Until morning, then. " Crochard bowed and left the room with the two detectives. Delcassé sat for a moment deep in thought; then he summoned hissecretary, gave the necessary order about the photographs and dictated acipher telegram to the chief of his secret service at Berlin. That done, he bade his secretary good night, dismissed him and went to bed. But not to sleep. Turning at full length upon his back, his arms abovehis head, he stared steadily up into the darkness until his brain, freedof all lesser problems, all vagrant thoughts, was concentrated upon thegreat problem which now confronted it: How had the destruction of _La Liberté_ been accomplished? It was, of course, the work of Germany. Those two strangers, who spokeGerman in a moment of great excitement, who had arrived five minutesbefore the disaster, who had hastened away immediately afterwards, whohad lied about their destination, and for whom a steam-yacht had beenwaiting--all this, as Crochard said, could have but one meaning. And then Delcassé fairly bounded in the bed. Fool that he had been notto think of it! There was another proof! The telegram from the Emperor! He lay a moment trembling, then calmed himself by a mighty effort. Howwas it the Emperor had learned so promptly of the disaster? There wasonly one possible answer: an emissary had hastened to flash the news tohim--an emissary dressed, prepared, who needed to delay for noinvestigation, since the roar of the explosion told him everything--oneof the men, perhaps, who had waited on the quay. And Delcassé, bitinghis nails, his face wet with perspiration, pictured to himself theEmperor also waiting, pacing restlessly back and forth, until the wordshould come! He gnashed his teeth with rage, this good Frenchman, andshook trembling fists up into the darkness. Ah, Germany should pay!Germany should pay! But again he calmed himself, wiped his forehead, and composed himselffor thought. How had _La Liberté_ been destroyed? There was the question which mustbe answered, and at once. By a mine, set to explode at a certain hour? Delcassé shook his head. Itwas absurd to suppose that a mine could be planted in a harbour asstrictly guarded and policed as that of Toulon. By a torpedo, then, which could be launched some distance away? But that was even moreabsurd. The launching of a torpedo required a complex mechanism; as wellsuppose that an enemy would be able to install a cannon on the docksunobserved. By a submarine? But _La Liberté_ had lain at anchor in anenclosed basin; besides there were the outer basins, patrol boats, sentries, the constant coming and going of sailors and marines, oflaunches, of boats of all kinds. How could an enemy creep unobservedpast all these? True, the accident had occurred at dawn, when every one but the sentrieswas asleep. But even at that hour the harbour was strictly guarded. Anenemy, to enter unseen, would have to be impalpable, invisible. . . . Besides, how could a mine or a torpedo or a submarine have caused theexplosion of the magazines, one after the other, at regularintervals--"spaced, " one of the officers had said, "like the reports ofa heavy gun. " First one had been fired, and then a second, and then athird; Delcassé, closing his eyes, had a vision of a ghostly figurestealing from one to another, torch in hand. . . . His mind roved back again over his talk with Lépine. Could it have beendone by wireless? Not the ordinary wireless, but some subtle variant ofether waves, some new form of radio-activity, which in some way causedcombustion? There was an enemy which could flit unseen from magazine tomagazine, which no locks nor bars could guard against. . . . His heart faltered at the thought. The possessor of such a secret wouldhave the world at his mercy. No ship would be safe, no fort, noartillery-caisson. Armies and navies alike would melt before him, destroyed by the explosion of their own ammunition. Ah, if Francepossessed that secret. . . . He shook his head impatiently and turned on his side. "I am dreaming foolish dreams, " he told himself. "It is time to sleep. " CHAPTER IV THE ALLIES AT WORK It was nearly four o'clock when Crochard, Lépine and Pigot took theirleave of M. Delcassé and made their way through the dark and silentstreets in the direction of the Hotel du Nord. The people who had leapedfrom their beds at sunrise, wearied at last by the emotions of the dayand dampened by the fine rain which had begun to fall, had gone to bedagain. Only about the harbour were there any signs of life. There thesearchlights of the battleships still played about the wreck, wheresquads of marines were searching for the bodies of their comrades. The three men, their coats buttoned about them, their hats pulled down, hurried on in silence, each busy with his own thoughts. Crochard andLépine were planning the campaign; Pigot had not yet recovered from hisconfusion at the sight of these two working hand in hand. Five minutes brought them to the door of the Hotel du Nord, and Lépineapplied to it a vigorous fist. There was no response, and he poundedagain. At last there came the sound of a window being raised, and anight-capped head was thrust out from the upper story. "Who is there?" asked a voice. "Are you the proprietor?" demanded Lépine. "Yes, sir. " "Then come down at once. " "But what is wrong, sir?" stammered Brisson, to whose frightened eyesthose three dark figures huddled in his doorway appeared most sinister. "What is it you require?" "No matter, " said Lépine, sternly. "Come down at once and open thedoor. " The window was lowered and some minutes passed. Had the three men at thedoor been able to see inside the house, they would have been amused atwhat occurred there, could anything have amused them at that moment. Asit was, they merely stamped with impatience and crowded closer to thedoor, for the rain was falling more heavily. Brisson retreated from the window, his fat countenance fallen intocreases of dismay, and plunged back into his bedroom, where his wife, who had also been awakened by the knocking, was sitting up in bed. "What is it, Brisson?" she asked. "There are three men below, " gasped Aristide, fumbling for his trousers. "They command that I descend at once and admit them. There is somethingwhich tells me it is the police--the police at this hour!" "The police?" and Madame Gabrielle cast a rapid mental glance over theiraffairs. "Well, admit them; we have no reason to fear the police. " "There is that little matter of the wine from your nephew which did notpay the octroi, " Brisson reminded her. "Bah!" retorted Madame, who was by far the stronger spirit; "it cannotbe that! No one could suspect that; besides, even if they did, theywould not come hammering here in the middle of the night. Descend atonce and admit them. Assume a bold front, Brisson! Do not let themsuspect that you have fear! Go at once! Hasten! I will come as soon as Ihave found a petticoat. " Thus encouraged, Brisson descended and opened the door, holding alighted candle above his head and presenting as bold a front as hisnot-too-courageous spirit could muster. The three men crowded past him, without waiting for an invitation or saying a word, and one of them tookthe door from his hand and closed and bolted it. The horrible thoughtflashed through Brisson's head that they were robbers, bandits, and hehad opened his mouth to cry for help, when one of them, the little, lean, grey-bearded one, with the fierce eyes, spoke. "We belong to the police, " he said. "We desire a few moments'conversation with you. " "Certainly, sir, " stammered Brisson, thinking, as he met those eyes, that perhaps he would have preferred the bandits. "Come this way, if youplease, sirs, " and he led the way into his bureau. He placed the candle on the table and dropped into a chair. His visitorsremained standing, facing him. Brisson realised that for him to sitwhile they stood was anything but courteous, and he struggled to arise, but the strength seemed departed from his legs, and he sank helplesslyback again. "What is your name?" asked the little man, looking at him with thosegimlet eyes. "Aristide Brisson, sir. " "You have been long in this house?" "For twenty years, sir. My record is of the best. " "We will investigate it, " said Lépine curtly. "Do so!" cried a voice behind them. "Nothing would please us better!"They turned to find Madame Brisson on the threshold, her eyes flashing, her bosom heaving, one plump hand holding together at the throat thegarment which threatened every moment to disclose her still plumpershoulders. "We are honest people--our neighbours will speak a good wordfor us--all of them!" "I do not doubt it, Madame, " said Lépine, courteously, realising thathere he had to do with the head of the house. "Meanwhile we wish to makecertain inquiries of you, which you need not hesitate to answer. But Iwish first to warn you that of these inquiries you must not breathe somuch as a word to any one. Do you understand?" "We understand, sir; you may rely upon us, " said Madame Brisson, and satdown beside her husband. "Our inquiry, " pursued Lépine, "concerns the two gentlemen who departedso early yesterday morning. " At the words, Brisson bounded in his chair, and the colour swept backinto his cheeks. He was himself again. "So!" he cried, and suddenly found that he could stand erect, and didso. "So! It is about those swine! I knew that all was not right; I knewthat they were not as they pretended!" "What was it they pretended?" "That they were of America. But it did not deceive me--no, not for oneinstant. They had not the air of Americans. Besides, do Americans gotramping about the country with knapsacks on their backs? No; onlyGermans do that! To Gabrielle, as they departed, I said, 'Americans, no;Germans perhaps, or Austrians--but not Americans!'" "Yes, gentlemen, those were his very words!" said Madame Brisson, withan emphatic nod. "And there is a final proof, " went on Brisson, excitedly; "a proofconclusive. When I present my bill, the one who takes it grows quitered with anger. It was a most reasonable bill--ninety-six francs forthree days, with many extras--a most reasonable bill, for Americans. Itwas then that I knew there was something wrong--that they were imposterswho feared the police. It was only that which prevented a scene. 'Gabrielle, ' I said, as they went away down the street, 'those men havesomething to conceal. '" "Yes, gentlemen, " put in Gabrielle, "he said just that. " "There is even worse to come, sirs, " and Brisson dropped his voice asone does in speaking of great horrors. "You will scarcely credit it, but, after having had us at their heels for three days, upstairs, downstairs; after compelling us to arise in the dark of night to preparetheir breakfasts--this person handed me a note for a hundred francs andsaid with a lordly air, 'You may keep the change. ' The change--fourfrancs! And yet from his manner you would have thought he was giving mea fortune!" "Have you still that hundred-franc note?" Lépine inquired. "But certainly, sir, " answered Madame Gabrielle, and, turning her backto the company, she stooped quickly and arose with the bill in her hand. Lépine took it and examined it carefully by the light of the candle. Itwas a new note, apparently fresh from the bank, and the Prefect's eyeswere shining with satisfaction when he raised his head. "I shall have to retain this, " he said. "One moment, " he added, asMadame Brisson opened her lips to protest; "I shall, of course, give youanother for it, " and he drew out his purse, placed the new notecarefully in a flapped compartment, selected another and handed it tothe anxious lady, who received it with a sigh of relief. "And now!" wenton Lépine, "please tell us all that you can remember about thesemen--every small detail. " Both Monsieur and Madame Brisson grew voluble at once, for rarely had itbeen their fortune to address so attentive an audience. But there werefew grains of wheat among the chaff. The two strangers had arrived, itappeared, on the evening of the twenty-second, Friday. They wereAmericans, they said, on a walking tour. Their names? Brisson did notremember; but they would be found on the police registration slip whichhe had caused them to fill out at once and had sent to the Prefecturethat very evening. He had noticed on the slip that they had come fromMarseilles and were on their way to Nice. Their bags had already arrivedfrom Marseilles, and, at their direction, he had had them brought upfrom the station. "Where are the bags now?" asked Lépine. "They directed that they be sent to Nice, " explained Brisson. "Idespatched them yesterday morning, as I agreed. " "You have the receipt?" "But certainly, sir, " and Brisson, while his wife held the light, rummaged in his desk and finally produced the paper in question. Lépine placed it in his purse beside the hundred-franc note. "Proceed, " he said. "In what way did these strangers occupy themselvesduring their stay?" They were absent from morning till night, it appeared, walking about thestreets, about the docks, visiting the ships in the harbour, climbingthe hills back of the town, and even going as far as Cape Cepet, wherethe great fort is--penetrating, in a word, to every nook and cornerwhich it is possible for visitors to enter. In fact, in the two days oftheir stay, they had seen more of Toulon than had Brisson in the twentyyears of his residence. The details of these expeditions Brisson had learned with the greatestdifficulty, for his guests had talked but little, had kept tothemselves, had discouraged his advances, resented his questions, andoften pretended that they did not understand--all of which was in itselfsuspicious. When talking together, they used a language which Brissonsupposed to be English; but he was not familiar with English; knew onlya few words of it, indeed--"money, " "damn, "--such words as every oneknows. Their French, also, was very bad, --much worse at some times thanat others. . . . Lépine finally stopped this flow of language, when it became apparentthat nothing but chaff remained. "Do any further questions suggest themselves?" he asked, looking firstat Crochard and then at Pigot. "No? You understand, my friends, " headded, turning back to the innkeeper and his wife, "that of all this youwill say nothing--not even to each other. An incautious word, and youmay find yourselves in a most difficult position. On the other hand, ifyou are careful, if you are reticent, you will not be forgotten. " "We understand, sir, " said they both in a breath, and Brisson added, with venom in his voice, "They were swine! I rejoice that they did notget their telegram!" Lépine jumped as though a pin had been driven into him. "Their telegram? What do you mean?" he cried. "About an hour after they were gone, " Brisson hastened to explain, "orperhaps two hours--I do not know--a messenger appeared with a telegramaddressed to a grotesque name--Zhones, Smeet--I do not remember--incare of the Hotel du Nord. I concluded it was for one of them, and toldthe messenger it was too late, that the man had departed--to Frejus, toNice--I did not know whither. So he took the telegram back again. " Lépine's eyes were gleaming as he glanced at Crochard. "I am glad that you have mentioned this detail, M. Brisson, " he said. "Ithank you--and you also, Madame!" and with that, he and his companionsbade the worthy couple adieu. Once in the street, Crochard paused. "I will leave you now, M. Lépine, " he said. "You have your work todo--but you do not need me. Should I have anything further tocommunicate, you will hear from me. " "And if we wish to find you?" "For the present, I am staying with my friend on the Quai de Cronstadt. " "Very good, " said Lépine. "Good night, " and in a moment he and Pigotwere lost in the darkness. The rain had ceased and a chill wind had arisen, but Crochard did notseem to feel it, as he walked slowly toward the quays, his head bent inthought. An ironical smile curved his lips, as he pictured Lépine offupon the scent first to the Prefecture, then to the post-office. Hewould follow it well, of course; he would run it to the end. He woulddiscover, no doubt, the identity of the two travellers; that would notbe difficult. Crochard himself had pointed out the way. But what then? Even if they were found to be men high in the Germanservice, that was of small importance. It _proved_ nothing. They were atliberty to visit Toulon, if they wished to do so; and, after all, theirarrival at the quay five minutes before dawn might have been anaccident; they _might_ have lingered for a last look at _La Liberté_without any suspicion of what was about to occur. Such a coincidence, ifnot probable, was, at least, conceivable; and such, of course, would betheir explanation, if an explanation was ever asked for. There was noway to disprove it. As to the yacht on which they had embarked--well, that, too, may havebeen an accident--a boat belonging to a friend whom they had come uponunexpectedly and upon which they had been persuaded to take a cruise. Suspicious circumstances--yes, many of them; but no proof, no absoluteproof. And nothing, absolutely nothing, to show that the explosion hadbeen caused by any outside agency. Arrived at the water-front, Crochard walked on until he was opposite thewreck. There he sat down, with his legs overhanging the quay. Two orthree searchlights were still focussed on the ruin, but the rescueparties had been withdrawn, and only a few sentries remained. He couldsee how that formidable monster of a ship had been torn and twisted intoan inextricable and hideous mass of iron and steel. One turret remainedabove the water, blown over on its side, its great guns pointingstraight at the zenith; but the rest was a mere tangle of metal. Such destruction could have been wrought only by the explosion of themagazines; no mine or torpedo could have done it. And as he gazed at themass of wreckage visible above the water, he perceived a certainresemblance to photographs he had seen of the wreck of the _Maine_. The_Maine's_ forward magazine had exploded; but Crochard knew, as well asM. Delcassé himself, what had caused that explosion. Perhaps history was repeating itself, as, proverbially, it is supposedto have a way of doing. But Crochard shook his head. If the catastrophewas not an accident, then it was the result of some agency far moresubtle than mine or torpedo. And, also, if it was not an accident, thosetwo men who had waited in the shadow of the doorway back of him for thedeed to be accomplished, must have had an accomplice. They could notdestroy the ship merely by staring at her! Somewhere, somewhere, concealed but not far distant, that accomplice must have awaited thefirst beam of the rising sun as the signal to hurl his thunderbolt, toloose his mysterious power! What was that power? How had the thing been done? Those, Crochard felt, were the questions to be answered. As to who had done it, or why it hadbeen done--that could wait. But if there existed in the world a forcewhich, directed from a distance, noiseless, invisible, impalpable, coulddestroy a battleship asleep at her anchorage, then indeed did it behooveFrance to discover and guard against it! At last, his head still bent, Crochard arose, crossed the quay, openedthe door of Number Ten, and entered. No doubt it would have interested both him and M. Delcassé to know hownearly parallel the channels of their thoughts had run! CHAPTER V AT THE CAFÉ DES VOYAGEURS M. Delcassé was scarcely out of bed, next morning, when Lépine's cardwas brought in to him. He smiled as he read the line scrawled across it:"My report awaits Monsieur. " "Show M. Lépine into the breakfast-room, " said the Minister, "and informhim that I shall be down at once. Also inquire if he has breakfasted. Ifnot, see that he is served. " He hastened on with his toilet, and, five minutes later, joined Lépine, whom he found at his favourite amusement of standing at a window andgazing into the street--an amusement which occupied every idle moment, sometimes with the most astonishing results. Chance plays a larger partin life than most people are willing to admit; Lépine believed in it;went half-way to meet it--and, more than once, had seen drifting pasthim along the pavement the face for which his best men had beensearching vainly. Lépine, it appeared, had already breakfasted, and, while the Ministerate, told of the interrogation at the Hotel du Nord. He had sent one ofhis men to Nice, with the receipts for the bags, and if, as seemedprobable, they were still uncalled for, they would be examined at once. "Though, even if they are still there, " Lépine added, "we shall probablydiscover nothing of moment. One does not place anything of value in abag and then abandon it. But I have another clue of the firstimportance, " and he produced the hundred-franc note. "Here is the notegiven to Brisson by one of the strangers. You perceive that it is quitenew. I suggest that you send the number of this note to the Bank ofFrance, ascertain when and to whom it was issued, and if any other notesof the series were issued at the same time. " "I will do so, " said M. Delcassé, and made a note of the number. "Iagree with you that this is most important. " "One thing more, " went on Lépine, replacing the note in his pocket-bookand extracting a slip of paper; "a small thing, but of significance. Ihave here the police blanks which the two men filled out upon arrivingat the Hotel du Nord. Their names, you see, are given as George Arnoldand William Smith, their home as New York City, United States ofAmerica. If you will notice the 'S' of the word 'Smith, ' you will seethat it is made in the German manner. " "That is true; but it may mean nothing. There are many Germans who arecitizens of the United States. " "Yes; but the German name is Schmidt, not Smith. I conclude that thisman is a German, but was trying to conceal it. " "You may be right, " Delcassé assented, with a trace of impatience in hismanner; "no doubt you _are_ right. Is there anything more?" "There is one thing, " said Lépine, colouring a little, "which I havekept until the last, because it seems to upset M. Crochard's theory. " "What is that?" Lépine drew two sheets of yellow tissue-paper from his pocket-book. "An hour after our men left the Hotel du Nord, " he said, "a telegramarrived, addressed to this William Smith. Here it is, " and he spread outone of the sheets on the desk before the Minister. Delcassé bent forward eagerly and read: "_William Smith, Hotel du Nord, Toulon, France. _ "Our mother requests that you abandon trip, cancel all arrangements, and return at once. "ALFRED. " "Well?" and Delcassé looked up at his companion. "That would seem to show, sir, " said Lépine, "that William Smith wasonly an ordinary traveller, after all. You will see that it was filedat Brussels at noon of Sunday, the twenty-fourth. It was delayed intransmission, and for some reason was not received at Toulon until nineo'clock in the evening. Messages here are not delivered on Sundayevening after eight o'clock, and this was held until seven the nextmorning. At that hour, William Smith was no longer at the hotel. " "Well?" asked Delcassé a second time. "Well, " Lépine continued, "at ten minutes past six on Monday morning, this message was filed at the office here, " and he spread out the secondsheet of tissue. Again Delcassé bent forward, and read: "_Alfred Smith, Restante, Brussels. _ "We continue our trip as planned. All well. Next address Nice. "WILLIAM. " "You will see, " Lépine went on, "that these messages are such as anordinary tourist would send and receive. " But Delcassé was not listening. He was reading the messages a secondtime and yet a third, and there was a wrinkle of perplexity between hisbrows. At last he looked up, and the Prefect was astonished at theexpression of his face. "There is one thing I forgot to tell you last night, Lépine, " he said. "I did not myself see its significance until I had got to bed. The firsttelegram received from any foreign power in reference to the disasterwas from the German Emperor. " Lépine smiled. "The German Emperor was the first to get word of it, " he said. "Iexamined the other telegrams filed Monday morning. At ten minutes toseven, the German consul here notified the Minister of State at Berlinof the explosion. Admiral Bellue did not file his message to you untilforty minutes later. No doubt he wished to assure himself of the extentof the disaster, in order not to alarm you needlessly. You should havereceived it not later than eight o'clock. " "It was, in fact, a few minutes before that hour. And when I reached theElysée Palace, I found the President with a message from the Kaiser inhis hand. It struck me as most peculiar. " "It was ironic, certainly, " agreed Lépine, "but, under thecircumstances, easily explained. " "You think, then--" "I think that Crochard has assumed too much; I think that, before weaccuse these men, we need more proof. " Delcassé pushed back his chair and paced for some moments nervouslyabout the room. At last he sat down again, and rolled and lighted acigarette. "You are right, " he said; "we need more proof. It is for you to find it, if it exists. And at this moment, I am interested not so much in themovements of these men, as in the cause of the explosion. Even supposingthat they had a hand in it, how was it accomplished?" Lépine returned the telegrams to his pocket. "I agree with you, " he said, "that that is the vital question. And I amunable to answer it. " "I shall institute a Board of Inquiry at once, " went on the Minister; "Ihave, in fact, already summoned the officers who will compose it. I willarrange for it to visit the wreck and begin to take evidence to-day, asit is important that the evidence be secured while the event is stillfresh. I would suggest that you place some of your men at thedisposition of the Board. " "Very well, sir, " Lépine agreed, and withdrew. Toulon was awake again, and the streets were thronged as on a fęte day. The first shock of the disaster had passed, and the inborn cheerfulnessof the people was asserting itself. The excuse for a holiday was not tobe overlooked, and every one who could take a day, or even an hour ofleisure, did so, and spent it partly on the quays staring at the wreck, partly in the Place de la Liberté listening to the orators, partly inthe Place d'Armes watching the men at work draping with black theMaritime Prefecture, where the Board of Inquiry was to sit, and thechurch of Saint Louis, where requiem High Mass was to be celebrated. Finally as much as remained of the holiday was spent at a café before aglass of coffee or apéritif, with the satisfaction of a sacred dutyconscientiously performed. Lépine, as he made his way through the crowd, noticed that there was nolonger any talk of treachery or treason, --even the word "sabotage" wasno longer uttered. Every one agreed that the affair was anotheraccident, deplorable indeed, but unavoidable and without dishonour, andso not to be taken too deeply to heart. France could build otherbattleships! The mercury in the national temperament was assertingitself. For an hour Lépine walked about with thoughtful face, listening to thetalk, watching the crowd, joining a group here and there, catchingchance words from passers-by. He had had only three hours' sleep, but heshowed no trace of fatigue. Certainly nothing was farther from histhoughts at this moment than that he needed rest. He made his way at last to the Quai de Cronstadt and joined the crowdwhich was staring at the wreck. A barge had been moored alongside, and aheavy crane was lifting the detached débris into it and clearing the wayfor the searching parties. On the quay opposite the wreck, at NumberTen, was a café, the Café des Voyageurs as its sign announced, and tothis Lépine presently crossed, sat down at a table and ordered a bock. The café was crowded, for its situation could not have been morefortunate; a steady stream of money had poured into the pockets of itsproprietor ever since the disaster. The shattered windows were inthemselves an advertisement, and no effort had as yet been made toreplace them. Lépine looked about the place with interest. It was notlarge, but it had a certain air of prosperity bespeaking a goodpatronage, even at ordinary times. At the Prefecture, Lépine had madesome discreet inquiries concerning its proprietor, who, he was told, hadthe reputation of being an honest fellow and had never been in troublewith the police. Nevertheless, as a friend of Crochard's, Lépine wouldhave welcomed a look at him; but the place at the moment was apparentlyin charge of the head-waiter. It was the head-waiter himself whoresponded when Lépine rapped for the "addition, " and, as he paid it, slipped a note into his hand. Lépine opened it, under cover of his hat, and found that it contained a single line: "Monsieur C. Will welcome a conference with Monsieur L. " Without a word, Lépine arose and followed the man, who crossed the room, opened a door at the farther end of it, stood aside for him to pass, andthen gently closed it. Lépine found himself in a little room with asingle window opening upon a court. It was furnished with a table andthree chairs, and at the table sat Crochard. He motioned Lépine to aseat. "I was expecting you, " he said, with a little smile; "and I am glad youcame. In the presence of that good Pigot, one cannot talk freely. Indeed, it was with the greatest difficulty that I maintained a sobercountenance. He was so astonished, so overwhelmed, that you and I shouldbe working together--that we should be able to sit in the same roomwithout flying at each other's throats. If he only knew--" "Is it necessary to go into that?" asked Lépine. "Why not? You have no reason to be ashamed of it. If you have sought myaid from time to time, it was because you realised that Crochard theInvincible has sources of information which are closed to the police. " "I said as much to M. Delcassé. It was not of myself I was thinking, butof you. What if your friends knew?" "My friends? I have never betrayed my friends, as you know well. Surely, Lépine, you have understood that, if I assisted you, it was only becauseit suited me to do so!" "Yes, I have understood that, " assented Lépine, flushing a little atthe other's tone. "You always had a bargain to propose. What is thebargain, this time?" "There is no bargain, " retorted Crochard, curtly. "I ask nothing. " Lépine cast at him an astonished glance. "What!" cried Crochard, his face suddenly red, "you cannot believe thetruth, then? It seems incredible to you that I should love my country?Well, I _do_ love her, and I am going to prove it by saving her!" "Is she in need of saving?" queried Lépine, ironically. Crochard's eyes gleamed; then, in a moment, his anger passed. "Delcassé believes so; Lépine does not: behold the difference between agreat man and a clever one, " he said, and looked at Lépine with pity inhis eyes. "Well, yes, " said the Prefect; "I admit it; I make no claim togreatness. I perceive no danger--nor, for the matter of that, does M. Delcassé. " Crochard looked at him for a moment. "Let me see the registration slip from the Prefecture, " he said, atlast. Without a word, Lépine got out his pocket-book, produced the slip, andhanded it to his companion. Crochard studied it closely. "You have, of course, remarked the German 'S, '" he said, at last "Ithought so. Now the telegram which arrived too late. " Lépine passed it over obediently. Crochard read it and re-read it, a strange light in his eyes. "And now the other one, " he said, finally. Lépine stared at him. "How do you know there is another one?" he demanded. "Of course there is another one!" retorted Crochard, impatiently. "Anyfool would know that!" Still staring, Lépine handed him the second sheet of tissue. Crochard took one glance at it; then he looked at his companion. "Do you mean to say, Lépine, " he asked, "that, in the face of thesetelegrams, you remain unconvinced--that you do not see the danger?" "I see no danger, " repeated the Prefect, doggedly. "And yet I tell you, Lépine, " said Crochard, leaning forward across thetable and speaking in deadliest earnest, "that the danger is desperate. You are blind to it, a thing which astonishes me; M. Delcassé can donothing--his hands are tied by the red tape of his position. Thereremains only Crochard! If I sit idle, if I fold my hands, within amonth Germany will declare war and will sweep over France like apestilence. Yesterday she struck the first blow; I tremble to think whatthe second may be!" "But war!" protested Lépine. "Nonsense! For war there must be a cause. " "A pretext will do--and a pretext can always be found. Already Germanyis preparing her pretext: she has demanded equal rights with France inMorocco--a preposterous demand, and one which France can never grant. What cares Germany about Morocco? Nothing! But the pretext must beready. And now, Lépine, " he added, pushing back the papers, and speakingin another tone, "I will tell you why I have come to you: I shouldprefer to work alone; but, in the first place, it was necessary toprovide a means of access to M. Delcassé; in the second place, you gotthese papers, where I might have failed; in the third place, there arecertain questions to which you can get an answer more easily than I. " "What are the questions?" asked Lépine, moved, in spite of himself, byCrochard's manner. "There are two to which I would ask you to get answers at once. Thefirst: does the government maintain, or has it authorised, any wirelessstations in the town or in the neighbourhood? The second: have thewireless operators on any of the battleships noticed any unusualinterference during the past few days? How long will it take you tosecure answers to those questions--authoritative answers?" "An hour. " Crochard glanced at his watch. "It is now ten o'clock. At eleven, you will arrange for a conferencewith M. Delcassé. There must be no one present but we three. " "M. Crochard, " said Lépine, drily, "I do not like your imperatives. I amnot accustomed to them. " "M. Lépine, " Crochard retorted, "my way of speaking is my own, and I amtoo old to change. In this affair, it is you who work with me, not Iwith you. Shall we go on, or shall we stop here?" Lépine trembled with a severe inward struggle. Crochard impressed andfascinated him; but his terms were humiliating. Crochard met his gaze, read what was behind it, and leaned forward againacross the table. "Lépine, " he said, "have I ever failed to do a thing I promised?" "No. " "I shall not fail this time. " "What is it you promise?" "I promise, " said Crochard, and raised his right hand solemnly, asthough registering an oath, "I promise to find the man who destroyed_La Liberté_, and to save my country!" Lépine gazed at him for a moment, then pushed back his chair and rose tohis feet. The patriot in him had triumphed. "Where shall the conference with M. Delcassé take place?" he asked. Crochard smiled at the question and at the little man's impassive face. "Lépine, " he said, "on my word, you touch greatness sometimes, and Ifind myself admiring you! Let the conference take place at M. Delcassé'sapartment. Oh, yes; you will have a closed carriage waiting at theprivate entrance. " "At eleven o'clock, " agreed Lépine. "At eleven o'clock, " repeated Crochard, and waved his adieu. Then, asthe door closed behind that erect little figure, he sank back into hisseat with a chuckle and touched a bell. An inner door, concealed so cleverly in the wall that even Lépine'ssharp eyes had not perceived it, opened and a man looked in. "He has gone, " Crochard said. "Bring some wine, Samson, and twoglasses. " The door closed, but opened again in a moment to admit the man, withbottle and glasses. He placed them on the table, went back to make surethat the door was closed, and then sat down opposite Crochard. Why heshould be called Samson, unless in derision, was hard to understand, forhe was a mere skeleton of a man, with a face like parchment. But thebrow was high and the eyes bright and the mouth as tender as a woman's. Crochard glanced at the label on the cobwebbed bottle, and nodded as hefilled his glass. "You are good to your friends, Samson, " he said. "Your health!" "Yours!" said Samson, and drained his glass. "Everything I have isyours, my master; you know that!" "Even your life?" "You have only to ask it. " Crochard looked at him with smiling eyes. "I believe you, my friend, " he said. "Some day I may have to ask it--butnot yet. Did you see the man who just left me?" "It was M. Lépine, " said Samson, quietly. "Did he see you?" "No; but if he had, it would make no difference. He would not know menow. " "Perhaps not, " Crochard agreed, and glanced at the other's wasted face. "And yet he has sharp eyes and a wonderful memory. " "I will keep out of his way, " said Samson. "At worst, it is only a question of another rescue; but avoid him, ifyou can. You have a good station here, the business pays; you can leada quiet life--and, from time to time, be of use to me. " "The last is the most important, " said Samson, and filled his glassagain. "Have you learned anything more of the white-haired man?" "No; but I _will_ know more before evening. " "I wish especially to find his lodging. If he is no longer there, I mustknow when he departed and where he went. " "All that you shall know; I will see to it. " "No detail is too unimportant. " "I shall remember. " "And perhaps, " added Crochard, "if things go well--for this is an affairof great importance, where for once I am working on the side of thelaw--I shall be able to secure for you that for which you havelonged--pardon from the State, rehabilitation, so that you can resumeyour own name and live again openly with your family. That is worthworking for, is it not?" "Ah!" cried Samson, his voice quivering with emotion. "If you could dothat! But it is impossible!" "It is _not_ impossible!" said Crochard, and struck the table with hisopen hand. "I promise it!" Samson stared at him, his lips working, and two large tears formedslowly in the corners of his eyes, brimmed over and ran down hischeeks. If Crochard said "I promise it!" the thing was as good as done. Suddenly he sat upright and brushed the tears away. "What is it I must do?" he asked. "Tell me!" And Crochard, drawing his chair closer, began his rapid instructions. CHAPTER VI THE MYSTERIOUS SIGNALS M. Delcassé was a busy man, that morning, and he snorted with derisionwhen Lépine, having secured admission for a moment, told him ofCrochard's request for an audience at eleven o'clock. "Impossible!" he said. "The Board of Inquiry is to convene at that hour, and I must be present to address them. " "Perhaps it would be possible to adjourn the meeting until afternoon, "Lépine suggested. Delcassé stared at him in astonishment. "Possible, yes, " he said; "most things are possible. But do you knowwhat it is you are proposing?" "I am proposing, " said Lépine boldly, "that you permit nothing tointerfere with the conference which Crochard requests. " "But Crochard--who is Crochard that I should disturb all my arrangementsfor him?" "I will tell you who he is, sir, " said Lépine, gently; "he is the manwhom, next to yourself, I consider the most remarkable in France. " Delcassé softened. The compliment was, perhaps, not delicate, but it wasat least deserved. "You believe that?" he asked. "Yes, I do believe it. I must tell you more of Crochard, some day. Beside him, I am a mere bungler--I realise it more deeply each time Imeet him. And I assure you that I am not one to underestimate myself. " Delcassé looked at him with a little smile. "It seems to me that your note has changed, " he said. "This morning--" "I have seen Crochard since then, " explained Lépine, simply. "And you are in earnest about this conference?" "In deadly earnest, sir. So is Crochard. " Delcassé pondered a moment. "You may bring him here at seven o'clock to-night, " he said, finally. "That is the first moment I have at leisure. " "It will not do, M. Delcassé, " said Lépine, firmly. "The other inquirymust wait. It is not that inquiry which is important, it is this one. " Again the Minister stared. "But it seems to me that you are telling me what I must do, " he said. "Explain yourself. " "Your official inquiry, " answered Lépine boldly, "for all the famous menwho take part in it, will discover nothing--it will be like that otherinquiry into the affair of the _Jena_. " "And what will yours discover?" "It is not mine--it is Crochard's, " Lépine corrected. "It is he who isin command. And it seems to me that he has already made a beginning. Iam convinced that he has something more to tell us. He has charged me tosecure answers to two questions. " "What are they?" "Whether there are any wireless stations in the town, or in theneighbourhood, and whether there has recently been any peculiarinterference with the working of the instruments on our battleships. " "Ah!" said Delcassé, whose expression had changed from irritation to oneof absorbed attention. "So he has thought of that, also!" and he fellinto a moment's revery. "Very well, Lépine, " he added. "I believe thatyou are right. I will arrange for the President to open the sitting, andI will summon the man who can answer the questions. " He rang for his secretary, and Lépine hastened away to secure the closedcarriage. He smiled to himself as he did so. How incredulous Pigot andall the rest would be should they ever hear that their chief had obeyedblindly the instructions of The Invincible, and that the first Ministerof France had altered his plans in accordance with them! The carriage engaged and one of his own men placed in charge of it, Lépine took his station at the principal entrance, to watch the crowduntil Crochard should appear. The corridors were thronged with people, hurrying in and out. Lépine knew many of them, for a whole staff hadbeen brought from Paris to carry on the business of the State, and morethan one august individual paused for a word with him. But to theirquestions he could only respond by a shake of the head. At the stroke of eleven, Crochard mounted the steps to the door, and, ata nod from the Prefect, followed him up the stairs into the anteroom ofDelcassé's suite. An attendant, who was evidently on the watch for them, showed them at once into the Minister's private office. He was deep incorrespondence, but he instantly pushed it to one side and dismissed hissecretary. "Well, M. Crochard, " he said, "Lépine tells me you have more news forus. Be seated. What is the news?" "I requested that M. Lépine should make certain inquiries--" "Yes, about the wireless, " and Delcassé looked at him closely. "Tell me, why did you think of that?" "I do not know, " answered Crochard, rubbing his forehead slowly; "but asI sat last night gazing at the wreck, a thought came to me--a vaguethought--not to be put into words. . . . " "Well, " said Delcassé, as he paused, "I had the same thought last night, before I slept. It seems to me a most striking coincidence. Are youaware that, in the case of the _Jena_, wireless was mentioned as apossible cause?" "Yes, " answered Crochard; "I am aware of that. " The eyes of the two men met in a long glance. Then Delcassé touched abell. "Introduce General Marbeau, " he said to his secretary. The latter returned in a moment with a dark little man in full uniform. Then he went out again and closed the door. The little man bowed deeplyto the Minister of Marine. "Be seated, General, " said Delcassé. "M. Lépine, I think you alreadyknow--as who does not! This other gentleman I will not name--I will onlysay that he is a coadjutor whose services we value very highly. He hascertain questions to ask you, which I wish you to answer as though Imyself were asking them. Proceed, sir, " and he nodded to Crochard. "General Marbeau is the chief of our wireless service. " "What wireless stations are there in the city of Toulon, General?"Crochard began. "None, sir, except the one at the arsenal, " Marbeau answered, looking athis questioner with discreet curiosity. "And in the neighbourhood?" "None nearer than Marseilles. " "There are no private installations?" "The government does not permit private installations. " "Yet there might be some, clandestinely built?" "That is possible. " "However, you can assure me of this: if any such do exist, they areoutside the law?" "Undoubtedly. " "Why are private stations prohibited?" "They are prohibited because they would interfere with the governmentstations. You understand, sir, that wireless waves clash in the air, asit were; when they cross or intermingle, the result is a confusingchatter, until the sending and receiving instruments have been carefullytuned with each other. Even that does not always overcome it. A fewprivate stations have been authorised strictly for scientific purposes, but there is none nearer than that at the University of Lyons. " "Do you ever suffer from interference here?" "Oh, yes; the English have a very powerful station at Gibraltar andanother at Malta; their battleships are all equipped with it, as arethose of Italy. So are most of the passenger steamers which enter theMediterranean. The air is often filled with messages. " "Has there been any such interference during the past few days?" "Yes, a great deal of it; one instance in particular of which myoperators have complained. " "Ah!" said Crochard. "Will you tell us exactly what it was?" "Last Saturday, " explained Marbeau, "about three in the afternoon, therecame from somewhere a series of long dashes, lasting nearly half asecond, and spaced about two seconds apart. This continued for perhapshalf an hour. " "You had no idea as to their origin?" "We thought that perhaps the English were tuning up a new and verypowerful instrument at Gibraltar. " "You had no way of verifying this?" "We did not try to do so. " "Was this interruption repeated?" "Yes; our automatic recorder shows that the signals began again a littlebefore five o'clock yesterday morning and continued for nearly twohours. " Crochard's eyes were shining. "At what hour was _La Liberté_ destroyed?" he asked. "The first explosion was at 5:50. There were two others, a few minutesapart. The main magazine exploded at very close to six o'clock. " "So that these signals began at least an hour before and continuednearly an hour past that time?" "That is so, sir, " assented Marbeau, in surprise; "but I can imagine noconnection--" "Do not imagine anything, " broke in Delcassé quickly, his voicequivering with excitement. "Perhaps there is no connection; butnevertheless I think these signals should have been reported to me. Comein, " he added, as a tap sounded at the door. His secretary entered and handed him a telegram. Delcassé's eyes werepositively gleaming as he read it. "Better and better!" he cried. "Oh, this is a game after my own heart!"and he tossed the telegram to Lépine. "Read it aloud!" he added, "that Imay be sure my eyes have not deceived me!" And Lépine picked up the message and read: "Note B162864R, one hundred francs, one of series of three hundred such notes sent to Imperial Bank, Berlin, September 8. "LINNÉ, Governor Bank of France. " There was a moment's silence, Marbeau staring blankly, but the otherthree gazing into each other's faces with shining eyes. "Perfect, perfect!" murmured Delcassé, and seized the telegram and readit again. "The next step, sir, " said Crochard quietly, "is to instruct every bankin France to report immediately the receipt of any of the other twohundred and ninety-nine!" Delcassé drew a deep breath, pulled a pad of blanks toward him, andscribbled a few words. "See that this is sent at once, " he said, and the secretary took themessage and hastened away. Then Delcassé did something which he had not done since that night, fiveyears before, when word came that England had signed the secret treaty:he removed his great glasses, got out his handkerchief, and deliberatelywiped his eyes. "Your pardon, gentlemen, " he said, with a twisted smile. "This is for mea great moment. You know my dream! I believed it shattered; but now Ithink that it may yet come true!" He snapped his glasses on again andswung around to Crochard. "If it does, " he added, "I shall have you tothank! Proceed with your questions. " "There are no more questions, sir, " said Crochard; "but we have a littleexcursion to make. It will consume perhaps an hour, and I think that youwill find it interesting. M. Lépine has a closed carriage at the privateentrance. I would suggest that General Marbeau accompany us. He will beof great service. Can we start at once?" For answer, Delcassé leaped to his feet and seized his hat. There wasno longer in his mind any question as to the importance of this inquiry, and the comparative unimportance of that other one, opening with muchpomp at the Prefecture. In fact, he had forgotten all about it! "The private entrance, you say?" he asked. "Then come this way, " and heled the way down the private staircase. The carriage stood at the curb. Crochard glanced at the driver. "He is your man, of course?" he said to Lépine. "Good. " And, as theothers entered, he stopped to speak a few words to him. Then he, too, leaped inside, and slammed the door. The driver spoke to his horses, and they were off, along the RueNationale, across the Place St. Roche, through the Botanic Gardens, pastthe Marine Observatory, under the Porte Nationale, and through thefaubourgs. At the end of twenty minutes, the town was left behind, andCrochard stopped the carriage, got out, and mounted to the seat besidethe driver. Then, at a slower pace, the carriage climbed a narrow road leadingtoward the hills back of the town. It was apparently little used, for itwas overgrown with grass, over which the carriage-wheels rollednoiselessly. Inside the carriage, Delcassé spoke only once. "On this day of surprises, I am prepared for anything!" he declared, andrelapsed into silence. At last the carriage stopped, and, pulling back the curtains, thosewithin it saw they were in the midst of a grove of lofty beeches. Crochard jumped from the seat and opened the door. "We must get out here, " he said; and when the others had alighted, hestarted off before them among the trees. Delcassé kept close at the leader's heels, fairly panting witheagerness. Lépine followed and Marbeau came last. The rustling of thedead leaves beneath their feet was the only sound which broke thestillness. At the end of five minutes, they came to what was apparentlya deserted shed. Its door was secured by a heavy hasp and padlock. Crochard drew a key from his pocket, opened the padlock, released thehasp, and threw back the door. "Enter, my friends!" he cried, and stood aside that they might pass. They crowded in and stood staring about them. For a moment, in thesemi-darkness, they could see nothing; then certain vague shapesdetached themselves--a table, a chair, strange jars, a queer-lookingclock. . . . Marbeau uttered a sudden startled exclamation. "Why, this is a wireless plant!" he cried. "Precisely, sir!" agreed Crochard. "The plant from which came thosepeculiar signals!" CHAPTER VII THE HUT IN THE GROVE General Marbeau bent with the interest of an expert above the rude tableon which the apparatus was installed, and examined it for some momentsin silence. Then he straightened up and glanced at Delcassé. "Well?" asked the latter. "It is, indeed, a wireless installation, sir, " said Marbeau, "or, atleast, part of one. Most of the instruments of transmission are here, but there are no recording instruments. In other words, wirelessmessages might be sent from here, but none could be received--unlessthis is a recorder of some sort, " and he pointed to a small instrumentof clock-like appearance which stood on the table. "No, " said Crochard; "that is not a recorder--that is the sender. " "The sender?" repeated Marbeau. "Yes. You have noticed there is no key?" "Yes, and I do not understand its absence. " "This device takes the place of it--it was by means of this that thespaced signals were sent. Listen. " He bent above the clock, and the others heard a sound as of a strongspring being wound. Then he stood erect: there were two sharp ticks;then a long white snap of electricity; two ticks and another snap; twoticks and another snap. . . . "Yes, that is the signal!" cried Marbeau, and bent again above themechanism. In a moment he understood. Before the clock-face was a single long hand, a second-hand, terminatingin a thin, spring-like strip of platinum. The circumference of the facewas divided into sixty spaces, and at every third space was a slendercopper pin, which the end of the second-hand touched in passing. Twowires, one connected with the second-hand, the other presumably with thecopper pins, ran from the clock down to the heavy batteries on thefloor. Every three seconds the circuit was automatically closed, and along flash sent along the conducting wire out into the air. Marbeaustood listening for a moment longer, then loosened one of the wires. Thesignals stopped. "Now let us see the aerial, " he said, and led the way outside. But there was no aerial in sight. Then Crochard's finger pointed out aseries of wires among the trees to the left of the hut. Walking directlybeneath them, Marbeau saw that there were three wires parallel with eachother, and that they were stretched between two trees about fifty feetapart. From each of them dropped a lead-wire, and these were gatheredtogether into the single wire which led into the hut. An arm of wood hadbeen secured to each of the trees, and to these the wires were fastenedby means of porcelain insulators. "But such an aerial would not be effective!" Marbeau protested. "Itwould be muffled and deadened by the leaves and branches all about it. " "There are no branches in front of it, " said Crochard. "If you willlook, you will see that they have been very carefully cleared away inthat single direction. As I understand wireless, the waves released fromthose wires up yonder permeate the atmosphere in every direction. " "That is true. " "With equal intensity?" "No; they would be most intense in the direction in which the wiresextend. " "Ah!" said Crochard. "And, as we may perceive from the way in which thetrees are trimmed, it was only in that direction that the builder ofthis affair desired them to penetrate. Can you not guess what thatdirection is? If you will climb this tree and look along the wires, youwill find that they point directly toward the wreck of _La Liberté_. " For a moment, the three stared at Crochard without speaking, thenMarbeau threw off his coat and started up the tree. It was not an easyclimb, but he was an agile man, and at last he reached the arm to whichthe wires were affixed. He remained for some moments looking out alongthem; then he slowly descended. "It is true, " he said, in a low voice, as he resumed his coat. "Thewires could hardly have been so placed by accident. " "It was not by accident, " said Crochard. "And yet, " went on Marbeau, "I do not see what all this can have to dowith the disaster. " "Nor I, " agreed M. Delcassé. "And yet as M. Cro----as our friend heresays, all this was not done by accident. " "I would suggest, " said Crochard, "that we return to M. Delcassé'sapartment. We can talk there without fear of being overheard--a thingthat is not possible among all these trees. " Marbeau took a last look at the wireless apparatus; then Crochard lockedthe door of the hut, and gave the key to the Minister. "Where did you get this key, my friend?" asked Delcassé, looking at itcuriously. "About that there is no mystery, " smiled Crochard. "I purchased it, together with that lock yonder, this morning. I found it necessary tobreak the original lock before I could enter the hut. It may be well tostation a guard here, " he added, "until you are ready to dismantle theplace. " Delcassé nodded, and slipped the key into his pocket; and together theymade their way to the waiting carriage. The trip back was a silent one. Delcassé and Lépine, their brains achingwith the effort, were trying to understand; Marbeau, convinced that theexplosion could not have been caused by wireless, was marshaling hisreasons; and Crochard--Crochard sat with placid countenance gazingstraight ahead of him--but that placid countenance masked supremeintellectual effort. At last the carriage stopped. "You will wait here, " said Delcassé to the driver, and, as soon as hereached his office, summoned his secretary and directed that a guard offour marines be sent by the carriage to the hut in the grove. Then hesat down, rolled a cigarette, and passed tobacco and paper to hiscompanions. "And now, " he said, looking at Crochard, "let us hear whatyou have to tell us. " "There is not much to tell, sir, " answered Crochard. "I learned of theexistence of this hut yesterday evening. Some children, searching formushrooms for a friend of mine, who is a restaurateur, happened to seethe wires among the trees, and told him of their discovery. He thoughtit so curious that he at once sent word to me. " "And you, of course, sent word back that he was to tell no one else, "said Delcassé, with a smile. "Yes, I thought that best. I paid a visit to the hut as soon as it waslight this morning, entered it, examined it, and convinced myself thatit was really a wireless station. Then I made certain inquiries. Thegrove, it appears, is owned by a gentleman of Marseilles, and was oncemuch larger than it is now. The hut was built for the use ofcharcoal-burners, but has not been occupied for more than two years. Iwould suggest that the police ascertain whether the owner was aware hehad a tenant. " "We will do so, " said Delcassé. "But who was this tenant?" "There is some doubt on that point, " answered Crochard slowly. "Thatlittle road is used but seldom, for a better one now leads around thebase of the hill; and few people ever have occasion to enter the grove. It was, of course, for this very reason that the hut was chosen for thisinstallation. I have found no one who saw any man at work there. On theother hand, a friend of mine, who has a cabaret on the main road justoutside the city gate, has seen pass a number of times within the pastweek a man who, from his face and dress, was evidently not a Frenchman, and whose actions appeared to my friend to be suspicious. " Delcassé smiled. "You seem to have many friends, " he remarked; "and unusually observantones. " "Yes, " agreed Crochard; "I am fortunate in my friends; and they find itgreatly to their interest to keep their eyes open. " "Did you secure a description of this stranger?" "Yes; but there should have been much more than a mere description. Someof my friends are more intelligent than others. Still, it may be ofservice. This stranger was a small man, slightly built, with grey hairand bright, dark eyes. His complexion was also rather dark, and myfriend hazarded the guess that he was a Spaniard. He was dressed in darkclothes, cut after a fashion not French, and wore a soft, dark hat. " "But that is a splendid description!" cried Delcassé. "What more did youwant?" "Ah, sir, " replied Crochard, "if it had been some of my friends, theywould have managed to meet this man; they would have engaged him inconversation, have discovered his business and place of abode; insteadof which, this friend in question merely sits at the door of his cabaretand watches the man pass! He was not doing his duty--but he will notmake such a mistake again!" "His duty?" echoed Delcassé. "His duty to whom?" "His duty to me, " replied Crochard. "But I do not understand, " said the Minister, more and more amazed. "Whyshould your friends have any such duty to you?" Crochard hesitated. Lépine's face was fairly saturnine. "I cannot explain that to you now, sir, " said Crochard, finally. "I canonly say that it is part of a system which has existed for a very longtime, and of which I now happen to be the head. " Delcassé pondered this for a moment, his eyes on Crochard's face. Thenhe turned to Lépine. "You must learn more of this stranger, Lépine, " he said. "You, also, areat the head of a system--and a very expensive one. " "Yes, and a good one, sir, " said Lépine, quickly. "One which is worthall it costs. But men will not work for money as they do forself-interest; and then, my system is a mere infant beside that of ourfriend here, which must be at least two hundred years old. " "Oh, much more than that!" said Crochard, quickly, and smiled atDelcassé's astounded face. "Please understand, " he added, "that I do notassert that this is the man we want. There is as yet no absolute proof, though I hope soon to have it. But there is one significant fact: whengoing from the city he frequently carried a heavy bundle, but never whenreturning. " "That is indeed significant, " agreed Delcassé. "But it indicates anotherthing which astonishes me. If he did all this alone, it was because hehad no one to assist him. But if he had no accomplice, who were the twomen who watched the destruction of _La Liberté_? And, above all, who isthis man who plans, alone and unaided, the destruction of our navy? Whatis his purpose? Whence did he come? Whither has he gone? Is he amadman--an anarchist?" Delcassé ran his fingers through his hair with adespairing gesture. "He astounds me!" he added. "My brain falters atthought of such a man!" But Marbeau, to whom much of this talk had been incomprehensible, beganat last to understand, and shook his head in violent protest. "Whoever the man may have been, " he broke out, "or whatever hisbusiness, it could have had nothing to do with the destruction of _LaLiberté_. " Delcassé wheeled upon him. "Why do you say that?" he demanded. "Because, sir, it is absurd to suppose that the magazines of the shipcould be exploded by wireless. Wireless has no such power. And, in thisinstance, it is quite easy to prove that they were _not_ so exploded. " "Prove it, then, " said the Minister, impatiently. "In the first place, the signals, which we now know came from that hutup yonder, were first noted on Saturday. They continued for half anhour, and yet no explosion occurred. In the second place, we caused themto be repeated to-day, and again there was no explosion. " "_La Liberté_ was no longer there to explode, " Delcassé objected grimly. "True; but there were other ships near by--_La Patrie_, _La République_, _La Vérité_. These ships and others were also there at the time of theexplosion, yet they were not affected, although all of them hadprecisely the same sort of powder in their magazines that _La Liberté_had in hers. " "But you have already said that the waves could be intensified in acertain direction, " Delcassé pointed out. "So they can; but they cannot be confined to a channel nor directed at amark, as a bullet is. The hut in the grove is fully three miles awayfrom the harbour, and I assert that every ship in the harbour felt thewaves with the same intensity as _La Liberté_. " "And what is your deduction from all this?" inquired Delcassé. "My deduction is that those signals did not and could not cause theexplosion. " "Then what was their purpose? How do you explain them?" Marbeau made a gesture of helplessness. "I do not know what their purpose was; I cannot explain them, " he said;"but I am confident that they could not have destroyed _La Liberté_. " "I agree with General Marbeau, " said Crochard suddenly. They all stared at him, astonished that he should admit himselfdefeated. "But I would add one word to his deduction, " he added. "The word'alone. '" "'Alone'?" echoed Delcassé. "I would make the statement thus: 'Those signals _alone_ did not andcould not cause the explosion. '" Delcassé looked at him with puzzled eyes, and again ran his fingersimpatiently through his hair. "I do not understand, " he said. "You are getting beyond me. What is yourtheory, then?" The line in Crochard's brow deepened. "It is a thing, sir, " he answered slowly, "which I find difficult toexpress in words. There is, at the back of my mind, an idea, vague, misty, of which as yet I catch only the dim outlines. My process ofreasoning is this: it is certain, as General Marbeau says, that thesignals from the hut were, in themselves, harmless, or there would havebeen other explosions than that on board _La Liberté_. Wireless wavescan be directed and concentrated only to a very limited extent. They canbe made a little stronger in one general direction than in others, thatis all. And, in this case, that general direction would have embracedall the ships at anchor in the harbour. "There must, then, have been some other force which, at the appointedtime, struck from this stream of signals a spark, so to speak, into themagazines of _La Liberté_, one after the other. That there was anappointed time we cannot doubt--we know that it was the moment ofsunrise yesterday. That the magazines were fired one at a time, and atspaced intervals we also know. That they could not explode of themselvesin that way seems certain. "You will remember that the signals began more than an hour beforesunrise, and continued for at least half an hour afterwards. We knowthat the signals were sent automatically. Why? Partly, no doubt, becauseit was necessary that they be absolutely regular; but also because theman who did this thing--who is himself, perhaps, the inventor of themethod--chose to make no confidants, to have no accomplices, and hecould not himself be in the hut to send the signals. Again you ask why. Not because of danger of discovery, since there was no such danger. Ibelieve it was because it was necessary that he be somewhere else, directing from an angle, perhaps, that other force, so mysterious and sodeadly. I seem to see two forces, travelling in converging lines, as twobullets might travel, their point of meeting the magazines of _LaLiberté_. At the instant of their meeting, there is a shock, a spark--asthough flint and steel met--and the magazine explodes--first the forwardmagazine, then the after magazine, then the main magazine--one, two, three! This is all mere guesswork, you understand, sir, " Crochard added, in another tone, "but so I see it. And, after all, it is susceptible ofproof. " "What proof?" demanded Delcassé. "If my theory is the true one, " Crochard explained, "there must havebeen, somewhere, another installation to create the intercepting force, which, of course, must also be transmitted by ether waves, as wirelessis, if it is to penetrate wood and steel. It must have been within anhour's walk--probably half an hour's walk--of the hut in the grove. Forremember, the mechanism there was set going an hour before sunrise, andthe man had then to reach his other mechanism, and have it ready tostart at sunrise. It is for us to discover the place where this secondmechanism was installed--and where it probably still remains. " "Yes, that would be proof, " agreed Delcassé thoughtfully; "and formyself, I will say that I believe your theory the right one. But youhave not yet explained the part played by the two watchers on the quay. " "Their part was that of watchers merely, " said Crochard. "They were sentthere to observe and to report to their master--as they did. " "As they did?" "Surely it is evident, " Crochard explained, "that, if our theory istrue, they would hasten to report. Imagine their master's anxiety untilhe heard from them! As a matter of fact, their report was filed withinfifteen minutes after the explosion. M. Lépine has it in his pocket. " Delcassé stared, uncomprehending; but Lépine, his face suddenlyillumined, snatched out his pocket-book and produced the sheets ofyellow tissue. "Ah, yes, certainly!" he cried. "I was blind not to see it! The reportwas in a form agreed upon: 'We continue our trip as planned. All well. 'You will understand now, sir, " he added, to Delcassé, "the reason forthe high opinion I entertain of this gentleman!" "But that message was sent to Brussels, " objected the Minister. "It was sent 'restante. ' A man was waiting at the post-office to receiveit and forward it instantly to Berlin. " Delcassé's face was a study, as he turned this over in his mind. "What is your reading of the other message?" he asked, at last. "My reading, " answered Crochard, slowly, "is that, at the last moment, the Emperor, appalled at the possible consequences, decided to forbidthe atrocity, to which he had, perhaps, been persuaded against hisbetter judgment, or in a moment of passion. " "And if the message had not been delayed, _La Liberté_ would have beensaved?" "Precisely that, sir. " Delcassé's lips were twitching. "You may be right, " he said, thickly; "you may be right; but it seemsincredible. After all, it is merely guesswork!" "You will pardon me, sir, but it is not guesswork, " protested Crochard. "M. Lépine will tell you that, in a case of this kind, it must be all ornothing. Every detail, even to the slightest, the most insignificant, must fit perfectly, or they are all worthless. If I am wrong in thisdetail, I am wrong in all the others; if I am right in the others, I amalso right in this. They stand or fall together. And I believe theywill stand!" The great Minister was gazing fascinated at the speaker; for the firsttime, he caught a real glimpse of his tremendous personality. "You mean, then, " he said, finally, "that if any details we may discoverhereafter fail to fit this theory, the theory must be discarded?" "Discarded utterly and without hesitation, " agreed Crochard. "More thanthat--" A tap at the door interrupted him. "Come in, " said Delcassé. His secretary entered, followed by a courier, carrying a portfolio. "From Paris, sir, " said the secretary, and the courier, with a bow, laidthe portfolio on the Minister's desk. Delcassé took from his pocket a tiny key, unlocked the portfolio, drewout a package and glanced at the superscription. "Ah, " he said; "the photographs!" and ripped the package open. There were some two dozen of them, together with a long typewrittenreport, which Delcassé glanced through rapidly. "These are the result of the first report from Berlin, " he said, "ofofficers who are absent from their commands and whose presentwhereabouts is not definitely known. A supplementary report willfollow. " "We can begin with these, " said Lépine, and looked them over. Crochard had risen and was looking at the photographs over thedetective's shoulder. "We shall have to shave them first, " he remarked. "Shave them?" "Divest them of those ornaments, " and he indicated the upturnedmoustaches, ŕ la Kaiser, with which nearly all the pictured faces wereadorned. "A brush and a tablet of watercolour will do it. " M. Delcassé arose. "I will leave that in your hands, gentlemen, " he said. "I must meet theBoard of Inquiry almost at once. General Marbeau, I thank you for yourassistance. You will, of course, say nothing of all this to any one. Asfor you, sir, " he added to Crochard, "I shall thank you better anotherday. Till this evening, M. Lépine, " and he bowed the three men out. Half an hour later, Lépine and Crochard were closeted with Monsieur andMadame Brisson in the former's bureau at the du Nord. The littleinnkeeper and his wife were inarticulate with excitement, for they hadguessed Lépine's identity from his resemblance to the pictures whichevery illustrated paper published at frequent intervals, and theysuspected, from his bearing, that Crochard was a person of even greaterimportance. Their faces were glowing with pride, too, for theirproffered refreshment had not been declined. In after days, when thesentence of silence had been lifted, they would tell the story to theiradmiring friends: "Imagine it. Here we sat, I here, Gabrielle there; in that chair M. Lépine, Prefect of the Paris Service du Surété, a little thin man witheyes oh, so bright; and in the fourth chair, with eyes still brighterand an air distinguished which there could be no mistaking--whom do youthink? None other than the Duc de B----"; or the Prince de R----, or theMarquis de C----; that was a detail to be filled in later; but a GreatHighness, rest assured of that! And the way that both M. Lépine and theunknown Highness relished their Château Yquem was a great compliment tothe house. After these amenities, Lépine produced the demoustached photographs. "Look well at these, " he said; "have care--do not speak unless you arevery sure, " and he passed the photographs one by one to MadameGabrielle, who handed them on to her husband. Some ten or twelve wereexamined without comment, and then Madame uttered a sudden exclamation. "It is he!" she cried. "It is one of them!" "One of whom?" asked Lépine. "One of those men. Behold, Aristide!" Brisson took the card and looked at it. "Sacred heart! But you are right, Gabrielle!" "You are sure?" persisted Lépine. "Sure! But of a certainty! I would swear to him!" Lépine put the photograph in his pocket, and turned to the others. Butthere was no second recognition. Brisson and his wife went through themtwice, until they had convinced themselves that their other guest wasnot among them. Finally Lépine gathered the photographs together. "I must warn you again, Brisson, and you, Madame, " he said, severely, "that of this not a single word must be breathed--to no one. Let it passfrom your minds as though it had never been. It is an affair of highdiplomacy; and you might suffer much were it known that you areconcerned in it. In behalf of France, I thank you, and I shall have carethat your so great service is brought to the attention of the properpersons. But remember--not a word!" Monsieur and Madame were faithful--only in the seclusion of theirbedroom, with the light extinguished, and in bated whispers, did theyever discuss it. And, as at this point they pass from this story, letit be added that, some months later, a parcel was delivered at theirdoor, which, when opened, was found to contain a handsome vase ofSčvres. Inside the vase was a card, "To Monsieur and Madame AristideBrisson, from Théophile Delcassé, as a slight recognition of theirservices to France. " It would be impossible to say which this worthy couple value mosthighly, the vase or the card. Certain it is that, if you are ever aguest at the du Nord, you will be shown both of them, the vase in avelvet-lined case against the wall and the card, neatly framed, justbelow it. And, in consideration of their increased importance, Monsieurand Madame have considered themselves justified in increasing theirtariff ten per cent. * * * * * As soon as Lépine and Crochard were alone together, the former took thephotograph from his pocket, looked at the number on the back, and thenconsulted a typewritten list of names. Then, with a hand not whollysteady, he handed the list to his companion. "Number eighteen, " he said. Opposite that number Crochard read, "Admiral H. Pachmann, Chief of theWireless Service;" and then he gazed at the photograph long andearnestly, as though impressing it indelibly upon his mind. CHAPTER VIII THE SECOND INSTALLATION The Board of Inquiry began its sessions that afternoon, at thePrefecture of Marine. It was composed of the most distinguished officersof France, who had donned for the occasion their most brilliantuniforms. There was much paraphernalia--secretaries, portfolios, red-taped papers, reports--all that display so dear to the Frenchtemperament; and every one wore an air of importance and solemnitybefitting time and place. M. Delcassé opened the session with a ringing speech, forming a notablecontrast to the platitudes uttered by the President in the morning. Infact, it was so bold in its allusions to an approaching struggle with"the implacable enemy of the Republic, " that the members of the Boardglanced covertly at each other in astonishment. Their astonishment wasthe greater because, as they well knew, M. Delcassé was not given toindiscretions. At least, his indiscretions were always nicely-calculatedones. He knew when to speak and when to hold his tongue--none better;and the fact that he thought it necessary to speak now proved that theaffair was serious indeed. At the end of the speech, the Boardproceeded in a body to an inspection of the wreck. Lépine, meanwhile, armed with the description Crochard had given him, set his men to work to discover the dwelling-place of the white-hairedstranger who had been seen passing back and forth along the road outsidethe city gate. But, to his chagrin, evening came and his men haddiscovered nothing. It is true that the investigation was rendered morethan usually difficult by the fact that the town was still in an uproar, and no one wished to speak of anything but the disaster. For the moment, the memories of the people went no farther back than dawn of theprevious day. In a day or two, when the first excitement had passed, there would be a much better chance of success. So, at least, reasoned Inspector Pigot, whose watchword was alwaysPatience! But the reasoning did not satisfy Lépine. Patience was notalways a virtue. In this affair, it was impossible to wait a day or two. With every hour, no doubt, the man they sought was putting fresh leaguesbetween himself and his pursuers. Crochard, so Lépine told himselfmiserably, Crochard would not wait a day or two. Perhaps, already. . . . He put on his hat and sought the Café des Voyageurs. Choosing the seatwhich he had occupied that morning, he ordered a liqueur and sat for anhour contemplating the crowd. Again he perceived that the proprietor wasabsent; but this time the head-waiter did not approach, or even meet hisglance. He thought, for a moment, of calling him and asking forCrochard; but he finally decided that that would be too great anindiscretion. Besides, as Crochard had pointed out, in this affair itwas Lépine who followed. It was for him to receive instructions, not togive them. At last, with a feeling of depression and dependency quitenew to him, the great detective left the café, returned to his hotel andwent to bed. But early next morning, things began to move again. He had scarcelyfinished his breakfast, when a summons came from M. Delcassé to attendhim at once, and when Lépine entered his office, he saw that somethingof importance had occurred. Delcassé already had a visitor--a tall, thinman, dressed severely in black, with the word "banker" written all overhim. Lépine was therefore not surprised when the visitor was introducedto him as the manager of the Toulon branch of the Bank of France. "We have something of interest here, " said Delcassé, and tossed over toLépine two notes for a hundred francs each. The latter's eyes were shining as he picked them up, glanced at theirnumbers, and then compared them with a third note which he took from hispocket-book. "They are of the same series, " he said. "Where did you get them, sir?"and he turned to the bank manager. "They were deposited with us by the cashier of the central railwaystation. " "When?" "On the afternoon of Monday, the twenty-fifth. " "How did you discover them?" "We received instructions yesterday from Paris to report immediately thereceipt of any notes of this series. Our cashier, while checking up ourdeposits yesterday evening, happened upon these notes, and identifiedthem as a part of the railway deposit of the day before. The matter wasreported to me, and I at once forwarded the report to Paris. Thismorning I received a telegram instructing me to report in person to M. Delcassé, and I hastened to do so. " "You have done well, sir, " said the Minister, "and I thank you. We willask you to exchange these notes for two others, and furthermore to saynothing to any one of this discovery or of having seen me. " The exchange was made, the banker departed, and Lépine, with the notesin his pocket-book, hastened away to the Gare Centrale. Arrived there, he asked for the chief, introduced himself, and stated his business. "I have here two notes, " he said, "which were deposited by your cashierlast Monday afternoon. It is most important that I find out from whomthis money was received, and to what point tickets were purchased. Thepurchase was made, no doubt, some time during Monday. " "The money might have been received Sunday, " the chef-du-gare pointedout. "Since the bank is closed Sunday, we can make no deposit on thatday. " "I have reason to believe it was not received until Monday, " saidLépine. "May I interrogate the cashiers, beginning with the one who wason duty at daybreak Monday?" "There are two men on duty at all hours, " explained the chief; "and eachtrick is eight hours in length. The first begins at six o'clock in themorning. At what hour was daybreak on Monday?" "At five o'clock and forty-nine minutes. " "The clerks who were in the bureau at that hour are not here now, but Ican have them called. " "Let us interrogate the ones who are here, " suggested Lépine. "Perhapsit will not be necessary to disturb the others. " The chief pressed a button and summoned the ticket-sellers, one afterthe other. The first had no recollection of having received the notes, but with his companion Lépine was more successful. "Yes, yes, I remember them perfectly, " he said, when they were shown tohim. "My attention was called to them because they were both quite new. I looked at them closely to make certain that they were genuine, andnoticed that they were numbered consecutively. Another detail whichcaused them to remain in my memory was the striking appearance of theperson who gave them to me. " Lépine's heart was throbbing with triumph. "Describe this man, " he said. "Ah, sir, " said the clerk, "that is just it. It was not a man, but agirl--a girl of eighteen or twenty. That is what drew my attention. Itis not usual to have a girl like that ask for two tickets, second-class, to Paris. " "A girl!" stammered Lépine. "You are sure?" "Perfectly sure, sir. " "Well, describe her, then. " The clerk half-closed his eyes in order the better to visualize hismemory. "She was, as I have said, of about nineteen, and she was not aFrenchwoman. " "How do you know that?" "Because, in the first place, she spoke French not very well; and, inthe second place, there was in her manner an assurance, a freedom fromembarrassment, which a French girl of her station would not possess. " "Was she light or dark?" "She was dark, sir, with bright black eyes, with which she looked at onevery steadily. She was slightly built, of medium height, simply dressed, so far as I could see through the little window, not fashionably, butwith good effect. However, what impressed me most was her calmassurance--almost American; but she was too dark to be of America. " Reading between the lines, Lépine suspected that the clerk had attemptedto start a flirtation with the self-possessed unknown, and had beenrebuffed. And yet, what he said was true--young girls in France werenot, ordinarily, entrusted with the buying of railway tickets, especially for so considerable a journey. "You are sure the tickets were to Paris?" "Yes, sir; second-class. I remember distinctly giving her sixty-fourfrancs in change. " "At what hour was this?" "About eight o'clock, sir. " "Of Monday morning?" "Yes, sir; of Monday morning. " "At what hour was the next train for Paris?" "At eight-fifteen, sir, the express departs. " "The girl had no companion?" "I saw none, sir. " "She certainly had a companion, or she would not have bought twotickets. " "Perhaps the inspector at the gate can tell us something, " the chiefsuggested, and the clerk was dismissed and the inspector summoned. Buthe could give them no information. There had been many passengers forthe express, and, besides, every one, himself included, was sodistressed and overwrought by the catastrophe of the morning that therehad not been the usual attention to detail. The inquiry was extended tothe baggage-porters, but with no better success. They, too, had beenupset by the disaster and had thought of nothing else. Some of them hadfrankly deserted their posts in order to hasten to the harbour-front. None of those who remained had noticed a white-haired man and adark-haired girl. "Come!" said Lépine savagely to himself, as he left the station. "Thisis not getting ahead--we must try the cabs. But first. . . . " He turned toward the Prefecture and quickened his step, for suddenly hescented a new danger. This white-haired man, then, was in the pay ofGermany. He had destroyed _La Liberté_ for a price--an immense price, nodoubt! And now he had gone to Paris. From there, where would he go? ToBrest, perhaps, to work similar mischief there. Lépine shivered alittle. The best men he had left at Paris must be sent to Brest withinstructions to arrest the fugitives at sight. Two people, so unusual inappearance, would find it difficult to avoid the police in so small atown. But in Paris--that was different. Yet even there something mightbe done. And then there was always chance, divine chance, which might, at any moment, deliver them into his hands. Ah, if only he werestrolling along the Boulevards, looking into this face and that! "Decidedly, I must be getting back!" Lépine murmured; and, havingarrived at the Prefecture, he sent a long telegram to his assistant atParis and another to the Prefect at Brest. Then he summoned Pigot. "Youwill interrogate the cabmen at the Gare Centrale, " he said, "as to whichof them drove a white-haired man and a dark-haired girl to the stationfor the Paris express, Monday morning. And, understand well, Pigot, there must be no failure this time!" Then, as the door closed behindPigot's retiring figure, he slapped himself smartly on the forehead. "Iam a fool!" he cried, and hurried from the building and called a cab. There are many dealers in electrical supplies at Toulon, and it was notuntil he reached the fourth one that Lépine found a ray of light. No;its proprietor had no recollection of any sales to strangers. A littlewhite-haired man? No. But stay--there _had_ been a white-haired man!No, he had bought nothing. He had had a battery recharged--a heavybattery of an unusual type. Yes, it had been delivered. One moment, andthe man slowly turned the pages of his ledger, while Lépine bit his lipswith impatience. Here it was--the address--80 Rue du Plasson, fourthfloor. In another moment, Lépine's cab was rattling over the cobbles in thedirection of the quays. "Faster! Faster!" he urged. And then they were in the Rue du Plasson. "Behold Number Eighty, sir, " said the cabman, and pulled up sharply. There was already a cab at the curb, and as Lépine jumped out, the doorof the house opened and Pigot appeared on the threshold. He stared athis chief in astonishment. "I was just coming to report to you, sir, " he said. "The birds haveflown. " "Indeed!" sneered Lépine. "So you have discovered that, have you? Butthe installation is here, I suppose?" "Yes, sir, " answered Pigot, very red. "On the fourth floor. " Lépine bounded up the stairs, and Pigot followed in silence. He feltthat he had been used unjustly; after all, he was not a wizard--what didthe Chief expect! At the top of the house, Lépine glanced first into the narrow room whichwe have already seen; then he returned to the landing and opened theother door. It led into a still narrower room, also extending to thefront of the house, and lighted by a single window. Lépine went to thewindow and looked out. Over the roof of the low market across the way, he could see the harbour, the warships, and the wreck of _La Liberté_. Then he turned to an examination of the room. A heavy box stood before the window, and on the floor beside it werethree large batteries. Some pieces of copper wire were lying about, butthere was nothing else. In the top of the box, however, four holes hadbeen bored, as though for the reception of bolts, and one side of thebox was badly burned. The sill of the window was also scorched andblistered. "You have the proprietor of this house?" Lépine inquired. "He is below, " Pigot announced, and went to fetch him. But from the proprietor, a nervous little man with a dirty beard, Lépinelearned little. He lived at the rear of the ground floor, and ten daysor perhaps two weeks before, a man had knocked at the door and asked ifthe upper floor was to rent. "What sort of man?" Lépine inquired. "A dark man, with white hair, sir; not a bad-looking man, but not aFrenchman. " "A German, perhaps. " "No, most certainly not a German; an Italian or a Spaniard. " "What was his business?" "He said he was an inventor and desired the top floor for hisexperiments. I told him that in that case I should have to charge extra, as experiments were always dangerous. He did not object, and paid amonth in advance. He seemed a very harmless person. " "Was he alone?" "At that time, yes, sir. But when he returned with his baggage, hisdaughter accompanied him. " "How do you know it was his daughter?" "He told me so, sir. The resemblance was very evident. Besides, heinsisted that I supply material to curtain off a portion of the room forher bed. " Lépine recognised the cogency of this reasoning and nodded. "Continue, " he said. "She was a dark, slim girl, of about twenty. They gave me no trouble. She scarcely left the house except for the marketing. But her father wasaway a great deal. " "Did he bring much baggage?" "Two pieces of hand-baggage, sir, and that box yonder by the window. Thebox was very heavy--almost as if filled with iron--and we had greatdifficulty in getting it up the stairs, even with the assistance of thetruck-man. " "Did you enter this room while he was here?" "No, sir; I entered neither of the rooms. My rule is never to interferein the affairs of my tenants--they do not like it. But on one occasion, as I passed the door, I heard him at work on his invention. " "Heard him, you say?" "Yes, sir; there was a deep humming noise as of a huge top, or perhapsof a motor. It occurred to me that it was a flying-machine which he wasinventing. Then, on Sunday, came a telegram. " "A telegram?" "Yes, sir; I brought it up myself. He read it and his face grew verygrave. He informed me that he would be compelled to depart nextday--that his sister was dying. But he assured me that he would returnas soon as possible to continue his experiments, and that I was to holdthe apartment for him--at least until the month for which he had paidhad expired. " "And he did depart?" "Yes, sir; quite early in the morning. I called a cab and assisted tocarry down his baggage. The box, as you see, remains against his return, also his apparatus, " and he indicated the batteries. "Oh, certainly, " agreed Lépine, with irony, "there can be no doubt ofhis intention to return. " And then his face grew dark and his eyesflashed. "How does it happen, " he demanded sternly, "that you did notcause him to fill out a registration blank for the police?" The little man twisted his hands nervously. "In that I admit I was most culpable, sir, " he said. "But when I lookedin my desk for a blank, I found that I had none. Every day I intendedgoing to the Prefecture to get a new supply, but every day somethingoccurred to prevent me. And then came the day of his departure. " Lépine's face was very stern. "You have, indeed, been culpable, " he said, "and I shall see that youare punished. You have broken one of the laws of your country. You haveaided a malefactor!" The little man's face was livid. "Oh, do not say so, sir!" he protested. "There must be some mistake!That kind gentleman, absorbed only in his invention--" "I _do_ say so, " broke in Lépine, savagely. "Did he receive anyletters?" "One, sir, on the Saturday before the arrival of the telegram. No doubtit, too, spoke of the illness of his sister. " Lépine put his hand wearily to his head. "At least you noticed the address on the letter?" he asked. "Oh, yes, sir. It was 'Monsieur B. Séguin, 80 Rue du Plasson, Toulon. 'Séguin, that was the name of my lodger. " "But you said he was not a Frenchman!" "Perhaps he was a Belgian, sir. I have heard that they are sometimesdark. " Lépine threw up his hands. "Head of a pig!" he cried, and then controlled himself. "M. Pigot, " hesaid, "you will take this idiot to his rooms and remain in charge of himuntil you hear from me. " And then, as Pigot and his prisoner started down the stairs, Lépineturned to an investigation of the two rooms. Every nook, every crevice, every inch of the floor, every drawer--all these he examined with aminuteness of which only the French police are capable, but his searchdisclosed nothing which shed any new light on the mystery. At last, hedescended the stairs and left the house. There was still one hope, the telegram. He hastened to the post-office, inquired for the clerk of telegraphs, apologised for again disturbinghim, and asked to see the telegram received for B. Séguin, 80 Rue duPlasson, the Sunday before. At the end of five minutes it was in hishands, and he read it with dismay. It had been sent from Brussels, andthis is the English of its contents: "Our sister is very ill and asks for you. Come if you would see her alive. "CHARLES SÉGUIN. " CHAPTER IX CHECKMATE "It is evident that this affair was not lightly arranged, " said M. Delcassé, and ran his fingers nervously through his hair. Lépine nodded gloomily. "You may well say so!" he agreed. The two sat together in Delcassé's room, and Lépine had just finishedhis report. Evening was falling, and the room was growing dark, butneither desired a light. "Everything has been thought of and provided for, " said the Prefect, atlast, "even to the telegram which gave an excuse for this man's abruptdeparture. Perhaps the other telegrams were also intended to misleadus--just as they did mislead me--to convince us that those other menwere only ordinary travellers. They must have foreseen that the policewould investigate the presence of every stranger in Toulon. It wascareless to send both telegrams from Brussels, but a coincidence sosmall might easily be overlooked. On one point only was there anoversight--they did not foresee that we might trace them by means of themoney. There is our hope. Sooner or later, the man with the white hairwill spend another of his hundred-franc notes. There is a certainjustice in it, " he added, "that he should be betrayed by hisblood-money. " "Yes, blood-money!" cried Delcassé. "That is the word for it! Oh, that Ihad my hands on the monster--for he _is_ a monster, Lépine; he must be amonster! There he sat, in cold blood, and loosed the power that killedthree hundred men! Have you considered, Lépine, that the finding of thissecond installation furnishes, as Crochard foresaw, proof of histheory?" "Yes, " said Lépine, in a low voice; "this is the proof. " Delcassé was on his feet, striding savagely up and down the room. "But it is absurd, " he cried, "it is incredible that here, under ourvery noses, such things should take place! What are our police for, Lépine--our secret service?" "It is the fault of that miserable landlord, " Lépine pointed out. "Of him an example shall be made. But that does not help us. This manmust not escape! Think what it may mean for France if he escapes!" "I have thought, sir!" and Lépine's voice was trembling. Delcassé turned on him fiercely. "Where is Crochard?" he demanded. "What is he doing all this time?" "I do not know, sir. I have not seen him since yesterday. " "Rest assured that he has not been idle. Do you know where to find him?" "I have his address. " "Go to him, then, and say I wish to see him. We must lay thesediscoveries before him--though no doubt he has already made them forhimself. Tell him he must not desert us--that without him, we are lost!" Lépine was grateful for the darkness, for his cheeks were red withhumiliation. But, after all, M. Delcassé was right. He rose with a sigh. "I will seek him at once, sir, " he said. "Understand well, Lépine, " said the Minister, more gently, "it is notyou I blame. You have done all that is possible with the means at yourcommand. But we cannot afford to fail. In an affair of this kind, thepublic is not reasonable. Should we fail, and should our failure becomeknown, as it almost surely would, the ministry might find itself sweptaway before the storm. So we must find Crochard. " "I agree with you, sir, " said Lépine, and took his leave. The Café des Voyageurs was crowded when he reached it, and he had somedifficulty in finding a seat. The marines who had been searching thewreck had, at last, been released from duty, and had, with one accord, hastened ashore to refresh themselves at the expense of a populace eagerto listen to every detail. The café hummed with talk; weird andrevolting stories of the search were told with gusto; the completenessof the destruction was described; the survivors dwelt upon theirsensations at the moment of the explosion; the heroism of the rescuerswas not forgotten; but, and Lépine noted this with a little sigh ofrelief, nowhere was there an intimation that the disaster was other thanan accident. He sat there for half an hour, listening to all this, and then, asCrochard made no sign, he summoned the head-waiter and requested a wordwith the proprietor. With a nod, as of one who expected the request, theman turned and again led the way to the door at the rear of the room. "In there, sir, " he said, and closed it when Lépine had entered. A single candle burned on the table in the centre of the little room, and beyond it sat a man. At the first glance, in the semi-darkness, Lépine fancied it was Crochard; then he saw that this man was slighter, that his face was bloodless, and that he was staring with hunted eyes. With a little start of surprise, he looked again; then he sat down. "So, Samson, it is you!" said Lépine, quietly. "Yes, sir, " answered Samson. "I was expecting you. But I did not thinkyou would recognise me so readily. " Lépine laughed shortly. "I have a good memory, " he said. "Crochard told you, perhaps, that Imight come?" "Yes, sir; and he directed that I give you this. " He handed Lépine a note. The latter broke the seal, held it to the lightand read it carefully: "_My dear M. Lépine:_ "I have found it necessary to leave Toulon, in the pursuit of a certain business, whose nature you can guess. I hope soon to have good news for M. Delcassé and yourself. Meanwhile, I would remind you of our agreement as to my friends. Samson is one of them. He has already been of some service in this affair, and may be of more. We can discuss his future upon my return. I will answer for him. "CROCHARD, L'Invincible!" Lépine refolded the note and slipped it into his pocket. "When did Crochard leave?" he asked. "He gave me the note at four o'clock yesterday afternoon, sir, andstated that he was about to depart. I have not seen him since. " "Did he mention his destination?" "No, sir. " Lépine regarded his companion thoughtfully. "There is one thing that perhaps you _can_ tell me, Samson, " he said. "Previous to his departure, did he visit the house at 80 Rue duPlasson?" "I think it very probable, " answered Samson, after a moment'shesitation. "I myself furnished M. Crochard with that address, when hereturned to the café yesterday for his lunch. " "Ah!" said Lépine. "So it was you discovered it!" He fell a moment silent, studying the other's countenance. "You have indeed changed, Samson, " he said, at last. "I suppose it wasCrochard who arranged your escape?" Samson made no reply. "You have a good business here?" "Very good, sir. " "You know, of course, that it is my duty to denounce you as an escapedcriminal?" "Yes, I know that, sir. " "Crochard tells me that he will answer for you--in other words, heguarantees that you will not run away. Do you understand that?" "Do not fear, " said Samson, huskily. "Monsieur will always find me herewhen he requires me. " Lépine looked at him for a moment, then got abruptly to his feet. "Very well, " he said; "I shall do nothing for the present, " and he leftthe café. It was nearly eight o'clock, and, feeling the need of dinner, Lépinemade his way back to his hotel; but his hunger was destined to gounsatisfied, for, as he stepped through the door, Pigot touched him onthe arm. "M. Delcassé wishes to see you at once, " he said, and Lépine, with oneregretful glance in the direction of the dining-room, hurried up thestairs to the Minister's apartment. He found him dictating to hissecretary, a great pile of letters before him. Without pausing in his dictation, Delcassé picked up a telegram whichlay at his elbow, and handed it to Lépine. It was dated from Paris, andhad been filed but an hour before. It read: "Seven notes one hundred francs B162810R to B162816R deposited to-day by Thomas Cook & Son. "LINNÉ, Governor Bank of France. " Lépine laid the telegram on his desk and glanced at his watch. "I must be in Paris in the morning, " he said. Delcassé nodded. "Yes, " he agreed. "And Crochard?" "Is no doubt already there, " and he handed Delcassé the note whichSamson had given him. Delcassé read it, and looked up with an amused smile, in which therelurked a trace of malice. "What a man!" he said. "Nevertheless, Lépine, I think you would bettergo. You may be able to assist him! Give him my compliments, and keep meinformed, " and he turned back to his secretary. * * * * * The Paris office of the Messrs. Cook is at the corner opposite the OperaHouse, and here, about ten o'clock on the morning of Thursday, September28, a little grey-bearded man descended from a fiacre, entered, and, after a short delay, was admitted to the presence of the manager, whomade it clear at once that he was entirely at the service of hisdistinguished visitor. Lépine sat down and produced from his pocket seven notes of the Bank ofFrance, for one hundred francs each. They were quite new and had noteven been folded. "These notes were deposited by you yesterday afternoon, " he said. "Ishould like to know from whom they were received. " The manager took the notes and glanced at them. "That will not be difficult, sir, " he said. "Our cashier can no doubttell us from which of our clerks he received them. Excuse me a moment. " He hurried from the room with the notes in his hand, and Lépine, strolling to the window, relapsed into his favourite amusement. At noother corner in the city could it be practised so profitably, for here, at the meeting of the Boulevards, all Paris, sooner or later, passed;and not Paris only, but vagrants from every nation. So Lépine watchedthe crowd intently, his bright eyes skipping from face to face--a mereglance at one, a longer glance at another, a close stare at a third. Perhaps, at the back of his mind, there was the hope that someincredible good-fortune might send past this corner a shrunken, white-haired man, leaning on the arm of his dark-haired daughter. . . . The opening of the door behind him broke into his thoughts, and heturned to find that the manager had brought another man back with him. "This is the clerk who received the money, " said the manager, andreturned the seven notes to the detective. Lépine motioned the clerk to be seated, and himself sat down facing him. "Tell me all that you remember of the transaction, " he said. "It was Tuesday afternoon, sir, " the clerk began, "about four o'clock, Ishould say, that a man came to the counter and stated that he desired astateroom, with two berths, second-class, for the _PrinzsessinOttilie_, the sailing of yesterday. " "What sort of a man?" asked Lépine. "A thin man, past middle-age. His hair was quite grey and he was of adark complexion, with very bright eyes. " "What language did he use?" "He spoke in English, sir. " "Fluently?" "Quite fluently, sir. " "Very well; proceed. " "I was in some doubt as to whether such a stateroom was available, asthis is the busy season; but on reference to our list, I found thatthere was such a stateroom. A customer to whom we had sold it had justcalled at the office, saying that he would not be able to sail, andleaving his tickets with us to resell, if possible. When I told the manof this, he seemed very pleased, took the tickets, and gave me the sevenhundred-franc notes. My attention was called to them because they werequite new and unfolded. He took them from a long envelope which hecarried in an inner pocket, and which seemed to contain a large sum ofmoney. " "Do you remember the number of the stateroom?" The clerk spread out before Lépine a cabin-plan of the ship. "It was this one, sir, " he said, and placed his finger on 514; "an innerroom, you see, on the upper deck. " "You asked the man's name, I suppose?" "Oh, yes, sir. I caused him to fill out the usual blank. Here it is. " Lépine took the blank and looked it over. It stated that stateroom No. 514, on the _Prinzsessin Ottilie_, for the sailing of September 27, twoberths, second-class, had been purchased of Thomas Cook & Son by IgnaceVard, of New York City, the berths to be used by himself and hisdaughter; and that he had paid for these berths the sum of six hundredand forty francs, being payment in full, the receipt of which wasacknowledged. The blank also stated that Mr. Vard was a naturalisedcitizen of the United States, and had lived in that country for tenyears. "The sailing was from Cherbourg?" Lépine inquired, when he hadassimilated all this. "Yes, sir. " "At what hour?" "About four o'clock, sir--four o'clock yesterday afternoon. " "How did it happen, sir, " Lépine asked, turning to the manager, "thatthe notes were not deposited until yesterday?" "Our deposit is made up at three o'clock each afternoon, " the managerexplained. "The notes came in too late for Tuesday's deposit, and wereplaced in our safe until the next day. " Lépine made a brief entry in his notebook, handed back the blank androse. "I thank you very much, gentlemen, " he said. "You have been mostobliging. The information you have given me will be of the very greatestservice. " And with that he took his leave, returned light-heartedly to his officeand sent a wireless to the captain of the _Ottilie_. The fugitive couldnot escape him now; it was merely a question of arresting him as he leftthe boat at New York; soon, soon, Lépine would have the pleasure ofputting him on the grill, and, once there, the detective felt sure thatthere would be some important revelations before he got off again. Onefact surprised him--that Vard should be an American citizen; but perhapsthat was not the truth. If it was the truth, it would make the arrest atNew York a little awkward; a formal complaint would have to be made, acharge of some kind trumped up. But there was no hurry--a week remainedin which to mature the plans. So Lépine, after sending a brief report in cipher to M. Delcassé, turnedto the work which had accumulated during his absence in a happier andmore contented frame of mind than he had enjoyed for some days. "I shall relish my lunch to-day!" he reflected; but, alas! it was justas he was preparing to sally forth for it that the blow fell. "A message for you, sir, " his secretary said, and handed him alight-blue envelope. "Ah!" said Lépine, "a wireless!" and he ripped it open eagerly. Then heremained staring at it with astounded eyes. Here is the message: "PRINZSESSIN OTTILIE, September 28, 11:10 A. M. _Radio via Cherbourg. _ "_Lépine, Paris. _ "No record of Ignace Vard and daughter on _Ottilie_. Stateroom 514 unoccupied. "HAUSMANN, Captain. " CHAPTER X THE LAND OF FREEDOM The old town of Cherbourg was experiencing its semi-weekly apotheosis. For five days of the seven a duller place would be difficult to find, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when the great trans-Atlantic linerswere due to pause in the outer harbour and take aboard the multitudeshomeward-bound to America, the town was transfigured. Thetransfiguration, indeed, began on the previous evenings, for it was thenthat the less-knowing and more timid of the tourists began to arrive. The knowing ones, having once tasted the Lethe of Cherbourg, remained inParis until the last minute, and stepped from the boat-train to thewaiting tender. But the less well-informed came on the day before--andnever, for the remainder of their lives, forgot the dulness of theirlast day in Europe. Then there were the nervously-anxious, their peaceof mind already wrecked by the vagaries of the European baggage-system, who dared not run the risk of arriving at the last moment. So they, too, journeyed to Cherbourg the day before the sailing-date, in order to havea clear twenty-four hours in which to search for the pieces which werecertain to be missing. That day at Cherbourg was always an expensiveone, for the hotel-keepers of the place, having to live for seven dayson the proceeds of two, arranged their rates accordingly. At the edge of the narrow strip of rock-strewn sand which constitutesthe beach at Cherbourg, stands the Grand Hotel--familiar name to everytraveller in Europe, where even the smallest hamlet has its "Grand. " Theone at Cherbourg is a rambling, three-storied frame structure, with aglass-enclosed dining-room overlooking the harbour, and here, at teno'clock on the morning of Wednesday, the twenty-seventh of September, inthe year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eleven, Daniel Webster wasdisconsolately eating that frugal meal which is the French forbreakfast. Not the great Daniel--all well-informed persons are, ofcourse, aware that he passed to his reward some sixty years ago--but awell-built, fresh-faced, rather good-looking young fellow, still on theright side of thirty, who had most inadvisedly chosen to appear in thisworld of trouble on the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of thegreat Daniel, and who had forthwith been handicapped with his name. John Webster, an honest farmer of the Connecticut valley, had alwaysbeen a worshipper at the shrine of the eloquent New Englander, to whomhe fancied himself related, and when, having taken to himself a wife, that wife presented him with a son on the very day when the centenary ofhis hero's birth was being celebrated, the coincidence appeared to himtoo momentous to be disregarded, and the boy was christened Daniel. It was a thing no thoughtful father would have done, and as Dan grewolder, he resented his name bitterly. It was the subject of brutal jestsfrom his playmates, resulting in numberless pitched battles, and ofstill more brutal hazing when he pursued his predestined way through theportals of the university at New Haven. Here he was promptlyrechristened Ichabod, and his real name was gradually forgotten. In the depths of his heart, John Webster may perhaps have hoped thatthis was to be a real reincarnation. If so, he was doomed todisappointment, for the younger Daniel gave no promise of being either astatesman or an orator. But he took to ink as a duck to water, was neverso happy as when his pen was spoiling good white paper, was electededitor of the _News_, and, commencement over, took the first train forNew York, stormed the office of the _Record_, for which he had acted ascollege correspondent, and demanded a job. He got it; and began anew the task of living down his name. Always, whenintroduced or introducing himself, he saw in the eyes opposite his ownthat maddening glimmer of amusement. Then he gritted his teeth andwaited for the joke. There were fourteen possible forms that it mighttake. Tempted often to return to that rocky Connecticut hillside, henevertheless stuck it out, and, as time passed, found he didn't mind somuch. He even reached the point where he made bets with himself as towhich of the fourteen it would be. And he progressed in other ways: thematerial symbol of the progress being that, instead of cub reporter attwelve dollars a week, he was now one of the trusted members of thestaff at six times that salary. Also he was seven years older, and this had been his first longvacation--six weeks in England, Belgium, Holland and France--gloriousweeks; but his eyes were aching for the lights of Broadway and hisfingers itching for the pencil. The most exacting and bewitching of allprofessions was clamouring for him again. Having disposed of the rolls and coffee, he rose reluctantly, steppedout upon the beach, and filled and lighted his pipe--with a grimace atthe first puff, for French tobacco is the worst in the world, outside ofGermany. Before him lay the mighty breakwater which guards the harbour, with its lighthouse in the middle and its fort at either end, while tohis left were the great naval basins, hewn from the solid rock. To theright, below the high sea-wall, the narrow beach stretched away, emptyand uninviting. Dan felt depressed. Cherbourg, evidently, was not an exciting place. Hehad never seen an uglier beach, but, after a moment's hesitation, hestarted off along it. Perhaps, farther on, it might improve. The tide was going out, and in the little basins in the sand minutecrabs and strange sea-midgets scuttled about panic-stricken at findingthemselves marooned; here and there a stranded jelly-fish glowed like aniridescent soap-bubble, and, farther out, an ugly mud flat began to berevealed by the retreating water. Some distance ahead, a ridge oftumbled rocks ran from the sea-wall down into the water, and, as he drewnearer, he saw that on one of the rocks a girl was sitting. He glanced at her as he passed, and would have liked to glance again, for he had never met more arresting eyes, but he was going on with facerigidly to the front, when her voice startled him. "_Pardon, monsieur_, " she said. It was a contralto voice, of a qualitythat made his pulses leap. He stopped short and turned toward her, incredulous that it could be heto whom she had spoken. But there was no one else in sight; and then hesaw that her hands were gripped tightly in her lap and that her lipswere quivering. "Is something wrong?" he asked, and took a step toward her. "Is thereanything I can do?" "Oh!" she cried, her face lighting, and a wave of colour sweeping intoher cheeks. "Then you are an American!" "Yes; thank God!" "So say I!" she echoed. "For myself, I mean. I also am an American. Wewill speak English, then. " "I should much prefer it, " he smiled. "My French is wholly academic--andcovered with moss, at that. It doesn't even enable me to get my eggsturned!" She looked at him, the colour deepening in her cheeks. Dan, lookingback, decided that he had never seen such eyes; he could scarcelybelieve that she was an American. She did not look in the least likeone. But she was speaking rapidly. "I am in trouble, " she said, "as the result of my own carelessness. Iwas crossing these rocks, without watching sufficiently where I wasgoing, and my foot slipped. See, " and she swept aside her skirts. "Icannot get it out. " Dan was on his knees in an instant. "Is it hurt?" he asked. "I think not; or at most only a little strained. But it is wedgedbetween these big rocks, and I cannot move it. " Dan touched the foot, and found that it was, indeed, wedged fast. Thenhe examined the rocks, and finally, bending above the smaller one, placed his arms firmly about it, braced his feet and lifted. It wouldhave been worth while to have seen the play of his back and shouldermuscles as the strain tightened, but it was over in a moment. For therock rose slowly, slowly, and the foot was free. He let the rock dropsoftly back, stood up and brushed the sand from his sleeves. The girlbent and rubbed her ankle. "Is it all right?" he asked. "I think so, " and she took an experimental step or two. "Yes; not evensprained. That reminded me of Porthos, " she added, looking up at him, her eyes very bright. He laughed. "Porthos would have done it with one hand, " he said, "while saluting youwith the other. " She hesitated a little, looking along the beach; and he, guessing herthought, raised his cap and started to walk on. But again her voicestopped him. Perhaps she, too, was something of a mind-reader. "I owe you some thanks, you know, " she said. "You mustn't go off tillI've paid them!" Dan swung around, his face glowing. "Not thanks!" he protested. "But if you would take pity on a lonelyexile and talk to him a little, you'd certainly be doing a nobleaction!" "Is it as bad as all that?" and Dan noticed how the corners of her eyescrinkled when she smiled. "You can't imagine how lonely I've been!" he said. "Especially the pastfew days. I didn't feel it so much till I was starting home. America!"and he took off his hat. "The land of freedom!" she added, softly. "Do you feel it that way, too?" he asked eagerly. "I've never been muchof a patriot--just took things as a matter of course, I guess; but sixweeks in Europe is enough to make a patriot of any American. Whenever Isee the old flag, I feel like going down on my knees and kissing it. I've just begun to realise what it stands for!" She had turned back toward the hotel, walking slowly with Dan besideher, and her face was beaming as she looked up at him. "You are right--oh, so right!" she cried. "And how much more would yourealise it if, like me, you had been born in another country and feltfor yourself the injustice, the oppression, of which you have seen onlya little! For such as I, America is indeed the Promised Land!" So she was foreign-born! Dan glanced at her with a shy curiosity. "You are a Russian?" he asked. "Pardon me if I seem intrusive. " "You do not. No, I am not a Russian. Worse than that! I am a Pole!" The words were uttered with a tragic emphasis which left him speechless. He could think of nothing to say that was not banal or superficial, andhe realised that here were deep waters! He glanced once or twice at herface, which had grown suddenly dark and brooding; then, with a littlemotion of her hands, she seemed to push her thoughts away. "You do not know much of Polish history, perhaps, " she said, in alighter tone. "But if you are fond of tales of heroism, you should readit, for it is one long heroism. It will help you to realise more fullywhat your flag stands for. It is my flag, too; I have lived in Americanearly ten years; and never do I grow so angry as when I hear anAmerican speak slightingly of his country. Here is the hotel. Forgive mefor talking like this; but it has done me good to meet you!" "And me!" he said. "Must you go in?" "Yes; my father will be wondering where I am. Good-bye. " She held out her hand and gave his a frank little pressure. Then sheturned and left him. He watched until the door swung shut behind her; then he walked onslowly, past the great basins, over the drawbridge, along the crookedstreets of the old town, past the station, and finally he stopped in theshadow of a crag of rock which sprang abruptly three hundred feet intothe air. Its summit was crowned by the frowning walls of the great fortwhich commands the harbour, and along the face of the cliff, blue withheather, a narrow footpath wound deviously upward. He ascended this fora little way, and then stopped, his elbows on the wall which guarded it. Before him stretched the bay, shielded by its jetty, and beyond rolledthe white-capped ocean. That way lay America. "The land of freedom!" he murmured, and his eyes were bright. "The landof freedom!" CHAPTER XI SHIPMATES When Dan got back to the hotel for lunch, he found that there had beenmany arrivals during the morning. The _Adriatic_ was to sail thatafternoon, as well as the _Ottilie_, and the long dining-room at thehotel was a busy place. As the head-waiter led him to a seat, he caughta glimpse, far off, of the girl of the morning. She was sitting at atable with a white-haired man--her father, of course--with whom she wastalking earnestly. She did not look up, and, in another instant, Dan'sguide had pulled out a chair, and he found himself sitting with his backtoward the only person in the room who interested him. He told himself this deliberately, after a glance at his neighbours; andthen, in the next moment, he called himself a cad, for every human-beingis interesting, once you get below the skin. But degrees of interestvary, and Dan felt that he had never met any one who promised so much asthis outspoken girl, with the shining eyes and sensitive mouth. Whichboat was she sailing by, he wondered? It was an even chance that, likehimself, she would be on the _Ottilie_. Yes--but second class? Thatwould be asking too much of Fortune! Let it be added here that Dan wasreturning in the second-cabin not because--as he was to hear so manytimes on that voyage!--there was no room in the first, but because bydoing so, he had saved the money for an extra week of travel. He found more arrivals in the office when he left the table, and aformidable array of baggage, which was presently loaded on vans andtrundled away toward the waiting tender. He paid his bill, collected thetwo suit-cases which constituted his total impedimenta, saw them safelyoff for the pier, tipped the porter, and left the hotel. The whistle ofthe tender was blowing shrilly, and, when he reached the pier, he sawfar out at sea the smudge of smoke against the sky, which told that oneof the steamers was approaching. He boarded the tender, assured amedical inspector that he was an American citizen and so did not need tohave his eyes examined, dug his suit-cases out of the pile of luggage, and found himself a seat near the bow of the boat. Presently the specialboat-train rolled in along the pier and disgorged the final quota ofpassengers. Ten minutes later, with a shrill toot, the tender backed away and headedout across the harbour. With a queer feeling, half of sorrow, half ofjoy, Dan looked back at the receding shore, telling himself that thenext soil his feet touched would be that of America. A mile out, the great liner lay waiting, impressively huge as seen fromthe deck of the little tender, and presently they were alongside andfiling through an open port. A steward grabbed his suit-cases, theinstant he was on board, asked the number of his room, led him to italong interminable passages, and left him to make himself at home. There were two berths in it, and, as he had paid for only one of them, he knew that, at this crowded season, he could scarcely hope to have thewhole room to himself. But there was as yet no sign of any otheroccupant, so Dan, thrusting his bags under the lower berth, went on deckagain. The last of the baggage and mail was being lifted aboard by ablock and tackle, worked by a donkey engine, and, even as Dan looked, the tender tooted its whistle, cast loose, and backed away, and suddenlybeneath his feet Dan felt the quiver which told that the screws hadstarted. Slowly the great ship swung around and headed away into thewest toward the setting sun--and toward "the land of freedom. " How thatphrase was running in his head! He made a little tour of that portion of the boat set aside forpassengers of the second class, and realised that the frugal Germanswere much less generous in their provision for those humble ones thanwas the English line on which he had come to Europe. There the secondclass was well amidships, with a deck-room almost equal to that giventhe aristocrats at the bow. Here the second class was at the very stern, and the deck-room was limited indeed. Of course, Dan told himself, the_Ottilie_ was a crack boat, designed to cater to the most exclusivetrade; but he looked forward at the long stretches set apart for thefirst cabin with a little envy. The boat was crowded, but he saw nothing of the black-haired girl, andfinally, after finding that there was no hope of getting a deck-chair, he sought the dining-room steward, got his table-ticket, and made hisway back to his stateroom. But on the threshold he paused. A man waslying in the upper berth, the light at his head turned on and a paper inhis hand. He raised his head and looked down, at the sound of the door, and Dan had the impression of a bronzed countenance lighted by a pair ofvery brilliant eyes. "Ah, " said a pleasant voice, "so this is my shipmate, " and the strangerswung his legs over the side of the berth and dropped lightly to thefloor. Again Dan had the impression of the bright eyes upon him. "It looks that way, " he said. And then a sudden compunction seized him. "I didn't mean to be a pig and take the lower berth. You are quitewelcome to it. " "Oh, no, no, " protested the other. "The choice is always to the firstcomer. That is the rule of the sea. " Dan noticed that, though he spoke English well, it was with the clippedaccent which betrayed the Frenchman. "Then I choose the upper one, " he said, laughing. The other shrugged his shoulders. "I can but thank you, " he said. "After all, you are younger than I. Myname is André Chevrial, very much at your service, " and he held out hishand. If he had announced himself to be a prince of the blood, Dan would nothave been surprised, for there was that in his bearing which bespoke thefinished gentleman, and a magnetism in his manner to which Dan wasalready yielding. "Mine is Webster--Dan Webster, " he said, and took the outstretched handwarmly. M. Chevrial looked a little puzzled. "The name seems somehow familiar, " he said; "but I cannot quite placeit. " Dan laughed. "My father made the mistake of naming me after the great Daniel--ahundred years after, " he explained. "Oh, so that is it! Daniel--Daniel Webster. A statesman, was he not?" "One of our greatest. " "Though it did not need that to tell me you are an American. You ofAmerica have an atmosphere all your own. Shall we go on deck and have acigarette?" So presently Dan found himself seated beside M. Chevrial, talking verycomfortably. The Frenchman, to Dan's surprise, proclaimed himself to benothing more important than a wine-jobber who visited America everyautumn to dispose of his wares; but, whatever his business, he wascertainly a most entertaining companion. And then, suddenly, Dan quiteforgot him, for coming toward them down the deck was the dark-eyed girl, arm in arm with a man whose burning eyes strangely belied his snowyhair. Dan sat staring at them, scarcely able to credit such stupendousgood fortune, and, as they passed, the girl looked at him, smiled andnodded. M. Chevrial, whom no detail of this little scene had escaped, lightedanother cigarette. "A very striking-looking young lady, " he said. "The gentleman, I takeit, is her father?" "Yes, I think so, " said Dan. "I met her for a moment on the beach atCherbourg this morning, and she mentioned that she was with her father. " "Ah!" commented Chevrial. "And now tell me more about this journalism ofyours, of which we hear so much. Is it really free? Is it not true thatmost of your papers are controlled by wealthy syndicates, who use themfor their own purposes?" This was a red flag to the bull, and Dan plunged into a defence ofAmerican journalism, citing instances and proofs, telling of incidentsin his own experience showing that most editors really have consciencesby which they are guided, and a high conception of their duty to thepublic. "There are exceptions, of course, " Dan went on, carried away by hissubject; "there are scoundrels in the newspaper business, just as in allbusinesses; but it is one of the beautiful laws of compensation that, just as soon as a newspaper goes wrong, its influence begins to slipaway from it. . . . " He stopped suddenly, for he had glanced at M. Chevrial and found himinattentive. His head was turned a little aside and his eyes were fixedwith a peculiar and intent expression on two men who stood together bythe rail, a little distance away. One of them was the man with the whitehair. The other was evidently a tourist, from his costume, and though hewas clean-shaven, some instinct caused Dan to classify him as a German. He glanced back at Chevrial at last, but the latter was gazing dreamilyout over the water and stifling a little yawn with his hand. "Your pardon, M. Webster, " he said. "But I arose very early thismorning, in order to catch my train, and I am tired. I think that Ishall lie down for a few moments before dinner. Au revoir. " Dan sat on by himself for a little while; then it suddenly occurred tohim that, if he looked about, he might find the dark-eyed girl alonesomewhere. He leaped to his feet and began the search. She was not onthe promenade deck, nor in the library, and he had about decided thatshe had returned to her stateroom, when it occurred to him that shemight be on the boat-deck. So he climbed the narrow stair and emergedupon that lofty eyrie. No, she could not be here--it was too windy;then, as he glanced around, he saw, through the deepening twilight, adark figure sitting on a bench in the lee of one of the boats. Could it be she? He hesitated to approach near enough to be sure; but atlast he mustered up courage to stroll past. And then, in an instant, hiscap was off and his hand extended. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you are on the boat!" he began. "May I sit down?" "Certainly, " and she moved a little, looking up at him, smiling. "I amglad, too. " "Are you? It's nice of you to say so, anyway. A voyage is so dull ifthere is no one to talk to. Of course, there is always some one to talkto--but I don't mean that kind of talk. I mean plumbing the depths--youknow, that sort of thing. " "You think I can plumb the depths?" "You certainly plumbed mine this morning. Not that I have any greatdepths, " he added, laughing; "but your line touched bottom, and gave mea new feeling which I think was good for me. Now, since we're going toknow each other, I want to introduce myself. My name is Webster--namedafter the great Daniel, but called Dan so that future historians candistinguish between us--and I earn a precarious living by chasing newsfor a New York paper. " "And my name, " she responded instantly, "is Kasia Vard; and I haveearned a precarious living in many ways--I have worked in a factory, Ihave sold papers--I have even cleaned the streets. " "Cleaned the streets?" he repeated incredulously. "Oh, that was not in America, " she said. "It was at Warsaw. In Poland, just as in many other countries of Europe, the streets are cleaned bythe women and children. The men, you see, are needed for the army. " There was a bitter irony in her voice which drew him closer. "I have seen women and children working in the fields; in Holland I sawthem helping tow the boats and working in the brickyards. That was badenough. But I never have seen them cleaning the streets. " "Did you go to Munich?" "No. " "You would have seen them doing it there--as they do it all overGermany. Had you gone to Chemnitz, you would have seen them carrying thehod. " She fell silent, and Dan leaned back, strangely moved. How young he was;how little he knew! Here was this girl, certainly not more than twenty, who had lived more, felt more, thought more than he had ever done; whohad ideals. . . . "Miss Vard, " he said finally, in a low voice, "permit me to tell yousomething. I am just an average fellow with an average brain, who hasgone about all his life with his eyes only half open--sometimes not eventhat. I have walked up and down Broadway, and fancied I was seeing life!I must seem awfully young to you--I feel a mere infant--intellectually, I mean. But I want to grow up--it isn't good for a man of twenty-nine tobe a mental Peter Pan. Will you help me?" She smiled, the bright, sudden smile, which he had grown to like somuch, and impulsively she held out her hand. "Yes, " she said, "I will help, as far as I can. The best thing I can dofor you is to introduce you to my father. He can help far more than I!" "Thank you!" and he took her hand and held it. "It was your father I sawyou with?" "Yes. You will like him. He is the most wonderful man in the world. NowI must be going. He will be looking for me. " He went with her to the lower deck, then returned to the bench, andstared thoughtfully out over the dark sea. What a woman she was! Andthen he smiled a little as he recalled her last words, "The mostwonderful man in the world!" He did not suspect that the time would comewhen he would echo them! CHAPTER XII UNDER RUSSIAN RULE When Dan found his seat in the dining-saloon, that evening, he glancedup and down the long table, in the hope that Miss Vard and her fathermight be among his neighbours. But they were not, and it was not untilhe was half through the meal that he descried them at one of the tableson the other side of the room. At his own table there were the usualassorted types of the middle-class tourist, his wife and family, most ofthem frankly glad that they were homeward bound, with the greatest partof their pilgrimage accomplished. The sea was smooth and the great boat forged ahead with scarcely anymotion, so that every seat was occupied and every one in good spirits. There was a hum of talk and rattle of dishes; the white-coated stewardsscuttled back and forth, and the scene was as pleasant as the wholesalehuman consumption of food can ever be. Dan went on with his dinner with one eye on the far table where MissVard and her father were seated; but his attention was distracted for atime by a discussion which an Anglomaniac across the table started asto the relative merits of England and America, and to which he could notresist contributing a few remarks. When he glanced across the saloonagain, he saw that Miss Vard and her father were no longer there. However, he finished his dinner with the comfortable consciousness thatthe second-class quarters were limited, and that she could not escapefrom them except by jumping overboard; and when the meal was ended, hemade his way leisurely through the lounge and along the decks in searchof her. There were girls, girls everywhere, but not the one he sought;and finally, with a little smile, he mounted the ladder which led to theafter boat-deck. Already other couples, scouting about the ship, had discovered theadvantages of its dim seclusion, and most of the benches in the lee ofthe boats and about the little wireless-house were occupied; but, onthat one bench, in the shadow of the after life-boat, Dan descried asolitary figure. He advanced without hesitation. "I was hoping I should find you, " he said. She moved a little aside, as an invitation for him to share the bench. "I like it up here, " she said, "with no light but the stars, and thatstrange luminous glow along those wires up yonder. " Looking up, Dan saw that the gridiron of wires stretched between themasts was, indeed, faintly luminous against the sky. "That's the wireless, " he said. "Listen--you can hear it, " and from theopen window of the wireless-house came the vicious snap and crackle ofelectricity. "The operator is sending a message. " She looked up again at the glowing wires. "I think it the most wonderful thing in the world!" she said. "I can'tunderstand it--I can't believe it--and yet, there it is!" "Yes--and I suppose it has become an every-day affair to the operator inthere; it isn't wonderful to him any more. We forget how wonderful a lotof things are, when we get used to them. " "How wonderful everything is, " she corrected; "the sunrise, theocean. . . . " They sat for some time in silence, gazing out across the dark andrestless water, touched here and there with white, as a wave combed andbroke. Then Dan's gaze wandered to her face. Seen thus, in the dimlight, framed by her dark hair, it, too, seemed wonderful to him; therewas about it a mystic allusiveness, a subtle charm, far more compellingthan mere beauty ever is; her eyes had depths to them. . . . She felt his gaze upon her and turned her face to him and smiled. "You may smoke, if you wish, " she said. "I can feel that at the back ofyour mind. " "I believe I _was_ thinking about it, " Dan admitted, and got out hispipe; but he had himself been scarcely conscious of the thought, and itamazed him that she should have detected it. There was the flare of amatch, and he sat back again, exhaling a long puff. "Now, " he said, "youare going to begin my education. I am ready for the first lesson. " "How shall I begin?" "I think an excellent way would be to tell me something about yourself, "he suggested. She considered him gravely. "Are you really in earnest?" she asked. "Indeed I am, " he answered quickly, colouring a little under hersearching eyes. "Forgive me if I seemed not to be. And please begin inany way you think best. " "I will tell you something about Poland, " she said, "and then you willunderstand a little what I and all like me feel for America. You know, Isuppose, that there is no longer any such land as Poland?" "I know that Russia and one or two other powers divided it, about ahundred years ago. " "Yes; but you cannot know what that division meant! The Poles were abrave and patriotic people; they loved their country as few peoples do;and all at once, great armies were flung upon them; they wereoverwhelmed, and their country was taken away. They lost more thantheir country: they lost their language, their history, their nationallife. But in spite of it all, they remained Poles. "I was born in Russian Poland, not far from Warsaw. From the very first, I was taught that I was a Pole, not a Russian. But only at home, undermy own roof, could I be a Pole. The teaching of Polish was forbidden inany school--every word spoken must be Russian. If children wereoverheard talking in Polish, they were arrested by the police and theirparents summoned and fined. On every public building there was a paintednotice: 'It is forbidden to speak Polish. ' All trials were conducted inRussian, although none of the peasants understood Russian, and so had noidea of what was being said. No official was permitted to answer aquestion in Polish--I have known a tramcar conductor to be heavily finedfor doing so. "We were taught history in which the name of our fatherland was nevermentioned, but where Russia was treated as the wisest, best, and mostpowerful of nations, with the Czar second only to God himself. We couldnot leave our native village without permission from the police. No Polecould fill any public office. No Pole was permitted to publish a book ora newspaper or even a handbill, until a Russian censor had passed uponit. If you ever visit Poland, you will notice, here and there, groups oftall wooden crosses. They mark graves. But if one of those crossesdecays or falls down, it may not be replaced without permission from thegovernment. One night, the cross over the grave of my father's motherwas struck by lightning; and for two years it lay there, untilpermission to replace it had come from Petersburg. It was among suchsurroundings that my childhood was passed. " Kasia did not seem to realise that, instead of telling about Poland, shewas telling about herself; and Dan was deeply moved. He had listened, inhis day, to many stories, but never to one like this. It was as thoughthe dead wrappings of history were stripped away, and its seething, desperate, tragic heart laid bare. "Go on, " he said thickly, and folded his arms tightly across his breast. "My father had hoped to be a student of science, " she went on; "but hewas refused admission to the university because of some absurdsuspicion, and after that he could study only secretly. When he married, he rented a little farm near Warsaw; and there he and mother toiled allday long, and the children too, as soon as they were old enough. Therewere four children--two boys and two girls. I was the youngest. Twiceevery year, my mother, my sister and I walked in to Warsaw, and spent aweek there helping to clean the streets; this service was required ofall families in the villages about Warsaw, and could be escaped only bypaying a heavy tax. We had also to assist in keeping the roads inrepair, and for this, too, the women and children were employed, sincethe men could not be spared from the work of the farm. At nightfall wewere always exhausted, and would swallow our soup and black breadhastily, and then fling ourselves down, dressed as we were, on a heap ofstraw in one corner. We were very poor, and yet not so poor as weseemed; but to have added one little comfort to our home would havemeant a visit from the tax-inquisitor, and perhaps a search. The onlyway to escape this was to live in miserable poverty. "In spite of all this, my father still kept up his studies. At night, after carefully closing the shutters and stuffing the cracks with rags, so that no ray of light could be seen outside, he would light a littletallow dip and sit reading for hours. He read the same books over andover, for books were very hard to get. The ones he wanted were almostalways forbidden. To be found possessing one meant banishment. So all ofhis books he kept concealed even more carefully than he did his money. Indeed, he valued them more! "Sundays he devoted to the education of his children, always with one ofus on guard outside the door. It was then that I learned to readEnglish. Father had taught himself with great thoroughness, because hewas determined some day to go to America. America--that was his dream!But how to get there! It seemed certain that he could never save moneyenough to pay for so many. That problem was soon to be settled. " She paused and put her hand to her throat, shivering a little. "Are you cold?" Dan asked. "No; I am trembling at the thought of what remains to tell. A case ofcholera appeared in our village. It was reported to the magistrate. Atonce all the Russian officials removed to Warsaw, and a cordon ofRussian troops was thrown about the village. No one was permitted toenter or to leave. The cholera spread. The people were ignorant; theydid not know what to do, and there was no one to tell them; they couldonly wait and pray. At the end of a month, the disease had spent itself, but of those who had lived in the village, only one in ten remained. Ofour family, there were left only my father and myself. " Dan's hand went out to hers. She did not draw away. "For a time, " she went on, "father was stunned by the blow; I havealways believed that he was very near madness. But he shook off hissorrow and decided that the time had come to seek America. We could notdepart openly; that was not permitted; so one night he dug up the littlehoard of money he had concealed, cut off my hair and dressed me in boys'clothes, arrayed himself in the rags of a goat-herd, and about midnightwe set off. I was eleven years old at the time, and I remember everyincident distinctly. We could travel only at night, hiding at everysound. By day, we concealed ourselves under culverts, in ditches, underheaps of brush. Luckily, Polish people are eager to help each other, sowe did not starve, and we got forward a little every night. At the endof six weeks, we crossed the frontier and were safe. "There is not much more to tell. We reached New York; and I was placedin school--I wish you could realise all that meant to me! For a longtime, I could not go out into the street without being afraid. It seemedimpossible that there was no longer anything to fear. When at last Iunderstood, it was as though a great load were lifted. That was tenyears ago. For the past three years, I have been a teacher in the HesterStreet school. " She sat silent for a moment, then with a long breath, drew her handaway. "Do you wonder that I love America?" she asked. "No, " said Dan; "and you have made me a better patriot. " She turned to him, with a little smile. "And now I think of it, " she added, "it was my story I told you, afterall!" "Your story helps me to understand Poland's. That is the way historyshould be written. " "I think so, too. There is not enough in most histories of the commonpeople. And my father says it is only they who really matter. He hasthought very deeply. It is his dream to make all other countries likeAmerica--free, peaceful, industrious--only better than America has yetbecome, in that poverty and inequality and injustice will be abolished. " "A magnificent dream, " Dan agreed, with a smile; "but impossible ofaccomplishment, I'm afraid. " "No, it is not impossible!" she cried quickly. "It will be accomplished, and by him!" Dan looked at her curiously. Her eyes were blazing, and she spoke with aconviction, with an enthusiasm, which puzzled him. "Tell me something about your father, " he suggested. "You said he wasthe most wonderful man in the world. " "And I meant it. Could anything be more wonderful than to force all thenations of the earth to break up their navies, to dismantle their forts, to disband their armies? Could anything be more wonderful than to put anend, once for all, to this waste of life and treasure, which is eatingat the heart of the world? Could anything be more wonderful than to turnall these armies of useless men back into honest and useful labour? Thenno longer would you see women gathering the harvest, or struggling undercruel burdens, or cleaning the streets, or spreading manure over thefields! No, nor walking the pavements of the cities! Would you not saythat the man who brought all this about was a wonderful man?" "Wonderful!" echoed Dan. "Why, wonderful would be no name for it! But itis something that no man can ever do. " "It will be done, believe me, " she said, solemnly, "and by my father. " Dan could only stare at her. It seemed absurd to suppose that she couldbe in earnest; but certainly her face was earnest to solemnity. It shonewith consecration. "But I don't understand, " he stammered. "It's too big for me. How is itto be accomplished? How can one man bring it about? I can see how theCzar or Kaiser might set to work, but even they could not hope tosucceed. The Czar did try something of the sort, didn't he?" "Yes; but he was not in earnest, and the other nations laughed. At myfather they will not laugh, for he is in deadly earnest. As to how thisis to be done, I may not tell you, not yet--some day, perhaps. But onething I may tell you, and it is this--my father holds the nations of theworld in the hollow of his hand!" For a moment there was silence between them. The moon had risen as theytalked, and the dark sea was illumined by a broad path of silver. Theboat-deck was almost deserted; the snapping of the wireless had ceased. Miss Vard looked about her with a little start. "It must be very late, " she said. "I must be going. " As Dan followed her across the deck, he noticed a dark figure on thebench next to the one where he and Miss Vard had sat. And as theypassed, the stranger struck a match and lighted a cigarette. By theglare of the flame, Dan saw that it was his roommate, Chevrial. CHAPTER XIII IN THE WIRELESS HOUSE Fritz Ludwig, the tall, blond young man who earned his eighty marks permonth as wireless man on the _Ottilie_, having eaten his dinner with thepassengers of the second-cabin and smoked a meditative pipe at the doorof the little coop on the after boat-deck which served him as office andbedroom, knocked out the ashes and entered his citadel to prepare forthe night's business. But first he connected up his detector and snappedthe receivers against his ears, just to see what might be going on. Theoperator on the _Adriatic_, a hundred miles behind them, was gossipingwith Poldhu, and far ahead two boats were exchanging information aboutthe weather. Then Ludwig glanced up quickly, for a step had sounded atthe door, and he saw a man just stepping over the threshold. "No admittance here!" he called sharply; but the man advanced anotherstep, smiling broadly. "My dear Fritz!" he said in German. "Do you not know me?" And Fritz, staring upwards, and seeing his visitor's face clearly, toreoff the receivers, sprang to his feet and saluted. "Admiral Pachmann!" he gasped. Pachmann laughed. Then he turned, closed the door, and drew the shadebefore the window. "Yes, it is I; but don't shout it so loudly, Fritz. Let us sit down. Isaw you at dinner to-night--yes, I, too, am of the second class!--and Itrembled lest you might recognise me and shout my name out in just thatfashion. So, as soon as I could, I hastened up to warn you. I amtravelling incognito upon official business, and in public you are notto know me. " "I understand, Herr Admiral, " said Fritz. "I shall be most careful. " "It is most important, " Pachmann warned him; "and I shall trust you notto forget. How do you like your work here?" "Very well, sir. I find it very interesting. " "I shall have you back in the service, nevertheless, one of these days, "Pachmann said. "Perhaps sooner than you think, " he added. "I am always ready, sir, " said Fritz. Pachmann drew out a cigar and lighted it. "Go ahead with your work, " he said. "There is no music to me so pleasantas the snapping of the spark. " Fritz laughed. "I know that, sir, " he said. "I have an extra receiver, if you care toput it on. " "Yes, give it to me, " said the Admiral; and in a moment it, too, wasconnected with the detector. Fritz replaced his own, started his converter and snapped out into theair the signal which told the waiting world that the operator of the_Ottilie_ was ready to receive anything it might have to communicate. Almost at once Southampton answered, and there was a little preliminarytuning, till the signals came clear and strong. Then Fritz drew a padtoward him, picked up a freshly sharpened pencil, and told Southamptonto go ahead. "SN three fr DKA, " began Southampton. "Time 9:50 G. " Which meant that Southampton had for the _Prinzsessin Ottilie_ threemessages and that the time was 9:50 o'clock Greenwich. Fritz glanced at the clock above his desk. "Time OK. GA, " he signalled, the "GA" being radio for "Go ahead. " "MSG one, " went on Southampton. "Eight w Gary. DKA. Directors havecommand of situation. Morrissy. "MSG two. Nine w Gardenshire, DKA. Missed boat will follow by_Carmania_. Hickle. "MSG three. Eleven w Hodges, DKA. Coffee will go thirteen Thursday shallI sell. Perkins. " Fritz had taken it all down with religious care. At the last word hesnapped open his key. "OK. Thanks GN, " he ticked off, the "GN" being, of course, "good-night. " He waited a moment, but there were no other calls for the _Ottilie_, andhe took off his receiver. Pachmann followed suit. "That was a great pleasure, " said the latter. "The signals are veryclear to-night. " "If you could come in later on, sir, " Fritz suggested, "you could hearthe news service from Poldhu. There is a station for you!" "At what hour does the service start?" asked Pachmann. "Poldhu always calls at eleven-thirty, sir, and starts the news serviceas soon as the commercial business is out of the way. " "I shall try to be here, " said Pachmann. "This long-distance service isa great delight to me, especially when it works so clearly as it doesto-night. You will not forget about my incognito?" "I shall not forget, sir, " Fritz assured him, and with a short nod, Pachmann left the house. Fritz sat down again to copy out his messagesand to send three or four which the captain's steward at that momentbrought in. That done, he thrust his head out for a breath of air, noticed with a grin the couples who had already discovered theadvantages of the boat-deck benches, and then went back to his key fora little gossip with such other Marconi men as might be within reach. Itwas nearly eleven-thirty, and all of them were sitting at their tables, waiting for the far-flung signal which would tell that the operator atPoldhu, that lonely station on the last sheer cliff of Cornwall, wasready for his night's work. And a minute later, the door opened andPachmann came in. "I could not resist your invitation, Fritz, " he said. "This gets intoone's blood, " and he adjusted the extra receiver and sat down. Almost at once came the CQ, CQ, CQ, ZZ, ZZ, ZZ, which told that Poldhuwas calling for all stations and on every ship within a thousand milesof that point of rock, the wireless man tuned up his instrument, andwaited. The commercial messages came first, and there were a lot ofthem; four for the _Ottilie_, three for the _Adriatic_, five to berelayed far ahead to the _Mauretania_, one for the incoming _Majestic_, and one for the _Rotterdam_. Then the Poldhu man announced that he wasready to receive, and as many more were sent out into the night to him, for relay on to London, and from there to far-separated points on thecontinent. At last there was a moment's pause, a moment's silence, andthen the SP, SP, SP, which told that the news service was about tostart. And every man within hearing picked up a fresh pencil and madeready to write, as from dictation. "SP, SP, SP, " snapped Poldhu. "Time 12:54 G. Three hundred wds. "War between Italy and Turkey seems inevitable stop Italy gives Turkeytwenty-four hours to agree to Italy's occupation of Tripoli stop Sixthousand troops at Palermo ready to embark stop Turkish munitions andreinforcements already landed stop Board of Inquiry into _La Liberté_disaster goes into secret session stop Rumour of attempt to destroy _LaPatrie_ also stop Moroccan situation grows more serious stop Germanydemands equal rights with France abrogating Algeciras treaty stopDirectors steel trust declare company is legal corporation and will nottake voluntary steps to dissolve stop Officially announced at Chicagothat one hundred thousand men on Harriman lines will strike Saturdaystop September coffee sells at twelve-ninety-eight New York exchangerecord price stop Boy Scouts called out to fight plague of wasps inEngland stop. . . . " And so on to the end of the message. And when the end was reached, theman at Poldhu waited fifteen minutes and then started all over again andsent the message a second time, so that every one would be sure to getit all. Then he shut off and went to bed. Thursday dawned clear and warm, and the _Ottilie's_ passengers, appearing on deck by twos and threes, rejoiced that the day was to be afine one. They found the world-news of the day before awaiting them onthe bulletin board at the head of the main companion-way, and had greatfun deciphering it, very few of them stopping to think how wonderful itwas that it should be there at all. And then some of them celebratedtheir first morning at sea by a three-mile tramp before breakfast;others, less strenuous, lounged at the rail, waiting impatiently for thebreakfast-gong; a few, finding themselves disturbed by the slow and evenmotion of the ship, bundled themselves up in their steamer-chairs andhoped that nature would soon readjust itself. Then the gong sounded, andthe deck was deserted, except by the bundled-up occupants of the chairs, to whom the solicitous deck-steward brought, more or less vainly, various light articles of food. An hour later, the decks were full again. From the upper deck came theclack of shuffle-board; on the promenade deck the chairs were full ofnovel-readers, and little groups here and there were making each other'sacquaintance. The life of shipboard had begun. On the boat-deck, various passengers, singly or in twos and threes, paused to listen to the crackle of electricity which came from thelittle wireless-house. The door was closed, but by standing on tiptoethey could see over the screen at the window, and catch a glimpse of ablond young man, with a receiver clamped over both ears, bending abovehis key, from which came a series of vicious-looking sparks. The soundwas vaguely disquieting, suggesting lightning to the more timid, or somestrange and dangerous force of nature not to be trifled with, so most ofthem preferred to descend again to the upper promenade, or to sit downsome distance away. Presently two men climbed the ladder from the deckbelow, and looked about them. "Let us sit here, " said the younger of them, in German, and motionedtoward a bench which had been built against the cabin. "Very well, Your. . . . " He stopped himself abruptly. "It is difficult tobreak oneself of a long habit, " he said, with a little laugh; and, waiting for the other to seat himself, sat down beside him. They lighted cigarettes and sat for a moment without speaking. There was a considerable difference in the ages of the two. One was pastmiddle-age, heavily-built, and with a face bronzed as only years ofexposure to wind and rain could bronze it. His upper lip was a shade ortwo lighter than the rest of his face, and spoke of a moustache recentlyremoved. The other man had also an outdoor look, but he had not beenhardened by long service as his companion had. He was softer, moreeffeminate. He seemed to be not over twenty-one or two, was tall, alittle too much inclined to plumpness, but with an open and ingenuouscountenance, lighted by a pair of honest blue eyes. "It is good, " said the older man, at last, speaking in German and in atone carefully guarded, "to sit here and listen to the crackle of thewireless--it seems to fit in, somehow, with this beautiful morning. Ihave grown to love it; and I have never conquered my wonder--it is somarvellous that one can throw into the atmosphere a message to be pickedup and understood hundreds of miles away. It seems even more wonderfulon the ocean than on the land. A message that travels as fast as lighttravels. Think of it, my Prince!" "It is, indeed, wonderful, " the younger man agreed. "But it seems to me, my dear Admiral, that, if what you tell me is true, there is in theworld at this moment something more wonderful still--a force which evenyou do not understand. " "You are right, " agreed the older man, gravely. "But we _must_understand it--we _must_ control it. It means world-empire!" Both their faces were set and serious, and they spoke almost inwhispers, with a glance from time to time to make sure no one was near, or a lapse into silence when any one approached. "If we succeed, " the younger man began; but the other grasped him by thearm. "There must be no 'if, '" he protested. "Do not permit yourself to usethat word. There must be no failure! Think, for a moment, of thetremendous issues which hang upon it! And, after all, the game is in ourhands. " "I have not yet met the inventor, " said the younger man; "but from whatyou have told me, I fear he is an enthusiast who will make difficulties. However, as you say, we must succeed at any price. " "Yes; at any price!" and as he uttered the words, the Admiral glancedsearchingly at his companion's face. But the other was gazing out acrossthe water, and did not seem to notice the other's peculiar emphasis. Again they sat silent as three or four persons, passing, paused to peerin at the window of the wireless-house. "Are you sure the French do not suspect?" asked the younger man, whenthey had gone. "How could they?" "The inventor must have left some trace--that wireless station in thegrove. " "A small affair, well hidden. Even if it is discovered, it cannotpossibly be connected with the disaster. " "Perhaps not. But the other installation?" "The other installation was brought away by the inventor. He leftnothing behind except some batteries, which can betray no secret. " "And he has the mechanism with him now?" "Yes--in his baggage. You see how complete our power is. " "I see, " nodded the other briefly. "You have arranged a conference withhim?" "I will do so. There is plenty of time. " "Why do we go to America?" "It is a whim of his--that this great treaty should be signed there. Wehad to humour him, or he might have grown suspicious. I think he is alittle mad. " Again there was a moment's silence. Then the older man threw away hiscigarette and rose. "The wireless man is an old protégé of mine, " he said. "I spent a verypleasant hour with him last night. If you do not object, I will go inagain to see him. " The other nodded, and Pachmann opened the door of the wireless-house anddisappeared inside. His companion lighted another cigarette and smokedit gloomily, as his thoughts reverted to his own affairs. It wasflattering, of course, that he should have been selected to accompanyPachmann on this mission; but, nevertheless, he regretted Berlin--or, rather, he regretted a certain blue-eyed, flaxen-haired girl, with afigure like Juno's. . . . Confound it! It was only to separate him from herthat he had been sent with Pachmann! Why couldn't his father leave himalone! He was old enough to manage his own affairs! And besides. . . . The door of the wireless-house opened and Pachmann appeared. Veryquietly he closed the door, very quietly he sat down beside hiscompanion. And then he mopped a shining forehead with a hand thattrembled visibly, and the younger man saw with astonishment that hisface was livid. "What is it? What has happened?" he asked. Pachmann tried twice before he found his voice. When he did speak, itwas in a hoarse whisper. "I was wrong, " he said. "France _does_ suspect!" CHAPTER XIV THE MESSAGE A little group of laughing young women came scurrying up the ladder fromthe promenade, and the Admiral and his companion sat stonily silentuntil they had passed. Then the Admiral spoke again, still in a whisper, but his voice was under control. "The most astounding thing has happened, " he said. "I cannot understandit. The operator in there has just received a message from Cherbourg, asking if there is not on board, in stateroom 514, a man named IgnaceVard, accompanied by his daughter. It is signed by Lépine, chief of theFrench secret service. " The younger man drew a quick, sibilant breath, and his face, too, turnedpale beneath the tan. "But how could he know?" he gasped. "How could he suspect?" "Lépine is the very devil!" growled the other. "Perhaps it was thatwireless installation, as you suggested. " "But that could not betray the man's name--the boat--even hisstateroom!" "No; I cannot understand it, " and Pachmann mopped his face again. Thenhe thrust his handkerchief back into his pocket and sprang to his feet. "However it occurred, we must stop it, " he said. "Come. " "Stop it--but how?" "There is only one way. Come!" The Admiral hurried down the ladder, his companion at his heels. Fromthe upper promenade he descended to the deck below, and then, withouthesitating, climbed another ladder and stepped over a low gate whichgave entrance to the first-class promenade. The gate, it is true, bore asign stating that second-class passengers must not pass it; but Pachmanndid not even glance at it. He seemed to know the ship, for he pressedon, disregarding the curious glances cast at himself and his companion, mounted again to the boat-deck, and did not pause until he had reachedits extreme forward end, just under the bridge. There he stopped at adoor just abaft the ladder leading to the bridge and knocked sharply. "Enter!" cried a voice, and the younger man, following the Admiral, found himself in a large and handsome stateroom, whose windows lookedstraight forward over the bow. At the desk a bearded man of middle-agewas glancing through some papers. He looked up at the intruders withevident astonishment. "Really, gentlemen, " he began, and then hestopped, his gaze shifting from one face to the other and back again infrank bewilderment. "Captain Hausmann, " said the Admiral, stepping forward, "probably you donot remember me, since we have met but once. But I think you know thePrince. " Captain Hausmann's eyes widened, and he sprang quickly to his feet, hishand at the visor of his cap. "Your Highness, " he began, but the Prince stopped him. "I am not a Highness at present, Captain, " he said, laughing; "only ahumble passenger of the second class. I am very glad to see you again, "and, holding out his hand, he gave that of the astonished mariner ahearty clasp. "A passenger of the second class!" stammered the Captain. "But I do notunderstand!" "It is not necessary that you should, " said the Admiral, curtly, and atthe words, the Captain reddened a little. "Ah, now I know you, " he said, quietly. "Admiral Pachmann, " and again hesaluted. "Yes, " said the Admiral, acknowledging the salute. "We had not intendedto betray, even to you, our presence on board, but an unforeseencircumstance has made it necessary. No one else, of course, must suspectit. All that you need to know--indeed, all that we are permitted to tellyou--is that His Highness and myself are at this moment engaged upon anaffair of state of the first importance. Here are my credentials. " He took from an inner pocket a long leather pocket-book, extracted fromit a heavy envelope sealed with a great black seal, and passed it to theCaptain. The latter took it, glanced at the seal and hesitated, for it bore theImperial crown. "Do you intend that I should open this?" he asked. "I wish you to do so, " answered Pachmann. With fingers that trembled a little, the Captain loosened the seal, lifted the flap, and drew out the sheet of paper which lay within. Itwas an ivory-finished white, almost as stiff as a card, the entire upperleft quarter occupied by the Imperial crown and monogram, the otherthree quarters covered by writing in a large and rather stiff hand, witha scrawling signature at the bottom. The Captain glanced at thissignature, then, his face very grave, read the missive slowly andcarefully. Finally he returned the sheet to its envelope, and handed itback to Pachmann, his eyes meeting the Admiral's with a kind of awedwonder. "I am at your service, " he said. "Will you. . . . " There was a tap at the door. The Captain went to it and opened it, standing so that his body filled the doorway. He exchanged a word withsome one, and then closed the door and turned back into the room, asheaf of papers in his hand. "Will you not sit down?" he asked. "We shall be but a moment, " said Pachmann. "That was the wireless man, was it not?" "Yes. " "Among the messages you have in your hand is one from Lépine, Prefect ofthe Paris Service du Surété. He asks whether you have aboard instateroom 514 a man named Ignace Vard, accompanied by his daughter. " Captain Hausmann, with an admirable composure, glanced through themessages. "Yes; here it is, " he said. "I will dictate the answer, " said the Admiral. Without a word, the Captain sat down again at his desk and wrote toPachmann's dictation: "_Lépine, Paris_. "No record of Ignace Vard and daughter on _Ottilie_. Stateroom 514 unoccupied. "HAUSMANN, Captain. " "It would be well to have the message sent at once, " added Pachmann. "You will also see that the name of Vard and his daughter do not appearon your passenger list, and that they are moved from the stateroom theynow occupy to some other one. The records for the voyage must show thatthat room was indeed unoccupied. You will also instruct the purser thatthe tickets surrendered by Vard and his daughter are not to be turnedin, but, in case of inquiry, to be reported unused. " The Captain had listened carefully. "On what pretext will I move these people?" he asked. "The pretext must be found. " The Captain stroked his beard with a troubled air. "I fear there is no second-cabin room empty--we are very crowded. Wouldit matter if I brought them forward?" Pachmann pondered a moment. "No, " he said at last. "On the whole, that might be better. You willenter them on your passenger list by some other name--or, better still, omit them altogether. " "But the immigration authorities!" protested the Captain. "You haveforgotten them!" "We will think of them at the proper time, " said Pachmann, impatiently. "This is not the moment to make objections. I think you understand?" Hausmann bowed. "We will say good-bye, then, for the present, " added the Admiral, with atouch of irony. "We shall, perhaps, be forced again to call upon you. " A second time Hausmann bowed. * * * * * When Miss Vard entered her stateroom, that day, to brush her hair beforegoing to lunch, her nostrils were assaulted by a most unpleasant odour, and, when a cursory inspection of the room failed to disclose its cause, she summoned the steward and asked him to investigate. An hour later, awhite-capped official approached Mr. Vard, who was looking vainlythrough the collection of books in the library for something he cared toread, and informed him, with many apologies, that it would be necessaryfor him to change his stateroom. Just what was wrong with No. 514 it wasimpossible to say; but it could not be denied that there _was_ a badodour there, whose source had not been discovered, and the onlyalternative seemed to be to shut it up until the end of the voyage andthen to overhaul it thoroughly. "Very well, " said Vard. "I have no objection to changing. But I cannotunderstand how a cubicle with floor, ceiling and walls of steel, couldso suddenly become insanitary. " "It is a mystery to us also, sir, and one which we shall look into verythoroughly. We regret it extremely. " "Not at all, " said Vard, somewhat astonished that so much should be madeof the matter. "Have the steward change our baggage to the newquarters, and then come and show me where they are, and let us forgetall about it. " "It is most kind of you to take it so good-naturedly, " protested theofficer. "The embarrassing thing to us is that, as there is no vacantstateroom in the second-cabin, we shall have to transfer you to thefirst. " Vard looked at him. "And you expect me to pay the difference?" he asked. "Oh, no; not at all, " the other hastily assured him. "We had not thoughtof such a thing! But we feared you might have some objection tofirst-class, and that the change would inconvenience you still more. " Vard smiled grimly. "As a matter of fact, I _have_ an objection to first-class, " he said, "but it is largely that of wasting money for which I have a better use. The people one sees there also do not appeal to me. I fear most of themare idle fools. But perhaps the library is better selected. " "Oh, it is much larger than this!" the officer agreed. "I may take it, then, that you consent?" "Certainly. We can't stay in a stateroom that smells as ours does. " "Then, " said the other, "if you will inform your daughter, I willmyself conduct you to your new quarters. " So Miss Vard was summoned, their steward was loaded with the baggage, and after a glance around No. 514 to assure herself that nothing hadbeen overlooked, Miss Vard found herself following her father and thewhite-capped German along a narrow passage, past a steel door that wasunlocked for them, and up the companion-way to a very handsome suiteopening on the upper promenade. It consisted of two bedrooms and asitting-room, and Kasia, as she glanced about it, could not repress anexclamation of surprise. "Are we to stay here?" she asked. "Yes, Madame, " and the official smiled. "It is the only thing we have tooffer. I am glad that it pleases you. It will help you to forget theinconvenience of changing, " and, having waited until the steward haddeposited his burden, he motioned him out before him, bowed andwithdrew. Kasia made a quick tour of the room, admiring its elegant furnishings, glanced into the bedrooms, and then came back to her father. "I don't understand it!" she said. "Why should they give us all this?" Her father regarded her in some surprise. "Why, my dear, " he said, "you have heard the explanation. I do not for amoment imagine that the steamship company would have been so generousif there had been any way to avoid it!" "No, I suppose not!" Kasia agreed, and set herself to arrange theirbelongings--it was almost like fitting up a flat! "This suit-case isvery heavy, father, " she added, after a moment. "Will you put it in yourroom?" "Of course, " and Vard lifted it, started for the bedroom, and thenturned and placed it on the little table which stood between thewindows. "I will have a look at it, first, " he said, loosened thestraps, took a key from a flapped compartment of his pocket-book and putit in the lock. "One would scarcely believe, Kasia, " he added, with asmile, "that this little bag contains the destiny of the world!" "No, " she said, and came and stood beside him, one arm about him, herhead against his shoulder. He turned the key and raised the lid. Then he put aside some articles ofclothing and lifted from beneath them an oblong box, open at the ends. One saw, on looking closer, that the sides of the box were of glass, partially covered on both sides with tin-foil; and peering in at theopen end, one perceived a vague maze of wires and pinions. Vard gazed at it for some moments without speaking. "There it is, Kasia, " he said, at last, "the wonder-worker, which, properly tuned and connected with its batteries, generates a force whichputs an end to armies and to fleets. With it in the world, there can beno more war--and if there is no more war, there is the end of kings andtyrants. It is a great thought, is it not, my daughter?" "A great thought!" she echoed, but her voice was shaking, and sheshivered a little and drew closer to him. "And yet, father, think whatan awful force it would be if it fell into unscrupulous hands! It isthat which makes me tremble sometimes!" "You do not fear me, Kasia?" he asked reproachfully. "No, father; of course not!" He replaced the mechanism, covered it carefully with clothing, closedthe lid, locked it, and returned the key to his pocket. Then he carriedthe bag to his bedroom and slipped it under the bed. At last he cameback to his daughter. "I will not deny, Kasia, " he said, "that I have been tempted, more thanonce. Not by the prospect of wealth or power--those cannot tempt me; butby the thought that, after subduing the world, I might 're-mould itnearer to the heart's desire. ' And yet how vain to fancy that I or anyman possesses the wisdom to do that! No; that cannot be. Each nationmust shape its own destiny, as friends and brothers. It is for me tostrike the swords from their hands!" But still Kasia trembled and a shadow lay across her face. "What is it you fear?" her father asked, looking at her. "It seems too great a destiny!" she answered, with quivering lips. "There is so great a risk! Suppose some one should steal thatinstrument. . . . " "That would do no harm. I can make another--a hundred others! That is mypurpose. The whole world must know of it--must possess it. Every nationmust know that, the instant it marches to war, it risks annihilation. Isee no danger there. " "But suppose, " Kasia persisted, "that the man who stole it should killyou--what then? Oh, I have thought of it, father, so much, so closely, all through the night! We must run no risk like that. " Vard took a rapid turn up and down the room. He was deeply perturbed. Atlast he paused beside her. "You are right, Kasia, " he said. "I do not believe there is anydanger--and yet we must run no risk like that! Well, it is easy to avoidit! Wait!" He disappeared into his bedroom, and Kasia heard him pulling out the bagand opening it. Then the lock snapped again, the bag was pushed backunder the bed, and her father rejoined her. He held in his hand alittle case of polished steel. Within it were three filament-like wireswound peculiarly around a series of tiny pins. "Here it is, " he said, "the very heart of the mechanism. Without this itis useless. Without this, it is merely a transformer. It can do no oneany harm--can betray no secret. " Kasia took the little box and looked at it. "Is this difficult to make, father?" she asked. "It took me eight years to make that one; but I can make another in twodays, or perhaps three. " "You are sure of that?" "Oh, yes, " and he smiled. "It is very intricate, yet very simple whenone has the clue. Every convolution of those filaments is photographedon my brain. I can close my eyes and see them winding in and out. " The girl hesitated, the little box still in her hand. "Then it would be safe to destroy this?" she asked, at last. "Safe? Yes! That is my meaning! Let us destroy it!" Still a moment she paused, then she closed her hand. "Yes, " she agreed; "let us destroy it. " Her father nodded his head indifferently. With him the moment of tensionhad passed. "Drop it into the sea, " he said. "That will end it. Now, I think, Ishall go and examine the books in the library. " He went out and closed the door; but Kasia stood for a long time withoutmoving, staring at the little box of polished metal. After all, if he_could_ not reproduce it; if there _should_ be some convolution he hadmissed, some accidental conjunction he was not aware of! If to destroyit now would be to destroy it forever! Better that, of course, than runthe other risk! But was there no other way? Perhaps, perhaps. . . . CHAPTER XV A WORD OF WARNING Wherefore it happened that Dan Webster, searching promenade and saloonand library, that afternoon, mounting to the boat-deck, descending tothe lower deck, peeping into every nook and corner where passengers ofthe second-class were permitted to penetrate, looked in vain for KasiaVard. Nor was her father anywhere to be seen. At last, perceiving thecurious glances shot in his direction, and having stumbled for the thirdtime over the same outstretched pair of feet, he mounted gloomily to theboat-deck and sat down to think it out. The weather continued fine and the sea smooth, so that it was absurd tosuppose that either of them was ill; and that they should keep to theirstateroom on such an afternoon for any other reason, or even for thatone, was more absurd still. Perhaps, if they were working. . . . The thought brought him sudden relief. That explained it! They had somework they were doing together. Perhaps Kasia acted as her father'ssecretary, and even now was writing to his dictation. She had said thathe was engaged in some gigantic project, the nature of which Danunderstood but dimly--a plan for the disarmament of the world, orsomething like that. As he remembered them here in the cold light ofday, her words of the night before seemed more than a little fantastic;but perhaps he had not understood, or perhaps she had spokenfiguratively. "The nations of the world in the hollow of hishand"--that, of course, was figurative. And, equally of course, Vard'splan would come to nothing. But it would be interesting to know more ofit. He must have a talk with Vard before the voyage ended. A story like thatwould make good copy, and a little newspaper propaganda would help thething along. Meanwhile, there was nothing to do but wait until Miss Vardshould choose to reappear. He cast his mind back over the story she hadtold him--ye gods! what a feature _that_ would make, told just as shehad told it, simply and earnestly and without embellishment. Perhaps hecould persuade her to write it for the _Record_. He could picture theshining face of Craftsman, the Sunday editor, as he read it! Some one, crossing the deck unperceived by him, sat down beside him. Heturned quickly; but it was only Chevrial. "Ah, M. Webster, " said the Frenchman, smiling, "you were among the daydreams; and they were not of me. That is apparent from the look withwhich you regard me!" Dan flushed a little, and then he laughed. There was no resistingChevrial's genial humour. "No, " he admitted; "they were of some one quite different. " "Nevertheless, until that 'some one' appears, I trust that I amwelcome?" "Indeed you are. I'm glad you came!" Dan spoke warmly, and his companion, with a little satisfied nod, settled back into the seat. They had seen very little of each othersince the moment of meeting. Dan had gone to bed the previous nightbefore his roommate appeared, and had not even heard him come in. Thismorning, when he arose, Chevrial was sleeping calmly, and Dan hadgathered his clothes together as noiselessly as he could and stolen awayto the bathroom. They had passed each other once or twice on thepromenade, and had nodded but had not spoken--and then Dan rememberedsuddenly the flare of light from the near-by bench the night before, ashe and Kasia rose to go below. Chevrial smiled again as he met hisglance. "You are thinking of last night?" he said. "Yes? It is concerning that Iwish first to speak to you. When I sat down yonder I was not consciousthat this bench was occupied. You and the young lady were speaking invery low tones, and the bench itself was in shadow. It was only when sheraised her voice that I realised I was hearing what was not intended forme. I was just about to go, when she stopped abruptly, and a momentlater you went down together. It was then that you noticed me. I struckthe match in order that you might see that it was I, and so have nouneasiness. " Dan stared at his companion in astonishment. "Uneasiness?" he repeated. "But why should I have any uneasiness?" "Not on your own account, of course, but on the young lady's account. " "But I don't see why, even for her, I should be uneasy, " said Danperplexedly. "My dear sir, " and Chevrial dropped his voice and spoke very earnestly, "there are always spies on these big boats--this is a most productivefield for them--German spies, French spies, English spies, listening toeach word, watching each gesture. Suppose one of them had chanced tohear what I did. . . . " Dan stared a moment longer, then he burst into a laugh. "Oh, come, M. Chevrial, " he protested. "You don't really believe that!" "Believe what?" "About the spies. " Chevrial's face grew a little grim. "I am not one to offer advice where it is not desired, " he said; "but Iassure you, M. Webster, that what I have told you is true, andfurthermore had any one of three or four persons who are on this boatheard what I heard, that girl and her father would have been underespionage for the remainder of their lives. " It was easy to see that Chevrial spoke in deadly earnest, and, in spiteof himself, Dan was impressed and sobered. "I beg your pardon, " he said; "perhaps you are right; but to an Americanthe very idea of such a system is laughable--it savours too much ofcheap melodrama. But why should the story Miss Vard told me interest anyone?" "My dear sir, " answered Chevrial, drily, "when a girl goes aboutboasting that her father is more powerful than the Czar or Kaiser!Suppose she had stopped there, any hearer would have concluded that hewas an anarchist, and therefore to be watched. But she went further: sheasserted that he can blow up forts and destroy armies! That he can wreckbattleships! Why, M. Webster, it is only four days since _La Liberté_, the greatest of French battleships, was destroyed in the harbour ofToulon by an agency not yet determined!" Dan had turned a little pale. "But you don't imagine, " he stammered; "surely you don't think. . . . " Chevrial flipped away his cigarette-ash negligently. "That _La Liberté_ was destroyed by this man? Absurd! But, nevertheless, it is a bad time to make such boasts. " "I can see that, " agreed Dan. "I will speak to Miss Vard. " "I would do so, by all means. She seems a most interesting girl, and Ishould regret to see her involved in an unpleasant situation. Or herfather, " Chevrial added. "A most interesting enthusiast!" "You have talked with him?" "Oh, yes; last night for some time. He has great ideas--too great, Ifear, to be practicable. " "Then you don't believe. . . . " "That he can destroy armies and all that?" and Chevrial laughed lightly. "My dear M. Webster, do you?" "No, " said Dan, slowly, "I don't suppose I do. It's too much tobelieve--without proof!" "Assuredly, " agreed his companion; "no one would believe it withoutproof--absolute proof. " Then he leaned closer. "To me he made no suchabsurd claim, but from the way he talked--from his grandiose ideas, hisstrange philosophy, his fabulous hopes for humanity--I formed theopinion that the man is mad--not wholly mad, you understand, buttouched, in one corner of the brain, by a wild hallucination. Hisdaughter, naturally, believes in him. She is a most attractive girl. Polish women are always attractive, at least when they are young. Thereis, in their faces, in their eyes, an appearance of tragedy, of mystery, which piques the imagination. And they are all great patriots--it isborn in the blood--oh, far greater patriots than the men. I havetravelled in Poland, " he added, seeing Dan's glance; "my businesssometimes calls me there. " "And is there really such oppression as Miss Vard described?" "I do not know what she told you--it was only at the end she raised hervoice; but she could not exaggerate the sufferings of her people. Theyare little better than slaves. All careers are closed to them, and overthem constantly is the shadow of Siberia. " "You mean they are banished sometimes?" "They are banished often--for one year, two years, three years. And theyare compelled to walk to and from the place of banishment. It takes ayear sometimes. I knew a man who returned home one day to find a Cossackattacking his daughter. There was a struggle, and the Cossack shot theman in the leg. The wound festered and the leg was amputated; then theman was sentenced to the mines at Yakutsk. It was I know not how manythousand miles--it took him two years to walk there on his woodenleg--walking, walking every day. " Dan felt a strange weakness running through his veins. "But is there no way to put an end to such things?" he asked. Chevrial rolled himself another cigarette. "Poland has no friends, " he answered. "She has been forgotten. The Polesthemselves have come to be regarded as fools, as charlatans, asirresponsible children. France was supposed to be the friend of Poland;Napoleon promised to reconstitute her, and the Poles fought by thousandsin his armies and won many victories for him. Then came the campaign ofRussia and ended all that. To-day, Poland is remembered in France onlyby a proverb, '_Saoul comme un Polonais_, ' 'Drunk as a Pole. ' It is sowe think of them, when we think of them at all, which is not often. Thisdisdain, this forgetfulness, has been carefully fostered by Germany andRussia. No one thinks it worth while to interfere. Besides, Poland's lotis that of every conquered country. In Alsace-Lorraine it is just thesame. " "Oh, surely not!" Dan protested. "Germany, at least, has no Siberia!" "No, she has no Siberia, " Chevrial agreed, "but neither has she a senseof humour, and that is worse! The very worst trait in a conqueror, M. Webster, believe me, is an absence of the sense of humour! And Germanyhas the strongest prisons in the world. Her system of espial is evenmore minute and irritating than that of Russia. As in Poland, the peopleof Alsace and Lorraine may not speak their native tongue nor study thehistory of their fatherland. Nothing escapes suspicion. It is reportedthat at a certain café the accounts are kept in French; the café isthereupon visited, the books confiscated, and a fine imposed. A certaingentleman goes to Nancy on the fourteenth of July, which happens to bethe date of the French national fęte; he is reported as suspect and hispremises are visited and searched. The police, passing the house of anotary one evening, hear some one singing the Marseillaise; they demandadmittance and arrest the notary, although it was a phonograph which hadbeen singing the song. This is adjudged a very serious case. " "Do you mean to tell me, " Dan demanded, "that such things actuallyoccur?" The ghost of a smile flitted across Chevrial's lips. "Not those precise cases, perhaps, " he said; "but cases very likethem--cases not a whit less ridiculous. And can you wonder that Germanyfinds Alsace and Lorraine restless? Do you wonder that our hearts achefor our compatriots? Do you wonder that we dream of the day when we mayremove those mourning wreaths from the statue of Strasbourg in the Placede la Concord?" He fell silent a moment, then shrugged his shoulders resignedly. "But I grow too serious, " he continued. "Perhaps, some day, Poland willbe freed, Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; yes, " and here he glancedat Dan with a dry smile, "and the people of the Philippines given theirindependence. Indeed, this M. Vard believes that day to be close athand. Let us hope so. Which reminds me that I have to-day seen neitherhim nor his daughter. " "Nor have I, " Dan admitted. "I thought perhaps they had some work to do, and so had not come on deck. " "They may be there now, " said Chevrial, and led the way to the forwardend of the boat-deck, where, leaning against the rail, they could lookdown upon the promenade below. Every one was on deck, walking up and down, revelling in the fresh air, with its tang of salt, and in the soft sunshine; but, though Dan andChevrial stood for some time looking down, neither Miss Vard nor herfather passed. Then Chevrial, whose attention had wandered, uttered alittle exclamation, and caught Dan by the arm. "See there!" he said. He was pointing forward to the first-class promenade, which was alsocrowded, and Dan, following the direction of his gesture, saw, amid thecrowd, a white-haired man and dark-haired girl walking side by side, deep in talk. He looked again, scarcely able to believe his eyes; butthere was no mistaking them--they were Miss Vard and her father. He drew a deep breath of wonder and perplexity. How came they among thefirst-class passengers? But perhaps they had merely been to see thepurser, and were now on their way back. No; they had passed the gangway. In another moment, they turned back along the other side of thepromenade and were lost to sight. Only then did Dan look up. He found Chevrial smiling sardonically. "But what does it mean?" he asked. Chevrial pursed his lips. "I do not know, " he answered, with a little shrug, "unless some onebeside myself heard Miss Vard's story, last night, and has caused her tobe placed where she may be more easily kept under surveillance. Oh, there was some story trumped up, depend upon it, so that she would notsuspect. No doubt she will also be given the opportunity to make certainfriends among her new shipmates, in whom she may also confide. It willbe delicately done; oh, so delicately!" It might have occurred to Dan that M. Chevrial seemed, for awine-merchant, surprisingly familiar with affairs of state and themethods of the secret service; but, for the moment, his whole mind wasconcentrated on Miss Vard's danger. "I must warn her, " he breathed. "I believe it would be wise, " said Chevrial, in the same tone. "Sheshould make friends with no one--confide in no one. Her position is veryserious. " And then, as Dan started from the rail, he caught his arm. "Not now, " he said. "Wait until to-night. It would be too apparent ifyou were to rush up there in open day. And before you do speak, makesure that there is no one within twenty feet of you--and then speak in awhisper!" "Thank you, " said Dan; "you are right, of course. " And he went slowlyback to the bench. CHAPTER XVI A CHARGE TO KEEP When Dan Webster took his seat at the dinner table, that evening, hefound a printed copy of the passenger-list beside his plate, and hisneighbours were a-flutter with the excitement of seeing their names intype. Dan, turning to the letter V, found that the names of Ignace Vardand his daughter were not there. Doubtless the change from second-classto first was responsible for the omission, and yet, at the back of hismind was a vague feeling of uneasiness which he was wholly unable toexplain. Chevrial had impressed him, and yet one objection to thatgentleman's misgivings seemed to him unanswerable: if the Vards had beenchanged from second-class to first with any ulterior object, theauthorities in charge of the ship must be in the plot, and that wasmanifestly absurd. Yet his determination to seek Miss Vard at the first moment and adviseher to be cautious did not waver. He knew, from the printedannouncements of the company, that the first-cabin dinner was not atable-d'hôte served at a fixed hour, as in the second-cabin, but an á lacarte meal, served from six to nine, as at a fashionable restaurant; sohe loitered restlessly about for half an hour after he left the table;then, deciding that he had waited long enough, he approached the ladderwhich led to the first-class promenade. But a uniformed figure whichstood at the foot of the ladder stopped him. "Beg pardon, sir, " it said, "are you first-class?" "No; I am second. " "Did you wish to see the purser or some officer of the ship?" "No; I wished to _see_ one of the passengers. " "In that case, I fear I cannot let you pass, sir. It is against therules. " "Oh, is it?" said Dan, all his suspicions revived with double force, andhe bit his lip in perplexity. "I am sorry, sir; but I am here to enforce the rules. " "Oh, I understand, " said Dan. "You might get your stateroom steward to take a message, " the mansuggested. "But I want to _see_ the person. " "The person can come to you. There is no rule against first-classvisiting second. First-class has the run of the ship. " "I see, " said Dan. "Thank you, " and he went away to think it over. Mechanically he threaded his way through the crowd on the promenade, climbed up to the boat-deck, and sat down on the well-remembered bench. Some of the others were occupied, but this one was empty; perhaps theothers were becoming as dear to other people as this one was to him! Hegot out his pipe, lighted it, pulled his cap over his eyes, thrust hishands deep into his pockets, and began to think. He could, of course, write Miss Vard a brief warning; but what assurancehad he that it would be delivered to her, at least without being opened?If Chevrial was right, if she was really under espionage, anycommunication addressed to her would certainly be inspected. Even towrite merely asking her to meet him would arouse suspicion. There wasonly one way--he must watch for a chance to steal forward intofirst-class when no one was looking. He considered the possible ways of doing this. In the morning, he knew, the folding gate which divided the lower promenade into first and secondclass was always swung back while the deck was being washed down. Itwould be easy to pass then; but, he reflected, in the daytime he hadnever noticed that a guard was stationed at the ladder leading to theupper promenade. Perhaps it was only at night that the prohibition wasin force--at night, when the women of the first-cabin had their diamondson! There must, of course, be some police supervision of the ship; eachclass must be kept to its own quarters, or, at least, prevented fromwandering into quarters higher up. But, just the same, he must get past! He rose, and, walking to the forward rail, looked across at the otherdeck. A space of perhaps thirty feet separated it from the one on whichhe stood. Then he looked down. The man on guard was pacing slowly backand forth, his hands behind him; but suddenly he quickened his step, fortwo men had approached the foot of the ladder. The guard stopped themwith the same formula he had used with Dan. "Beg pardon, gentlemen, " he said, "are you first-class?" "No; we are second-class, " answered one of the men. "Have you business with the purser or any officer of the ship?" There was a moment's hesitation. "Why do you ask?" queried one of the men. "It is forbidden to pass otherwise. " Again there was a moment's hesitation, and Dan strained his ears tocatch the reply. "We have business with the Commander, " said one of the men at last, in alow tone. The guard was obviously surprised. "The Commander is very busy, " he said, deprecatingly. "Perhaps to-morrowwill do. " "To-morrow will not do, " was the curt answer. "I must, at least, announce you, " said the guard. "May I have yourcard?" A card was produced and handed to him. Without looking at it, he blew asharp blast on a little whistle which hung about his neck. In a momentanother man in uniform appeared at the head of the ladder. The guardmounted and handed him the card. "For the Captain, " he said, and came down again. "I regret that I mustdetain you, gentlemen, " he added, "but I must obey the regulations. " "Certainly, " agreed one of the men, and they stepped a little apart andstood talking together in low tones. But almost immediately themessenger appeared again at the top of the ladder. "The Captain will receive you, gentlemen, " he said, and swung open thegate and waited for them to pass. Then he closed the gate and hurriedafter them. Dan could see them going along the upper promenade; thenthey passed from sight. The guard had stared after them as they climbed the ladder, and he stoodstaring for some little time after they had gone. Plainly he was muchastonished. But at last, with a shake of the head, he turned away andresumed his walk. Dan was about to turn away, too, when another incident attracted hisattention. A barefooted sailor in white duck, coming from the stern ofthe ship, climbed to the rail, tested the rope holding the canvaswindshield, and then, as the guard turned away, grasped a stanchion ofthe railing above his head and drew himself up quickly to the firstpromenade. Dan, looking after him, saw him run rapidly up the ladder tothe forward boat-deck and disappear behind a life-boat. That was a way, certainly, to evade the guard. Dan measured the distancefrom the rail to the upper deck, and wondered if he could pull himselfup as quickly as the sailor had. He would have to be quick, or the guardwould see him. And it was quite an athletic feat. Besides, he would behandicapped by his shoes; he might easily slip off the rail and over theside. No, that road was too dangerous, except as a last resort. Besides, if he were caught, it would be very awkward. He returned to his bench and sat down again. After all, was there reallyany reason why he should warn Miss Vard? The whole thing was, mostprobably, nothing but a bit of rhodomontade on Chevrial's part. And whowas Chevrial, anyway? How did it happen that he was so familiar withspies and secret services and systems of espionage? A most peculiarwine-merchant. Perhaps he was not a wine-merchant; perhaps. . . . "A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Webster, " said a low voice, and some onesat down beside him. He turned with a violent start. "Kasia!" he cried, and then stopped, stammering. "I beg your pardon, Miss Vard, " he said, also lowering his voice. "You startled me so!" As she met his glance, he saw how bright her eyes were. She had thrown awrap about her and drawn the hood over her head. Against it, her facelooked very white. "I think you may call me Kasia, " she said softly. "You see, I need afriend, and I should hate to have a friend call me anything else. No, "she added, as he started to say something, "I shall continue to call youMr. Webster--that is not quite the same thing. And I am sorry I startledyou. " "It was because I was thinking of you. I have been thinking of you allday. I tried to go to you, just now. I had something to tell you. Butthe guard at the ladder stopped me. " He looked around to make sure that there was no one near. "He didn't stop _me_, " she said. "No; first-class passengers have the run of the ship. How does ithappen that you are first-class, Kasia?" It was the first time that he had used the word with intention, and hisvoice trembled a little over it. She told him rapidly of the odour which had suddenly developed in herformer stateroom, and how the ship's people had finally been compelledto transfer her and her father to the first-cabin. "Oh, to quite sumptuous quarters, " she went on; "you should see them. Two bedrooms and a sitting-room and bath--an imperial suite. There areno places left at the tables, so our meals are served in oursitting-room, as though we were royalties. I'm afraid our tips will haveto be something enormous! I can't but feel that the steamship company isgetting very much the worst of it. Both father and I offered to continueeating second-class, but the Captain wouldn't hear of it. He seems tothink, poor man, that the odour has disgraced his boat. He was quitehumble about it!" Dan breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I'm glad it's so simple, " he said. "I had begun to imagine all sorts ofthings. Last night, when we were talking here, it happened that myroommate, a fellow named Chevrial, was sitting on that bench yonder, andoverheard a little of our talk. He was quite solemn with me thisafternoon about it. " "In what way?" asked Kasia, quickly. "He said there are always spies on board these big boats, and that yououghtn't to go around talking about blowing up battleships--not at thistime, anyway, since it is only three or four days since a French shipwas blown up. " He could hear the startled breath she drew, and the hand she laid on hissleeve was trembling. "Did he say that?" she gasped. "But he doesn't suspect--" "That your father blew up _La Liberté_?" laughed Dan. "Of course not. Hesaid that was absurd. But, just the same, he thought it unwise to talkabout it. " "He is right, " Kasia agreed. "What else did he say?" "He seemed to think your being moved to first-class was part of a plotof some kind, and thought you ought to be warned not to make anyacquaintances or confide in any one. But of course that was just hisimagination. If the Captain himself moved you why that settles it. Hewouldn't be concerned in any plot. The whole thing, anyway, sounds likea bit of ten-twenty-thirty. I told Chevrial so. " "Who is this Chevrial?" asked Miss Vard. "I don't know. He told me he was a dealer in wine. He seems to havetravelled a lot, and he is certainly a well-educated fellow, and one ofthe best talkers I ever met. A Frenchman all through, from the way hegot worked up over Alsace-Lorraine. He said it was as bad as Poland. ButI suspect he was letting his Gallic imagination run away with him whenhe got on the subject of spies. " "I am not so sure of that, " she said, and fell silent for a moment. "Ihave seen more of spies than have you, Mr. Webster--I know how Europe ishoneycombed with them. At any rate, it can do no harm to follow hisadvice. Please make sure that there is no one near us. I have somethingmost important to say to you. " Dan glanced at her in surprise; then he got up, looked behind the boatin whose shadow the bench stood, and made a careful survey of theirsurroundings. Then he sat down again. "There is no one near, " he assured her. "Mr. Webster, " she began, leaning so close that a tendril of her hairbrushed his cheek, and speaking in a voice that was almost a whisper, "Itold you that I had need of a friend. It is a desperate need. I may relyupon you, may I not?" For answer, he sought her hand, found it and held it fast. It was verycold. "I was sure of it, " she said, and her fingers closed upon his. "I knew, in my first glance at you, that you were to be counted on. " Dan's heart was glowing and he could not trust himself to speak. "My need is this, " she went on rapidly, as though, having nerved herselfto speak, she must hurry through with it before her resolution failed. "My father has perfected an invention--oh, a great invention--which hefears some one may try to steal from him. He has many enemies who wouldstop at nothing to gain possession of it. Even on this boat, perhaps, there are some of them--he does not know; there is no way that he cantell; but he is very anxious. For eight years he laboured at thisinvention, and at last it is finished. But if some one should steal hismodel, all this would be for nothing--for worse than nothing. It is nota money loss he fears--this invention will not bring him money--but hiswhole life would be wrecked--all his plans, all his hopes. To-day heagreed with me that this model should be destroyed; he put it in my handand he expected me to drop it into the sea. But I was afraid to do that;perhaps he could not make another. It is so complicated, so delicate, perhaps he would go wrong. So I thought and thought--I thought if I hada friend whom I could trust absolutely, whom no one would suspect ofpossessing it, I might entrust it to him. . . . " Dan's pressure on her hand grew stronger. "Give it to me, " he said. Kasia gazed into his eyes for a moment, as though reading his very soul;then her other hand came forward under her cloak and touched his. Hefelt that it held a package; and he took it quickly and slipped it intothe pocket of his coat. "Now it is safe, " he said. "You are not to worry about it any more. " She breathed a deep sigh of relief. "But you must make me two promises, " she said. "What are they?" "You must permit no one, under any circumstances, to open that package. " "I promise. " "Rather than do that, rather than permit any one to see it, you mustdestroy it--throw it overboard, stamp upon it--destroy it in some way. " "I promise. " "No matter who may be trying to get it--the Captain of this ship, anofficer of the police--it must make no difference. " "I promise. " She leaned back against the seat, suddenly relaxed as from a greatstrain, and closed her eyes. But she did not draw her hand away. Thenshe opened her eyes and looked at him, and her lips were quivering. Animmense longing to take her in his arms, to stoop and kiss those lips, to hold her close to him, rushed through the man's veins. But he heldhimself back. To do that would be base; to do that would be askingpayment! He could not do that. But sometime, sometime. . . . She saw the change in his face, sat for an instant very still, then drewher hand away, got out her handkerchief and passed it across her eyes. "Now we can talk, " she said, in another tone. "You may choose thesubject. " Dan pulled himself together. "Oh, any subject will do, " he laughed. "Ships or shoes orsealing-wax--just so you do the talking. " And he got out his pipe and filled it with trembling fingers. He wasabsurdly happy. CHAPTER XVII THE FIRST CONFERENCE In the Captain's cabin, meanwhile, another conference was going forward, and one of a very different character from that on the after boat-deck. The curtains had been carefully drawn, and three men sat facing eachother. They were Ignace Vard, Pachmann, and the young man whom headdressed habitually as "Prince. " Vard was on the divan in the corner ofthe room, the others lounged in two luxuriously upholstered chairs whichhad been wheeled in front of the divan. Their attitudes suggestedcareless unconcern, but their eyes were glowing with repressedexcitement. Cigars and liqueurs were on a table between them, and theair was blue with smoke. The Captain had been chatting with a group of passengers when Pachmann'scard was handed to him, but, after a glance at it, he excused himself atonce. "Show the gentlemen to my cabin, " he said to the messenger, and himselfhastened to it. There, a moment later, Pachmann and the Prince appeared. "It is necessary that we have a conference to-night, " said Pachmann, "with this Ignace Vard. It must be in a room where we cannot by anypossibility be overheard. " "It is, I suppose, an affair of state?" asked the Captain. "Yes; of the first importance. " "My cabin, then, is at your disposal. " "Thank you, sir, " said Pachmann. "There could be no better place. I washoping that you would offer it. " "You will understand, sir, " Hausmann went on, stroking his beardnervously, "that an explanation of all this will have to be made to mycompany. " "I will see that a satisfactory explanation is made, sir, " Pachmannassented. The Captain nodded his relief. "That is what I desire. I will have Vard brought to you, " he said, saluted and withdrew. He sent a messenger for the inventor, waited until he had entered, andthen summoned a sailor and posted him as a sentry outside the door, withinstructions to permit no one else to enter or even knock. Then he hadanother man stretch a rope across the deck some twenty feet abaft thedoor; and finally mounted thoughtfully to the bridge, considerably tothe surprise of his subordinates, and spent the whole evening there, pacing slowly back and forth with an appearance of restlessness theother officers could not understand, for the weather was very fine andthe barometer high and steady. In the cabin below the conference proceeded. "It is as well, Mr. Vard, " Pachmann was saying, "that we shouldunderstand each other. The Prince and myself are here as the directpersonal representatives of the Emperor, who has given us his fullestconfidence and the most complete authority. Any agreement we may makewith you, he will recognise as binding. It was a condition of yours, Ibelieve, that you would meet only with persons so empowered. " "I should have preferred to treat with the Emperor himself, " said Vard. "You could scarcely expect him to make this trip to America, " Pachmannpointed out, with a smile. "If you had been content to go to Berlin. . . . " "That was impossible, " Vard broke in. "It was stipulated that the treatyshould be signed in America, and the Emperor agreed. " "And we are here to carry out that agreement, " Pachmann added. "Butbefore we proceed to a consideration of it, I will outline the progressof affairs to the present moment, in order that the Prince may bethoroughly familiar with the matter. If I am mistaken in any detail, please correct me. " Vard nodded, and lay back in his seat, watching the smoke from hiscigar, as it wreathed itself toward the ceiling. "About the middle of July, " Pachmann began, "Mr. Vard called on CountEulenberg, the Chief Marshall of the Imperial Court, and asked for aprivate audience with the Emperor. The request was so preposterous thatthe Count was astounded when Mr. Vard persisted in it. After that he wasshadowed night and day, his lodgings were searched, his mail opened, andthe police authorities were about to expel him from the country as adangerous person, when something still more astonishing happened. Withincredible good fortune, Mr. Vard had in some way managed to secure anaudience with Admiral von Tirpitz, Secretary for the Navy; two dayslater, a secret audience was arranged, at which the Emperor was present. At the request of Admiral von Tirpitz, I was also present, in mycapacity as Chief of the Wireless Service. "At this conference Mr. Vard stated that he had discovered a principle, or invented an apparatus, by which he could explode the magazines of afort or battleship at any distance up to five miles, and that hebelieved the perfection of the invention would greatly increase itsrange. This new principle, which worked in conjunction with the ordinarywireless, was something against which there was no way to guard, sinceit penetrated both wood and metal. Every ship, every army, every fortwas at the mercy of the man controlling it. If a single nationcontrolled it, that nation would become mistress of the world; if it wascommon to all nations, war, as we know it, would be impossible. "Mr. Vard went on to say that it was not his purpose to make thisdiscovery the property of a single nation. His purpose was to render warso impossible that all nations would consent to universal disarmament, and enter into an agreement for universal peace. He had come to Germanyfirst, he said, because she was the greatest of the armed nations, andif she agreed to his proposal, the example would be very great. Hisproposal was that he would prove that he was able to do everything heclaimed, in any way that Germany might prescribe; in the event of hissuccess, Germany was to sign an agreement to disarm, was to secure thesignature of Russia and such other nations as she could influence, andthis alliance was then to force the agreement of all other nations; thenavies and coast defences of such nations as would not agree to be blownto pieces and their consent compelled. " Pachmann paused for a moment and wiped his glistening forehead. "Am I stating your proposal correctly, Mr. Vard?" he asked. The inventor nodded, without lowering his eyes from the ceiling. "I need not say with what astonishment we listened to this extraordinaryproposal, " Pachmann continued. "It seemed impossible that any merelyhuman brain should have been able to work out the details of a plan sostupendous. But it impressed the Emperor; it impressed all of us. Weheld other conferences, and it was finally agreed that, before we wentfurther, Mr. Vard should give us the proof he had suggested. The test towhich he finally consented was to be a conclusive one. He was to blow upa French battleship in Toulon harbour. As his funds were limited, weagreed to bear the expense of the experiment and to reimburse him forthe apparatus which he would have to leave behind. If he succeeded, wewould be ready to treat definitely with him; two commissioners, withfull powers from the Emperor, would accompany him to America, where suchtreaty as might finally be agreed upon would be signed. Am I right sofar, Mr. Vard?" The inventor had lowered his eyes and was looking at the speaker keenly. "Yes, " he said, "except that you should add that it was distinctlyunderstood that the treaty was to be one for universal disarmament, andthat Germany was to do everything in her power to secure the consent ofall other nations. " "You are right, " agreed Pachmann, readily. "That was to be the generalpurpose of the treaty. It was only its details we were to discuss--theexact manner in which this end could best be accomplished. " The Prince had been listening intently, and at the words, his eyes andPachmann's met. Vard was again gazing at the ceiling. "On the twentieth of this month, " Pachmann continued, "Admiral vonTirpitz received from Mr. Vard, in a code agreed upon, a telegramstating that the test would occur at daylight on Monday thetwenty-fifth. " He paused for a moment, then went on more slowly. "Atthat hour, a companion and myself were on the harbour-front of Toulon;and at that hour _La Liberté_ was indeed destroyed. " He stopped, his eyes on the inventor's face. Vard met his glance withoutflinching. "Understand, " he said, in a low tone, "that I am no monster, that Irecognise the sacredness of human life. The test proposed was yours, notmine; I protested against it, and I consented at last because I saw thatyou would with nothing else be satisfied. But for the destruction ofthat ship, you will have to atone; to those men who were killed a greatmonument shall be built; they shall be recognised by all the world asheroes and martyrs; their families shall weep for them, indeed, but withtears of joy and pride. To banish war from the world those men laiddown their lives, even as I would lay down mine--even as any brave manwould--gladly, eagerly!" His eyes were shining, and the Prince, looking at him, felt himselfshaken by a strange emotion. But across Pachmann's lips flitted anironical smile, as of one who disdained heroics. "For the decision as to _La Liberté_, " he said, "I assume fullresponsibility. It was I who suggested it; it was I who showed that noother proof could be conclusive; it was I who arranged for it. I have noregrets. You have your part of the bargain accomplished, Mr. Vard, " headded. "His Highness and myself are here to accomplish ours. We areready to discuss the details of the treaty. " "I think that first, perhaps, I should look at your credentials, " Vardsuggested. "That is just, " and Pachmann, getting out his pocket-book, took from itthe envelope sealed with the black seal, and handed it to Vard. Vard took it, glanced at the seal, and hesitated, just as the captain ofthe _Ottilie_ had done. "I am to open it?" he asked. Pachmann nodded. "It contains my credentials, " he said. A careful inspection of the seal would have disclosed the fact that theenvelope had already been opened once--perhaps more than once--but Vardmade no such inspection. Instead, he broke the seal with nervousfingers, and drew out the stiff sheet blazing with the Royal insignia. This is the English of what he read: "Herewith do I grant to the bearer of this paper, Admiral H. Pachmann, power extraordinary as my representative, to enter into agreements, to make treaties, and to sign the same; and I do further declare that I shall consider myself bound by such agreements and signatures as though I myself had made them; and, finally, I command all members of my family, all officers of my army and navy, all members of my diplomatic corps, and all good Germans generally, to yield to him the same obedience they would yield to me; all this for the good of my Empire. "Signed, "WILLIAM, R. I. WILHELMSHÖHE, September 21, 1911. " Vard re-read this extraordinary paper, then replaced it in its envelopeand silently returned it to its owner. Again that ironical smile flashedacross Pachmann's lips, as he restored it to his pocket-book. "You find it ample, do you not?" he asked. Vard nodded, and glanced curiously at the Prince, wondering if thatyoung man was aware of the exact wording of this remarkable document, especially of the clause, "all members of my family. " "And now, " proceeded Pachmann, adjusting himself to an easier posture, "we shall be glad to hear the further details of your proposal. " Vard paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "There is one thing I would understand first, " he said. "From thatpaper, I infer that the Emperor alone is concerned in this--that hiscabinet is not aware of it. " "No member of the cabinet except one--whom I will not name, " assentedPachmann. "I will not conceal from you that the Emperor is desirous ofreaping for himself the full glory of this achievement. He realises thatthe man who brings about world-peace will be the most famous man inhistory. He has his ambitions, as you doubtless know. " "Yes, I have heard so, " said Vard, with an ironic smile. "Well, let himhave the glory--I do not object; besides, he will deserve it. And nowfor my proposal. It is this: the nations of the world, with Germany andRussia as the first signatories, shall enter into a treaty providing forthe immediate disbanding of their armies, dismantling of their forts, and disintegrating of their fleets. Only such troops shall be retainedas are needed to provide garrisons for such outposts as may be necessaryto protect the Christian world from the incursion of barbarous ornomadic tribes, and only such warships as are needed to assist in thiswork. The exact number each nation shall maintain will be decided by ageneral court of adjudication, and all such troops and warships shall bein common; and all expenditures for what are usually known as militarypurposes shall be in common, apportioned by the same court ofadjudication among the nations which are party to the agreement. Underno circumstances may any nation maintain any force privately or for itsown use. " "I am interested to know, " put in Pachmann, smoothly, "in what manneryou propose to secure the consent of the various nations to this scheme. The smaller ones will doubtless be glad to fall into line; but yousurely do not expect England and France, for example, to agree merelybecause we ask it!" "To those who do not consent, " Vard answered calmly, "we will give ademonstration of the necessity for doing so. " "Some such demonstration as that of Monday?" "Yes--greater ones, if need be. " Pachmann considered this thoughtfully. "It might do, " he said, at last. "A few such demonstrations would nodoubt be convincing. Yet there might be one or two which would beobdurate. " "I think, in the end, we can convince them. " "You will go to any lengths to do so?" "To any necessary lengths. " Pachmann nodded. "I was desirous of getting a clear expression from you upon that point, "he said. "Pray continue. " "I do not believe there will be many such nations, " Vard went on. "Youhave spoken of France and England. I believe France will consent, forshe is a nation of idealists. I should have chosen her to lead themovement, but for the fact that her army and navy are inferior to yours, and so she might seem to be acting from fear or from self-interest. Should you refuse--should we be unable to agree--it will be to France Ishall go next. As for England, she also fears you--she will be glad toescape from the burden of her armaments and from the shadow of yourgreat power. In fact all nations in whose governments the people have avoice will be eager for disarmament. And the people everywhere must beallowed to speak. If those in power seek to crush them, to restrainthem, we must assist them to throw off the yoke of tyranny and decidefor themselves. " "Ah, " said Pachmann, very quietly. "Socialism--I see!" "The rule of the people, " said Vard, calmly. "The freedom of thepeople--call it what you will. That is what I labour for. The people ofeach nation must be free to choose by whom and in what manner they willbe governed. That evolution will, of course, take many years; but itmust not be cramped or retarded. At the very outset, it will make twoconsiderable changes in the map of Europe. Poland will be reconstitutedand Alsace-Lorraine restored to France. " Pachmann started violently, and a wave of angry red swept over his face. "Impossible!" he cried. "Impossible! To that we can never consent!" Vard smiled at his emotion. "Why not?" he asked, ironically. "Because, " shouted Pachmann, "Elsass and Lorraine are German--they werestolen from Germany by France two centuries ago. " "They were not German--they were independent states; and they are notGerman now. They are French. However, I am quite willing to leave thefinal decision to the people of those provinces. You cannot object tothat!" Pachmann shifted his cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other. His face was livid. "Beware that you do not attempt too much, my dear sir, " he said, andthere was in his voice a covert threat not to be disguised. "I warn you. But, in this connection, some other questions occur to me. What ofIreland?" "The Irish shall decide. " "South Africa?" "Most of it belongs to the Boers. " "That, at least, is a grain of comfort. But India, Egypt?" "I cannot answer that. India and Egypt must be made the subjects ofcareful study and the government given them which will be best for theirpeoples, and which will not drain them of their wealth, as England does. There will be many such problems, and the best minds of the world muststudy them. My answers to your questions are but suggestions. All suchproblems must be settled by an international court, which shall proceedupon the theory that all peoples capable of self-government shall haveabsolute freedom, and all other peoples shall be made capable ofgoverning themselves as rapidly as possible. Each people shall be freeto decide for itself as to its form of government, but shall be requiredto pledge itself to the principle of universal peace. That pledge willbe necessary only at first--after fifty years of peace, no nation willever think of war! I know that, for a generation or two, there will bedifficulties. We have grown suspicious of each other; we have becomehardened by hatred and injustice. But time will change all that. Let uslay down our arms, disband our armies, restore what we have stolen, and, instead of hatred, we shall find love in our hearts. Instead ofoppression, we shall have justice, tempered with mercy. Each man willhave his work to do, and none who works will go hungry; and we will endby becoming citizens, not of Germany, France, or of any other country, but of the world! I tell you, sir, that our great-grandchildren, lookingback at us from a world at peace and united in brotherhood, will wonderat us--we shall seem to them blind savages, murderers, lunatics!" It was evident enough that the Prince was moved. He was young, he hadalways been something of a dreamer. Rigid training at his father's handshad gone far to dispel the dreams, but they were not quite rooted out. Now, at the words of this supreme idealist, this inspired dreamer, theyrevived again. He sat regarding the speaker with misty eyes, his mouth alittle open, his hands gripped in front of him. Pachmann, glancing athim, passed his hands before his lips to wipe away a sneer. "All most interesting, " commented the Admiral, in his ironical voice. "Ithink that we understand your proposal fully. There is only one pointupon which you have not made yourself quite clear. Should we be unableto agree, what will be your next step?" "I thought I had already told you, " answered Vard, impatiently. "Shouldwe disagree, I shall offer France the same opportunity which I now offerGermany. " "You will find France sceptical. " "Then I shall offer her the same proof I offered you. That will be just, will it not?" and Vard looked straight into Pachmann's eyes. Pachmann sprang from his chair, his mouth working, his eyes suffused. "You will destroy one of our ships?" he demanded, his voice hoarse. "A ship or a fort--it shall be for France to choose. " Pachmann's fingers were twitching visibly to be at the other's throat. But by a mighty effort he controlled himself, flung himself again intohis chair and poured himself out a glass of brandy from the bottle athis elbow. "Will you drink?" he asked, over his shoulder. "No, thank you, " answered Vard. The Prince sat without moving, still staring at the inventor. Meetinghis eyes, Vard smiled slightly. Pachmann set down his glass, and turned back to them. "I must ask you to pardon me, " he said. "I lost my self-control--a thingI do not often do--but your suggestions seemed to me insupportable. However, I can perceive that there is another side to them. I think weunderstand your proposal now, most thoroughly. There are certain detailswhich the Prince and I must discuss together, before we can submit ananswer. In a matter of such moment, we must proceed with the greatestcare. This is Thursday. I think we can be ready by Saturday evening. " "Very well, " agreed Vard, rising. "The same hour, in this room?" "If that pleases you. " "It does. " He bowed coldly to Pachmann; then, with a sudden gesture, held out hishand to the Prince. But Pachmann interposed before the Prince could takeit. "That I cannot permit, " he said grimly, and he opened the door. A barefooted sailor, clad in white duck, standing on the deck outside, saluted. Pachmann stood for a moment staring after Vard's retreatingfigure; then he turned back into the room. The Prince was helpinghimself to a drink, and Pachmann joined him. "Yes, " he said, "this is what we need, after all that raving. " "Would you call it that?" asked the Prince. "Raving? Yes, it was precisely that! The man is mad, my Prince;absolutely mad. No one but a madman would speak as he does--of citizensof the world, the brotherhood of man, and all that folly!" The Prince drained his glass. "I fear you are right, " he said, as he set it down. "Yes, I fear you areright, and that it is only folly!" "There is one thing you must not forget, " added Pachmann, his hand onthe door; "since he is mad, it is as a madman he must be treated!" andhe led the way out upon the deck. * * * * * Somewhere in the dim hours of the night, Dan Webster was awakened by aglare of light in his eyes. He opened them to find that the electriclamp beside the wash-stand was burning. Peering over the edge of hisberth, he beheld a curious sight. Chevrial was sitting on his berth, half undressed, examining tenderly one of his toes, and swearing softlyto himself. He glanced up, met Dan's astonished eyes, and laughed. "Man is a ridiculous animal, " he said. "The feet with which he has beenprovided are absurd--no doubt because they were really intended to behands. They are too sensitive, too undefended. Blundering around here inthe darkness, I have injured one of my toes, and it hurts devilishly. Pardon me for awaking you, my friend. Good night!" He turned off the light, and Dan lay back upon his pillow, with strangethoughts whirling in his head. CHAPTER XVIII THE SUBSTITUTE SENTRY Admiral Pachmann turned into his berth, that night, extremelywell-satisfied with himself, for he was convinced that the cards were inhis hands and the game as good as won. And what a game! For his King, world-empire; for himself--but the Admiral did not permit himself toname the reward. He knew well that he would not be forgotten when themoment came for the distribution of honours. Was not the whole plan his?Had he not worked it out to its minutest detail? Had he not carried itthrough? And how adroitly, how triumphantly! Even the Emperor would haveto acknowledge that! Let us do the Admiral justice: he loved his country, he was ready at anymoment to lay down his life for her, he would have laboured just asearnestly without hope of other reward than the sight of heraggrandisement: but, just the same, when the honours came, he was notone to refuse them! World-empire would mean governorships, suzerainties. . . . He was lying in his berth next morning, half dozing, smiling to himselfas all this passed before his mind in august and glittering procession, when there came a tap at the door. He got up, opened it, and a sealednote was handed in. A glance at the other berth showed that the Princehad already risen. Pachmann tore open the note and read its contentswith some astonishment. It was from the Captain, and asked for animmediate conference on a matter of great importance. Pachmann dressed hastily, and, as he did so, considered whether heshould hunt up the Prince and summon him, also, to this conference. Hedecided against it. He foresaw that in this affair there would be manythings which it would be unwise for the Prince to know--he had satstaring like an idiot, last night, while the mad Pole raved about loveand mercy and universal brotherhood; he was too young, too easilyimpressed, too soft of heart. He had agreed that victory must be won atany price, but Pachmann very well knew that he had no idea of howterrible that price was almost certain to be. No; the Prince must bekept as much as possible on the borders of this affair! So, havingfinished dressing, the Admiral went forward alone to the Captain'scabin. He found the Captain sitting at his desk, and his face was so grave thatit gave Pachmann a little start. He rose and greeted the Admiral, and then glanced over the latter'sshoulder, as though expecting to see some one else. "You did not bring the Prince?" he asked. "Do you think it necessary?" retorted Pachmann, tartly. Hausmann hesitated. "I am not, of course, aware of your relative positions in this affair, "he said, finally. "The paper I showed you yesterday should have told you that, " saidPachmann quickly. "The affair has been in my hands from the first. ThePrince was sent along because his father wished to separate him from aBerlin bar-maid. " "Ah, so, " said the Captain, without smiling. "I understand. Be seated. "He did not like Pachmann, and also, perhaps, he found the jestingreference to the royal love affairs in bad taste. "A very strange thinghas occurred, " he continued. "I stationed one of my men outside thedoor, last night, in order that you might not be interrupted. " "Yes, " agreed the Admiral, "and he did his duty very well. We were notinterrupted. " "He was found this morning, unconscious, in one of the boats on theupper deck. " Pachmann looked at the speaker in some surprise. "Well, " he asked, "what of it? Some sailor's row. " "I thought so too, at first. But he became conscious, just now, anddeclares that he was struck down from behind. " Pachmann shrugged his shoulders. "He is probably lying. In any event, it is of no concern to me. He wason duty at the door when the conference closed. " The Captain stared at him as though not understanding. "What is it you say?" he asked. "I say, " repeated Pachmann, impatiently, "that he was on duty when weleft your cabin. What happened to him after that is of no importance. " "At what hour did you leave?" asked the Captain, still staring. "About midnight. Why do you look at me like that?" "The man swears, " said Hausmann, slowly, "that he was struck down soonafter you entered the cabin. " Pachmann jumped in his chair. "He says that!" he gasped. "But that is impossible--he is lying!" "Perhaps you would wish to interrogate him?" Hausmann suggested. Pachmann nodded mutely, and the Captain touched a bell. "Send Schroeder here, " he said to the man who answered. The man saluted and closed the door again, and the Captain and hisvisitor sat looking at each other in silence. Both were disturbed; butPachmann was by far the more dismayed of the two. To his companion, itwas merely a fracture of the discipline of his ship; but to Pachmann itwas the end of the world! Try as he might to maintain hisself-composure, he could not stop the nervous trembling of his hands;and from time to time he moistened his lips and swallowed with greateffort. He felt himself stricken to the heart; he scarcely dared permithimself to think what it meant for him, for his King, for Germany, ifthis man spoke the truth. And then the door opened and the man himself entered--a typical Germansailor, with bronzed countenance, and short curly brown beard, andhonest blue eyes--not too intelligent, but faithful, strong anddependable. Yes, and honest--one could see that. He was barefooted andclad in a suit of duck, which had been white originally but was now muchsoiled. About his head was a bandage. He saluted and stood at attention, while Pachmann looked him over. "Tell us what occurred last night, " the Captain ordered. "Thinkcarefully and omit nothing. " "There is not much to tell, sir, " the man replied. "You yourself gave memy orders. I was to stand out there, before the door, and prevent anyone knocking. To all who asked for you, I was to say that you were onthe bridge. " The Captain nodded. "That is right, " he said. "Continue. " "You then went up to the bridge, and I took the station you had assignedme. I did not know who was in the cabin, but I could hear voices. " "Ah! cried Pachmann, with a frown. "You could hear voices! Could youalso hear words?" "I do not know, sir; I did not listen. I know better than to listen whenofficers are talking. " "Continue, " said the Captain again. "I stood there for perhaps ten minutes. There were a few passengersstrolling about farther down the deck, but you had caused a rope to bestretched across to prevent any one coming as far as your cabin. " Again the Captain nodded. "Yes, I took that precaution, also, " he said. "Then, " concluded Schroeder, "something struck me a great blow on thehead, and I knew no more until I awoke to find the doctor working overme. " Pachmann looked at him searchingly for several minutes, but the man methis gaze without flinching. "Are you sure that is all?" he asked. "Yes, sir. " "You do not remember standing at the door, when it was opened, andsaluting the gentlemen who came out?" "No, sir; I remember nothing of that. " "You say you were at the door only ten minutes?" "It may have been a little longer than that, sir; a very little. " "Have you had a quarrel with any member of the crew?" "No, sir; I am on good terms with all of them. " "Think carefully; is there not one who might have wished to revengehimself?" But Schroeder shook his head decidedly. "It was no member of the crew, sir; not one of them is my enemy. " "Then who was it?" Pachmann demanded. "That I cannot say, sir. " "You heard nothing before the blow was struck?" "Nothing, sir; I have told you all I remember. " "And you persist that you have no idea who struck the blow?" "I have not the slightest idea, sir. " Pachmann looked at Schroeder again, and then turned away. "That is all, " said the Captain; "and remember, you are to speak of thisto no one. " "Yes, sir, " said Schroeder, and withdrew. Pachmann took a turn about the cabin, frowning heavily. "What do you make of it?" he asked, at last. "It seems plain enough, " Hausmann answered. "Some one knocked Schroederdown and took his place at the door. " "Yes, yes, " said Pachmann, impatiently. "But who was it, and what washis purpose?" "His purpose, also, seems clear to me, " said the Captain, quietly. "Hewished to hear what was going on in my cabin. " "He was a member of your crew, " said Pachmann. "I saw him--he wasbarefooted--he wore a uniform. " "Did you see his face? Would you know him again?" Pachmann hesitated. "I fear not. He was standing in the shadow, and I was preoccupied andbarely glanced at him. I cannot even say that it was not Schroeder. " "I do not believe it was any member of my crew, " said the Captain. "Then who was it?" "That, of course, I cannot say. But why should one of my crew do such athing?" "There may be a traitor among them. " "We know the history of every man. They are all good Germans. We arevery careful. But even if there was a traitor, how would he know of thisconference?" Pachmann threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and dropped intoa chair. "How would any one know?" he demanded. "I mentioned it to no one but thePrince and yourself. Vard himself did not know of it till I summonedhim. " Hausmann looked at the speaker steadily. "I trust that you are not insinuating that it is I who am the traitor?"he asked. "No, no, " protested Pachmann hastily. "I tell you this in order that youmay realise how incredible this is to me. After all, it may have been amember of the crew who knew nothing of the conference--who was there byaccident at the moment we came out. " "I do not see, " the Captain began, but a knock at the door stopped him. "Come in!" he called, and the wardrobe-steward entered. "Well, what isit?" "I have to report, sir, " answered the steward, "that a suit of whiteduck has been stolen. " Hausmann could not refrain from casting a glance of triumph at theAdmiral. "When did you discover it?" he asked. "Only a few minutes ago, sir. I reported to the head-steward, and hetold me to come at once to you. " "That was right. Do you know when it was stolen?" "Sometime during the night, sir. It had been washed and returned to meyesterday evening not quite dry. I hung it before a ventilator and whenI went for it this morning, it was no longer there. " "Very well, " said the Captain. "I will investigate the matter, " and thesteward left the cabin. Hausmann looked at his companion. "You see, itwas not one of the crew, " he said. Pachmann was out of his chair and striding savagely up and down, hisself-control completely broken down. He had fancied himself quite safe, and here he was tottering on the edge of an abyss. "It is evidently the work of a spy, " added Hausmann, who, perhaps, wasnot wholly displeased that the Admiral should have met with a reverse. "There can be no doubt of it! We know that Lépine suspects something. This is probably one of his men--and a most daring and resourceful one. " "If that is true, " said Pachmann, hoarsely, "he must not leave this shipalive! We must find him. And we must watch the wireless. Every messagemust be most carefully inspected. " "I will see that that is done, " Hausmann agreed. "But to find theman--how do you propose to accomplish that?" "When do your officers start their examination of the passengers for theimmigration record?" "They can start at once, if you wish. " "I do wish; and I wish also to be present. " "Very well, " agreed the Captain. "We will start immediately afterbreakfast. " "You could be of very great help, Captain, " Pachmann added, "if youwould go over the passenger-list and check off the passengers with whomyou are personally acquainted. No doubt you know a great many of them?" "Yes; but the purser knows even more. Shall I ask him also to check thelist?" "If you will. It would save much time. " "You will understand, " said Hausmann, slowly, "that I feel I should knowmore of this affair before I consent to take an active part in it; but Ican, at least, save the passengers whom I know, and who are friends ofmine, the annoyance of needless questioning. There is one thing more Imight do; there are also on board a few men who have crossed with mebefore, but who, I am convinced, are not the gentlemen of wealth andleisure they pretend to be. They may be only sharpers--or they may besomething else. In front of the name of each of them I will place across. " "Thank you, " said Pachmann. "On one condition, " added the Captain. "You said, but just now, that ifyou discovered this person, you would not permit him to leave this boatalive. That was an exaggeration, perhaps. " "Not in the least!" answered Pachmann, hoarsely. "I myself will killhim!" "My condition, then, is, " said the Captain, "that you renounce thatproject. I am willing that he should be detained and returned toGermany. Further than that I will not go. " Pachmann's fingers tapped the pocket of his coat. "No, " added Hausmann, "not even for that paper!" Pachmann gazed at him a moment with distorted face. Then he nodded. "Very well, " he said; "I consent. But it is you who take theresponsibility. I warn you that, if the man escapes, your career on thesea will be at an end--you will find all Germany closed against you. " "I will take the responsibility, " said Hausmann, quietly. "You agree, then?" "Yes, I agree, " said Pachmann, and hurried away to get his breakfast. And all that day, he sat beside the assistant purser, while thefirst-cabin passengers were called up, one by one, to make it clear thatthey were entitled to land in America. The questions are alwayssearching, for the immigration laws are very strict and there are manyspaces to be filled in on the great blanks which the immigration bureaufurnishes; but that day they were more searching than ever--so far, atleast, as the male passengers were concerned. In the women, Pachmann didnot interest himself, for he took it for granted that no woman couldhave struck Schroeder senseless with a single blow; but on every man hedirected the severest scrutiny. Even if the name had been checked by the Captain or purser on the listhe held in his hand, he never failed to satisfy himself by a fewquestions; and the unfortunate possessors of the names before which across appeared had reason to remember that interrogation all theirlives. With some three or four of them, the interrogation was continuedin private and even extended to a search of their belongings and ascrutiny of every document in their possession; but, while some of themwere forced to confess at last that they were adventurers, gamblers, with only such means of livelihood as their wits procured them, therewas nothing to show that any of them was the agent of any government. All day Saturday the examination was continued, and by dinner-time thefirst-class list was completed, much to the relief of the passengers, who came away from the interrogation with ruffled tempers and a feelingof humiliation. All sorts of rumours were afloat among them. There wasan absconder on board, a murderer, a political refugee, an elopingcouple--the customs authorities had got wind of the fact that there wasa celebrated smuggler on board, and every passenger was to be searchedwhen he reached the pier--the rumours ran the gamut of all crimes andall scandals, and made every one extremely uncomfortable, but none ofthem touched the truth. And Pachmann had to confess himself, thus far, defeated. There remainedthe second-class, and he determined to scrutinise it even more closelythan he had the first. The thought that he might fail, after all, dismayed him. To fail meant disgrace--personal, irremediable disgrace;it meant the betrayal of his Emperor; worse than that, in his failureFrance would triumph! He trembled with anguish--not wholly for himself, for he was a brave man and a patriot--but for his Fatherland. So Saturday evening came, and with it the hour of the second conference. * * * * * For the other personages of this story, those two days had been rathereventless ones. The weather continued fine and the great ship ploughedsteadily westward. The passengers got to know each other; little cliqueswere formed, centring about mutual acquaintances; there werecard-parties, dances, the inevitable concert, dinners in the café, theusual pools, the usual night-long games of poker, the usual excitementsof passing ships and schools of dolphins--in a word, the usualprocession of trivial incidents which make up life on a great liner. But in this life, Ignace Vard and his daughter had no part. Their mealswere served in their sitting-room, so that they missed that greatacquaintance-maker, the dinner table. Kasia, remembering the warning shehad received, kept aloof from every one; and Vard's ironical manner wasenough to keep every one aloof from him. However he did not notice it, for he had discovered, among the books in the library, three novels byMr. John Galsworthy, and they absorbed him. He had been looking throughthe books rather hopelessly, when the title, "The Island Pharisees, " hadcaught his eye. He opened the book, read a page, took it to his room andfinished it at a sitting. Its irony expressed him precisely, and overthe letter of apology and adieu from the wandering Frenchman to the ladyof the manor he fairly wept with joy. After that came "Fraternity" and"The Man of Property, " so that for him the two days passed quickly. Onething about these books he could not understand--that they should havebeen written by an Englishman! Kasia did not return to the rendezvous on the after boat-deck. Somethingheld her back--an emotion of shyness new to her. But on Saturdayafternoon, Dan ran the blockade of the after companion-way, penetratedbrazenly to the first-class promenade, joined her where she stoodleaning against the rail, and led her away resolutely to a seat on theupper deck. "Is this the way to treat an old friend?" he demanded. "Are you awarethat I sat for hours, last night. . . . " She laid a warning finger on his sleeve. "We must not run any risk, " she said, in a low tone. "No one mustsuspect that we know each other. " His face brightened. She had accepted the term "old friend, " withoutappearing surprised by it. "Was that the reason?" She nodded. "You _wanted_ to come?" Another nod. Dan breathed a long sigh of happiness. "That makes it all right, " he said. "I forgive you. And after you'reashore I may come to see you?" "Certainly you may!" "What is your address?" "Two hundred and ten West Sixty-fourth Street. " He made a note of it. "May I come the first evening?" She laughed a delicious laugh--a laugh of pure joy. There was nothing ofthe coquette about Kasia. She was all woman. "If you wish, " she said. "Thank you--I _do_ wish. Besides, I shall have something to return toyou. " "Hush!" she cautioned, with a frightened glance around. "Do not speak ofit. And I must be going. We must not sit here so long together. " He sighed. "I suppose you are right, " he agreed. "But every evening I shall sit ona certain bench and think of you. And, remember, the first evening onland is mine. " "I shall remember. " "Good-bye till then, " he said, and rose. "Good-bye, my friend. " Her eyes were shining. He dared not trust himself to look at them asecond time, but turned himself about, by main force, as it were, andmarched himself off, straight along the deck, down the ladder, and upagain to "a certain bench. " And there, presently, M. Chevrial joined him, but for once Dan foundthat witty Frenchman something of a bore. CHAPTER XIX THE SECOND CONFERENCE Again a rope was stretched across the forward promenade, and, for theinformation of the curious, a sign attached to it bearing the singleword "Paint. " Again a guard was stationed in front of the Captain'scabin, but this time it consisted of two petty officers. Again theCaptain surprised his subordinates by mounting to the bridge, althoughthe night was clear and fine. They noticed that he was lost in thought, and that he went often to the head of the ladder leading to the deck andglanced down it. The second officer was on duty, and he took occasion tolook down, too, on one of his turns along the bridge, but all he couldsee was a stretch of empty deck and two petty officers leaning againstthe rail chatting together. The second officer wondered more and more athis commander's uneasiness, and surreptitiously inspected the barometer, tapping it with his finger; but he knew better than to ask anyquestions. Meanwhile, in the Captain's cabin, Vard, Pachmann and the Prince againfaced each other. Perhaps it would be more exact to say that Vard andPachmann faced each other, while the Prince looked on from theside-lines. In the heart of that young gentleman, for the past threedays, there had been a strange distress, hitherto unknown amongHohenzollerns--the distress of realising that, if truth were told, hewas a poor thing who added not to the wealth of the world, but to itspoverty; who was unable to support himself, but to support whom men andwomen and children toiled and starved. He had never seen it just like that before; reared in the familytradition, it had seemed a law of nature that he should have subjects towork for him and suffer for him and die for him, if need be; he had beentaught that it was God himself who had given place and power to hishouse; and that, if other less-favoured people lived in misery and diedin want, why that was doubtless God's will, too. And as for war--why, without war there could be no glory, no conquest, no chivalry. It waswar which held a nation together, which made Kings more powerful andthrones more stable! But now came a man with shining eyes who talked ofthe sinful folly of war, of the wanton waste of armies; who dreamed ofuniversal brotherhood, and a world governed by love! Wild words, foolishdreams, perhaps--and yet most dangerous to the idea of the divine rightof Kings! So, that evening, the Prince sat and listened, and tried tounderstand. It was Pachmann who did most of the talking, and a great deal of it wasfor the Prince's benefit. "We have been considering your proposal, Mr. Vard, " he began, "and havediscussed it thoroughly. " As a matter of fact, he had not exchanged a word with the Prince on thesubject; he had distrusted him ever since Vard had offered him his hand, for that action showed that this anarchist, this socialist, this enemyof Kings, had detected in this young descendant of Kings sympathy and acertain understanding. Pachmann thought of it with disgust and horror. "We have discussed it thoroughly, " Pachmann repeated, and the Prince, who detected the contempt in the words, flushed hotly, but did notspeak; "and there are certain objections to your plan which we wish tosubmit to you. The first of these is that war does not depend uponexplosives. Before gunpowder, men fought with swords and lances andarrows; before the discovery of iron and steel, with clubs and stones. Man has always been fighting, even when he had no weapons but hisfists. " "That is true, " assented Vard. "Pray continue. " "My argument is, " went on Pachmann, dropping the plural once for all, "that, though you may render all explosives useless, and blow up fortsand battleships and arsenals, you will not stop war. You will merelycompel it to shift to another basis--to the old basis, probably, ofbrute strength, of hand-to-hand combat. And if you do that, the old dayswill return of barbarian invasions. The Turk will sweep down again onsouthern Europe; the Tartars will invade us from the east. You will notassist civilisation; you will set it back a thousand years. It will haveto fight again for its very existence, as it did in the Middle Ages. " But Vard shook his head. "I have thought of that, " he said. "In the first place, it will bepermitted to continue the use of explosives against the barbarians--fordefence, you understand, not for aggression--until such time as we canpersuade them, too, to lay down their arms. As to your other objection, it falls to the ground the moment you agree with me that all the nationsof the world must ultimately become democracies. At first, it is true, men fought of their own volition, but it was to secure food, to guardtheir homes, or to replenish their supply of women. But since those veryearly days, all wars have been wars not of the people, but of theirrulers. They were wars of revenge or of ambition, in which the peoplejoined because they had no choice. They were driven into the ranks, weresometimes sold by one power to fight for another. Left to their ownchoice, they would have remained quietly at home, tilling their fields, rearing their families. The only great exception I know of is the earlywars of Napoleon. To those wars, the French people did undoubtedly rush;but they were still drunk from the Revolution, and their ardour soonpassed. Your own people, the people of Germany, are a peaceable, home-loving people. You have always had to keep them under your thumb byforced service, by conscription, by the most rigorous laws; you havealways had to drive them to war. " "Another exception occurs to me, " said Pachmann, disregarding the lastsentence, "and one to which I would call your attention, since itoccurred in a country where the people are supposed to govern. It wasthe people of the United States who drove their rulers into the war withSpain. " "That is true, " Vard agreed; "and it was a mistake. The people willsometimes err when their sympathy is appealed to and their passionaroused. But the results of that war were, on the whole, good. A peoplewas freed. " "And another enslaved, " said Pachmann, with a sneer. "It was already enslaved, " Vard corrected; "but I admit that it wascontinued in slavery. That was done by the rulers, not by the people. Had the people been permitted to decide, the Philippines would have beenfree, no less than Cuba. Their independence must, of course, beguaranteed when the United States signs our treaty. " "But you admit, as I understand you, " said Pachmann, returning to themain point, "that to abolish explosives will not abolish war. " "I admit that, yes. To abolish explosives is only the first step. Thefinal step will be the abolition of hereditary rule. " "The abolition of Kings?" "The abolition of Kings, of Emperors, of Czars, of Princes, of Dukes, ofall tyrants, great and small, who, by reason of birth, now claim theright to tax or oppress or command even the meanest of theirfellow-creatures. There must be rulers, yes; but it is for the peoplethemselves to choose them, and then willingly to submit to them. " "But you are at this moment treating with a King, " Pachmann pointed out. "Can you expect him to agree to such a programme?" "The world has outgrown Kings, " retorted Vard. "In any event, anotherfifty years will see them all abolished. I but hasten the end alittle--the millennium. And he will be happier when he is merely a manlike other men. " "Happiness is not the greatest thing in the world, " Pachmann objected. "And I say it is!" cried Vard, with sudden violence. "Not our ownhappiness--no; but the happiness of our fellow-creatures. That is thegreatest thing in the world; the thing for which every wise and good manlabours!" There was a moment's silence. The Prince shifted uneasily in his chairand clasped and unclasped his hands. There had never been such talk asthis in the royal nursery! Pachmann's face was cynical, as he lighted a fresh cigar. "Dreams!" he sneered. "Beautiful dreams! Do you know what it is you areundertaking? You are undertaking to change human nature. " "That is an old cry, " retorted Vard scornfully. "And what if I were?Human nature is changing every day! But I am not undertaking to changeit--I wish merely to free human nature from the fetters with whichtyrants bind it, so that it may grow straight and strong, as Godintended. " "I am not acquainted with God's intentions, " said Pachmann coldly. "Hedoes not confide in me. But my philosophy, my observation, and myexperience teach me that the wise man makes the best of things as theyare, accepts the facts of life, and does what he can. He sees that theworld is too big for him to overturn, he realises that there are manythings he cannot understand, his intelligence sometimes revolts at whatseems to be oppression and injustice. But he puts away from him thefallacy that all men are equal--they are not equal, their veryinequality proves it. Some must rule and some be ruled; for some lifemust be pleasanter and more full of meaning than it is for others; somemen must be strong and some weak, just as some women are beautiful andsome ugly. It is not their fault; it is their misfortune, and theysuffer for it. Which brings me to the principal objection I have to yourproposal. It is this: I believe that we shall find it a mere waste oftime to invite the nations of the world to sign a treaty for completedisarmament; they distrust each other, and that distrust has proved toooften to be well-founded. The long centuries have made them jealous, sullen, watchful. There is only one motive which can make themsign--fear--fear of what may happen if they do not!" "I have already said, " remarked Vard, "that I am ready to applycompulsion, should it be necessary. " "But you are finite, " Pachmann objected, gently. "You are but anindividual, whose life may end at any moment; while, as you yourselfhave said, this plan of yours will take long years, generations perhaps, to consummate. To perfect it will test the best intellects of the world. Once begun, it must be carried through. Do you think it wise to imperilits success by making it depend so largely on yourself? Besides, whatwould be easier than for an unwilling nation to suppress you? Apistol-shot, a blow with a knife, and the brotherhood of man tumbles topieces. " "What is it you propose?" asked Vard, who had listened to all this withgrowing impatience. "I propose that, instead of so great a task being assumed by anindividual, it be assumed by an entire nation, which shall pledge itshonour to carry it to success. " "And this nation, " said Vard, sarcastically, "should, of course, in youropinion, be Germany. " "I admit, " replied Pachmann, with dignity, "that I consider Germanybest-fitted to carry out the plan. I think you will agree with me that, if a single nation is to undertake it, it must be one of the five greatnations. In world-politics, the others are negligible. Well, let us see. France, a nation of peacocks, excitable, impressionable, easily angered, making much of trifles, jealous of their dignity, a dying nation whichgrows smaller and weaker every year. England, also a degenerate nation, soaked in gin, where a hundred thousand men are unemployed, and where nobetter remedy for pauperism can be found than universal pensions, whichonly make more paupers. Russia, an ignorant nation, whose ruling classis composed of men without morals and without ideals--thieves anddrunkards and vain braggarts. There remains America, and at firstglance it might seem that here is the nation to be entrusted with thegreat work. But, after all, it is a nation of money-grubbers, ruled by amoney-trust, where wealth is worshipped as no other nation worshipsrank; a nation without culture, without experience in world-politics, without self-control, loudly vain, inept, wasteful, childish--a nation, in other words, at the awkward age between youth and manhood. "Let us now turn to Germany. I speak only what is within the knowledgeof all intelligent men when I say that in manufacture, in agriculture, in the administration of government, in science, in literature, inmusic, in general culture, Germany is first among nations. Some mayquarrel with her military policy, but none can question her progress orher achievements. All other nations come to Germany to learn. This isnot exaggeration; it is calm statement of fact. I firmly believe thatto-day, intellectually, morally, materially, Germany is the first nationin the world. And it is altogether fitting that she should be chosen asthe leader of the world and arbiter of the affairs of all nations. " Vard had risen from his seat during this discourse, which was deliveredwith emphasis and conviction, and paced nervously up and down the cabin, his face drawn, a deep line between his brows. And Pachmann watched himcuriously. So did the Prince watch him, wondering what he would reply. He did not leave them long in doubt. "In answer to you, Admiral Pachmann, " he said, speaking slowly andcarefully, as though weighing every word, "I can only say this: I do notdispute Germany's great achievements; no man can do that. It is probablytrue that in science, in learning, in general culture, and inefficiency, she is, as you say, first among nations. Her people are agreat people--but it is not them you represent. You represent anhereditary monarch, the only one in western Europe who still speaks ofthe divine right of Kings--a man who would be an absolute autocrat, ifhe dared. Supporting him is a powerful circle of hereditary nobles, whose interest it is to increase in every possible way the prestige andpower of the throne. At their command, ready to do their bidding, is amagnificent army and a great navy. Did your Emperor possess my secret, he could at once declare war against Europe; he could conquer Europe, and every German Prince would be a King. My whole purpose would bewarped and debased. Instead of universal brotherhood, we should have asingle ruling house, imposing its will on millions of conquered peoples. Instead of love, we should have world-wide hate. And I say to youplainly, sir, that, rather than that such a thing should come to pass, Iwill destroy my invention and leave the world as it is. " Pachmann had listened intently, nodding his head from time to time, orpuckering his brows in dissent. "Have you yourself no ambition?" he asked. "Is there nothing in the wayof honour or position which you desire for yourself or for yourdaughter?" An ugly sneer curled the inventor's lips. "Bribery--I expected that!" he said. "No, there is nothing--nothing butthe consciousness that it was I who ended war!" "And your refusal of my first proposal is absolute?" "Absolute. I consider it insulting. " "You will not modify the terms of your proposal?" "Not in any essential detail. " "And if Germany refuses, you go to France?" "That is my intention. " "Very well, " and the Admiral rose, too. "The situation is, then, quiteclear to us; there is no longer any shadow of uncertainty. It is for usto assent or to refuse. Our answer will be ready for you in a very shorttime. " Vard bowed, his face very pale, and stepped to the door. He paused withhis hand on the knob. "Remember one thing, " he said; "it will be better for Germany to leadthan to follow; your Emperor will find the head of the procession muchmore to his taste than the tail of it. And it will be for him eitherthe one or the other! Good night!" and he opened the door and was gone. Pachmann stood with clenched fists and flushed face staring at the spotwhere Vard had stood. "Fool! fool!" he muttered. "That he should think he could defy andthreaten--and still escape! A great fool, is he not, my Prince?" The Prince awoke, as from a dream. "Great, at least!" he said. CHAPTER XX THE PRINCE SEEKS DIVERSION In spite of his protestations and the confident manner he assumed whenwith the Prince, Pachmann was, as a matter of fact, exceedinglydisturbed. It was true that for an individual as humble as Ignace Vardto hope to stand against the might of the German Empire was absurd inthe extreme; but perhaps Vard was not alone. Perhaps back of him therewas some person or some power at which even Germany would pause. Two incidents had been distinctly disquieting: the wireless from Lépineand the assault on Schroeder. The thing which filled Pachmann withdismay was not so much these incidents themselves as the degree ofknowledge they indicated. Why did Lépine think Vard was on the boat? Howhad he connected the inventor with the disaster at Toulon? How had theperson who assaulted Schroeder known of the conference in the Captain'scabin? How much had he heard of that conference? What use would he makeof what he had heard? In a word, did France suspect what had happened to_La Liberté_, and, if so, how much did she know? A hundred times Pachmann asked himself these questions, and a hundredtimes tried to find some answer to them other than the obvious answer. He tried to persuade himself that Lépine had not connected Vard with theToulon disaster, but was searching for him for some other reason; hetried to make himself believe that the assault on Schroeder was merelythe result of a seaman's quarrel; he told himself over and over againthat France could _not_ suspect, that it was impossible she shouldsuspect. But he could not convince himself. Always he came back to theobvious fact that, if Vard was wanted at all, it could only be for theaffair at Toulon, and that the man who had taken Schroeder's place atthe door of the Captain's cabin could only have done so because hewanted to hear what was passing on the other side of it. Always, with sinking heart, Pachmann came back to this point; and atsuch moments he wondered whether, after all, the Emperor would not dowell to lay aside his personal ambition, to consent to Vard's proposaland assume the leadership of this great world-movement, in all goodfaith. Surely that would be glory enough! Better, as Vard had said, tolead than to follow; better to stand proudly forth at the head of themovement than to be whipped into place in the rear. What humiliation! And suppose Vard should manage to escape; suppose he should really getinto touch with France! Pachmann, closing his eyes, could see a greatfortress leaping into the air; could hear the thunder of the explosionwhich destroyed a dreadnought! It was a dangerous game he was playing, and yet, to accede to Vard's proposal meant the loss of Alsace-Lorraine, meant the eventual abasement of the Hohenzollerns, the rise ofsocialism. No, he could not consent; he had not the power to consent; hehad his instructions, precise and clear, from the Emperor himself. Atany cost, that power must be his, and his alone! At any cost! Pachmann drew a deep breath. He knew now what the cost mustbe. Well, when the moment came, he should not hesitate! Sunday morning found Pachmann beside the assistant purser in the libraryof the second-cabin, beginning the inquiry there. It was even moredrastic than it had been in the first, and the victims emerged from itheated, angry, and with the fixed determination never again to travel bya German boat. Neither the Captain nor the purser could vouch for any ofthe undistinguished people here, and so each one of them was mostthoroughly examined. Even those with passports did not escape. Pachmannexamined all such documents minutely, compared the written descriptionpoint by point with the appearance of the passenger, and asked manyquestions to satisfy himself that the person presenting it was reallythe one to whom it belonged. Yet, in spite of all this, passenger afterpassenger came through the ordeal successfully. As the list was called alphabetically, it was soon the turn of M. Chevrial. He approached the table with confidence, produced hispassport, and sat down to await such questions as might be asked him. Pachmann glanced at the Frenchman and his eyes narrowed with anger, forthis impudent person appeared to be amused at the proceedings! Then hepicked up the passport and studied it carefully. It had been issued bythe French government two months previously, as a renewal of a formerpassport, to André Chevrial, wine-merchant, of 18 Rue des Chantiers, Paris; whose appearance and physical characteristics were described indetail. Pachmann compared the items of the description point by pointwith the man who sat smiling so shamelessly before him, answering thepurser's questions in an ironical voice. The very fact that the man wasso typically French and so plainly amused created in Pachmann's mind aflair of suspicion which dilated his nostrils and narrowed his eyes. Butthe passport was in perfect order, and Chevrial's answers came withouthesitation. "You are a wine-merchant?" "Yes. " "How long have you been in that business?" "More years than I care to remember. " "That is not an answer. " "Let us say twenty years, then. " "Always at Paris?" "The time before that did not count. " "Then you have not been always at Paris?" "Heavens, no! First at Bordeaux; but for ten years at Paris. " "You are well-known there?" "Ask my neighbours in the Rue des Chantiers; or cross the street to thewine-market and ask any one there if he knows André Chevrial! Wellknown? But yes!" "Is this your first visit to America?" "Oh, no; nor my second. But it is my first trip on a boat of Germany, and will be my last. On the French boats, my compatriots know me. Theydo not annoy me with all these questions. " It was Pachmann who asked the next one. "How does it happen that you travel this time by a German boat?" Chevrial shrugged his shoulders. "Because there was no French one. It is necessary that I be in New Yorkon Wednesday. There was no other boat that would arrive in time. Hadthere been, I would have taken it. " "So you do not like German boats?" "I like nothing German, " said Chevrial, calmly. "Least of all, thisinquisition, which, it seems to me, demands some explanation. " "It is for the immigration bureau, " the purser hastened to explain. "TheAmerican laws are very strict. " "The laws do not concern me. I am not an immigrant. I am merely one whogoes on business and who returns. My papers are in order, are they not?" The purser was forced to confess that they were. "Then, " said Chevrial, returning them to his pocket, "if there are anyfurther questions to be answered, I will wait until I get to the pier atNew York to answer them. I shall at least have the pleasure of talkingto an American!" and he got up and left the library. Pachmann was furious; but he had no excuse for holding the fellow, norfor examining his baggage. In search of such excuse, he despatched awireless to the agent of his government at Brussels, directing him tosecure at once all the information available about André Chevrial, 18Rue des Chantiers, Paris; and that evening a very polite gentlemancalled at the house in question. It was a tall, hideous house, with acabaret on the first floor. To its proprietor the visitor addressedhimself. But yes, the proprietor knew M. Chevrial, a merchant of wine, who had honoured his house for many years by occupying an apartment onthe third floor. His present whereabouts? Ah, the proprietor could notsay; M. Chevrial made many journeys in the interests of his business; hewas absent at the present time. It was the season of his annual trip toAmerica; perhaps he was now on his way thither. He had left no address;but if monsieur wished to write a letter, it would be sent forward assoon as an address was received. The visitor declined to write a letter, but left his card--or, at least, a card--to be given to M. Chevrial upon his return. Then he took hisleave. And the proprietor stuck the card in the frame of the cloudedmirror back of the bar, chuckling to himself. A report of all which Pachmann duly received by radio next day. * * * * * The Prince, meanwhile, was finding the voyage wearisome. He was not adifficult person to amuse, and he was very expert in the art of killingtime; he had done little else since he emerged from the nursery; buthere on shipboard he possessed none of the implements with which heusually carried on that slaughter. He could sit in the smoking-room witha tall stein before him, he could stroll about the deck and stare at thesea, which he did not care for; but there was no one to talk to. Hissubjects of conversation were limited, and all of them were associatedmore or less with his princely character; here, where, for the firsttime in his life, he found himself divested of that princely character, he was completely at a loss. The trouble was that he had no sense ofhumour. So he found it impossible to gossip with plebeian unknowns, orengage in card-games with irreverent middle-class artisans and drummers. He could not even carry on a flirtation with any of the pretty girls! Hehad attempted it with one of them; but, after a very few minutes, shehad left him with her chin in the air, and an exclamation which soundedsingularly like "Beast!" What is gallantry in a Prince, is impertinenceor worse in a less-privileged person! Remember, our Prince was merely a good-natured, thick-headed, young man, who had always been compelled to take himself seriously, whose life hadbeen ordered for him from day to day to its minutest detail; who hadnever been called upon to use his wits in earnest. There had always beensome one to do his thinking for him; there had always been the routineof drill and study to fill a certain portion of every day; and there hadalways been the fearful delight of escaping from his father's eye androaming the streets of Berlin in quest of adventure. But here onshipboard, the day was twenty-four empty hours long, and even Pachmannhad deserted him, to spend his time asking the passengers interminablequestions, whose purpose the Prince could not in the least understand. So, on this Sunday morning, having attended the services in thedining-saloon for want of something else to do, and kept awake withgreat difficulty, having smoked innumerable cigarettes, having snubbedan American whose manner was distinctly fresh, having tramped up anddown the decks, and looked into the library to find Pachmann stillasking questions, questions, the Prince made a sudden daring resolution, walked quickly forward, ascended to the first-class promenade, andlooked about for Ignace Vard. With the inventor, at least, he need wearno disguise, and he simply must talk to somebody. Besides, theinventor's talk gave him a good feeling at the heart--the feeling thathe might really some day do something worth while! Pachmann woulddisapprove, of course; but who was Pachmann? A younger son of theinferior nobility! He must remind Pachmann of that, some day, for heseemed to have forgotten it since the Emperor had taken him up! He found the object of his search leaning against the rail, far forward, staring ahead at the path the ship was taking. Vard greeted him withevident pleasure. "You have come to arrange for the final conference?" he asked. The Prince shook his head. "I know no more of that than you, " he said. "But I was assured that your decision would be made at once. My plansdepend upon your answer. This is Sunday. On Tuesday we reach New York. " "I know nothing, " repeated the Prince. "I have not spoken with theAdmiral to-day--indeed, I have scarcely spoken to him for three days. OnFriday and Saturday and again to-day, he has spent every moment in anexamination of the passengers. " "Why does he do that?" asked Vard quickly. "I do not know. " Vard glanced at the Prince, and his face softened a little. "So you have been left to amuse yourself, " he said, "and, not succeedingvery well, have come to me? Is that it?" "Yes, " said the Prince; "I must talk to some one, and I find that Icannot talk with people who do not know who I am. The men offend me, thewomen I offend. " This time there was genuine friendliness in Vard's face. "Poor fellow!" he laughed. "Well, I have never acted as court jester, but I am willing to try. Come with me. " He led the way back along the deck and opened a door. "This is my room, " he said. "Come in. You should feel more at home herethan I do, for it is an imperial suite. " The Prince assented gravely, entered, and the inventor, his eyesdancing, closed the door. "Sit down, " he said. "You may smoke, " and he proceeded to roll himself acigarette. "This is your first visit to America? Yes? The first thingyou will notice is that not many Americans smoke cigarettes. Until quiterecently, the cigarette was believed to be in some mysterious waydebauching; no one but degenerates were supposed to use them. Even yetthat is the prevailing opinion outside a few of the large cities. " "Most curious, " commented the Prince, and blew a smoke-ring toward theceiling. "Outside of New York, which is fairly cosmopolitan, there is the sameprejudice against wine or beer, or any fermented or distilled spirit. Nopublic man, no teacher in a public school or university, no physician, no professional man--no man, in a word, who depends upon public opinion, public approval, for a livelihood--would dare sit at a table on thesidewalk and drink a glass of beer or a liqueur. He might do it once, and escape with the reputation of an eccentric; but to do it twice wouldbe to brand himself as not trustworthy. " "Astonishing!" said the Prince. "Do you speak seriously?" "Very seriously. Some of the states have even enacted laws that noalcoholic beverage of any kind may be sold within their borders. " "But, " stammered the Prince, staring, "do you call that liberty? Nocountry of Europe would dare enact such a law!" "No; it is not liberty; it is government by the majority. The wonderfulthing, the astonishing thing, the inspiring thing about it is that inthis, and in all other questions, the minority accepts its defeatwithout grumbling and makes the best of it. That is the great lessonwhich the United States has for the remainder of the world. And, topreserve itself, it need keep no class in subjection, need draft no manfor service in its armies--for it is a government founded on the consentof the governed. " He was silent a moment, considering, perhaps, how to use most wiselythis opportunity. "Let us apply that principle to the other countries of the world, " hewent on, at last. "Let us suppose that the people of each country wereasked to choose freely for themselves their form of government. How manyof the present governments would stand that test? Do you think thegovernment of Germany would?" "No, " said the Prince; "I suppose not. Our people are all socialists, somy father says. But they are not fit to govern. " "Whose fault is that? Have you tried to make them fit? Besides, theirfitness or unfitness has nothing to do with it. It is their country; letthem grow fit by experience. But I believe they _are_ fit. How many ofyour great men have come from humble life?" "Oh, a great many, I dare say!" answered the Prince, impatiently. "But abody needs a head. It must be governed by a head, not by a stomach!" "Ah, " said Vard, "but, as a matter of fact, every body is governed byits stomach. Not till the stomach is satisfied does the head get achance. And, to govern wisely, the head must be a part of the body, notsomething distinct from it. How is it to govern wisely, if it is notalways in close touch with the body, aware of its every need? It is onlywhen the head is distinct from the body that it lets the body starve andwastes its substance on vain and unnecessary things. " "I suppose, " said the Prince with a smile, "that you refer to our armyand navy. " "To the army and navy of every nation. Could the people choose, how manybattleships would Germany build next year?" The Prince shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "How can I answer such questions? I do not know. But I do know that Ihave been born in a certain position, and that I must maintain it. " "Why?" Vard demanded. "For the sake of my honour, and the honour of my house, " answered thePrince, simply. "Honour!" cried Vard. "What do Princes know of honour? Is it honourableto live on the sweat and suffering of others, and to make them noreturn? Is it honourable to be supported by the toil of women andchildren, whose men you have taken for your army? Is it honourable. . . . " He stopped suddenly, for the door had opened and a girl came in. Shestared first at one man and then at the other, evidently astonished bythe few words she had heard. Then she turned to withdraw. But Vardstopped her. "Don't go, my dear, " he said. "Allow me to present you to a Prince ofthe House of Hohenzollern! Prince, this is my daughter, Kasia. " CHAPTER XXI ON THE EDUCATION OF PRINCES The Prince sprang to his feet and bowed low over the hand which Kasia, after an instant's startled hesitation, had extended. Her father watchedthe scene with an amused face. "You arrived most opportunely, my dear, " he said. "The Prince, beingbored, as is the way with Princes, came to me, asking to be amused. Istarted out to amuse him by describing certain strange customs ofAmerica, which he is about to visit for the first time; but I was soonon my hobby again, and instead of amusing him. . . . " "You were abusing him!" said Kasia, laughing. "At least, it sounded soto me!" "Oh, not at all!" the Prince hastened to assure her. "I found what hewas saying most interesting. " But Vard, with that quick change of mood characteristic of histemperament, had already decided that it was not worth while attemptingto rear any seed from this barren soil. The Prince's intentions weregood enough, but they would come to nothing--his father would see tothat! "Nevertheless, " said Vard, "I am not an amusing companion. I am too muchof a preacher, and no one likes to be shouted at. I would suggest, Kasia, that you take His Highness for a tour of the deck. " The Prince's face brightened wonderfully. "That would indeed be kind!" he said. Kasia looked at him with a little smile. Perhaps the opportunity oftalking familiarly with royalty piqued her, good democrat as she was;and then he was not a bad-looking fellow. One could see that he was notbrilliant, but he at least looked clean and honest. "If you really wish it, " she agreed. For answer, the Prince sprang to the door. "One moment, " Vard interposed. "You will remember, Kasia, that thePrince is incognito, and that, under no circumstances, must you betrayto any spectator or listener who he is. " "I will remember, father, " said Kasia, and followed the Prince out uponthe deck. Wherefore it presently came to pass that Dan Webster, staring gloomilydown from the after boat-deck upon the flitting beauties of thefirst-class promenade, beheld the lady of his dreams strolling beside awell-set-up young fellow, whose face seemed vaguely familiar, and inwhose conversation she was evidently deeply interested--so interestedthat she finally climbed with him to a seat on the upper deck; and whenthey sat down, Dan saw that the young fellow sat very close indeed. Hestared incredulously for a moment longer, and then turned angrily away, to bump violently into M. Chevrial, who was also staring. "What the. . . . " Dan began, and then stopped himself. What right had thisFrenchman to stare? But then, for that matter, what right had he? Chevrial was the first to recover himself. He glanced at Dan's disturbedcountenance, and smiled as he read his thought. "I was surprised to see a passenger of the second-class so calmlyenjoying the privileges of the forward deck, " he explained. "If any onewas to enjoy those privileges, I should have expected it to be you. " "So he _is_ second-class! I thought he looked somehow familiar. Iremember, now. " "He is undoubtedly the same young German we have seen so frequentlypacing this deck, " said Chevrial. "I fancy he is lonely and desiresamusement. But, at the same time, I fear that you lack enterprise, M. Webster. That is not like an American. " Dan flushed, and started to stalk away, but Chevrial laid a hand uponhis arm. "No, do not be angry with me, " he said. "I beg your pardon. It willplease you to know that that young man yonder is one of the very fewpersons on this boat with whom Miss Vard may talk unconstrainedly. Nodoubt that is why she appears so glad to see him. " With which cryptic utterance, M. Chevrial went below, and left Dan tobitter meditation. * * * * * Kasia, meanwhile, was enjoying herself immensely. "Now, " she said, leaning back in the seat, after a glance around toassure herself that there was no one within hearing, "please tell mewhat it is like to be a Prince. Don't you get frightfully lonesome, sometimes?" "That was my complaint to-day, when I sought your father. " "Yes--but always, always to stand apart from other men and women, sothat they never dare be quite open with you; quite frank with you;always a little in awe of you. " "Not many people I know are in awe of me, " said the Prince. "Most ofthem consider me something of a fool--they do not say so, but I can readit in their faces. My father thinks me a total fool, and does nothesitate to say so. " "He must be a terrible man!" "He is, " agreed the Prince, with conviction. Kasia looked at him to see if he was in earnest; then turned away herhead for an instant, until she could control her lips. "How does it happen that you speak English so well?" she asked. "My father required it. It is the result of many weary hours, I assureyou. However, " added the Prince, "I ought not to complain, since it hassecured for me the present hour. " It was the first time Kasia had ever been made the mark for a royalcompliment, and she flushed a little in spite of herself. "It is nice of you to say so!" she murmured. "So you have had your badtimes, too?" "Bad times, Miss Vard! Why, the life that I have led has been a dog'slife. There were so many things that I must know--that we all mustknow--so many things we must not do. I have often gazed from the windowsof the palace and envied the boys in the gutter!" "Not really!" "Oh, not really, of course. I would not change. What I envied them wastheir liberty, their freedom to come and go as it pleased them. " "But since you are of age?" "Even yet, each moment must be accounted for. I am now a lieutenant inthe navy, and am supposed to employ each hour profitably. My father is avery great man; there are few things that he does not know; and heexpects his sons to know as much. Even of pictures, which bore me; evenof music, which distresses me. Everything is arranged. At such a time, I am to be with my ship; again, I am to attend the opera; again, I am tobe present at the opening of a museum; again, I must listen to a longaddress which I do not understand. I may not even choose my own wife. All that is arranged. " "But no doubt, " Kasia suggested, amused at his forlorn aspect, "yourfather will choose more wisely than you would. " "I do not know, " said the Prince disconsolately. "I fear that he willconsider birth and position of more importance than youth and beauty. Besides, there are some things a man likes to do for himself. My poorsister, now. . . . " He stopped, for, under the stimulus of Miss Vard's sympathy, he foundhimself about to betray a family secret. "Yes, I can understand that, " said Kasia, with more tenderness than shehad yet shown. "You don't mind my talking frankly to you?" "I love to be talked frankly to, " protested the Prince. This was very far from the truth, only the Prince didn't know it. Whathe really loved was flattery disguised as frankness. In this, heresembled most other human beings. "Well, then, " said Kasia, "if you don't like it, if you find itintolerable, why don't you cut and run?" "Cut and run?" "Yes; go away by yourself, be a free man, and marry the woman you love. For of course there is such a woman?" "Oh, yes, " and the Prince thought of the blue-eyed daughter of theshopkeeper in the Friedrichstrasse, just off Unter den Linden; however, he had never thought of marriage in connection with her. "But suppose Ishould do that, " he added, "how should I live?" "How do other men live? By work!" "But that would be a disgrace!" "Disgrace! It isn't half so disgraceful as to live by the work of othermen. " "Your father said something of the same sort to me. But I fear thatneither of you understands. A Prince cannot do such things. " Kasia threw up her hands. "So we come back to the beginning of the circle!" she cried. "Besides, my father would not permit it, " added the Prince. "Aren't you of age?" "Yes--but he is the head of the family. He would have me broughthome--from the end of the world, if necessary--and then I should beconfined. Even my elder brother is sometimes confined--separated fromhis wife, from his children, permitted to see no one. " "Poor Prince!" said Kasia. "So you are a slave, like the rest ofus--rather worse than the rest of us, indeed! Is there _nothing_ you cando?" "Very few things, " said the Prince, beginning really to pity himself. "You see, there is always my family to consider--nothing must be done toinjure its position or to make it less popular. Even my father veryoften may not say what he thinks or do what he wishes. " "So he is a slave, too!" "Yes, in a way. And it grows worse and worse. Often, in private, helaments the old days when a King was really a King, who was veneratedand whose word was law. He grows very angry that at each election thereare more socialists. He says that the only hope for the country is in agreat war: it is for that he prepares. " "How would a great war help?" "Oh, in face of the common danger, our people would forget theirdifferences, for they all love their Fatherland; they would fightshoulder to shoulder. And then, when it was over, they would all be madwith joy over the victory, and there would be new provinces to add toGermany, and an immense tax levied on our enemy to pay the expenses ofthe war, so that our own people would not have to bear that burden. Itwould all be just as it was after the war with France, when every Germanwas filled with patriotism, and when Germany for the first time becameone country. Our house would again be well-beloved, its authorityunquestioned. " "But suppose you are defeated?" "We shall not be defeated, " said the Prince, calmly. "There is no nationin the world which Germany could not defeat--except, perhaps, the UnitedStates. But we shall not go to war with the United States. England willbe our foe, and you will see her tumble to pieces like a house of cards. She is but an empty shell. " Kasia sat for a moment considering all this. If this was really what wasin the Kaiser's mind--and she could scarcely doubt it--it was foolish tosuppose that he would consent to disarmament. "What you have told me is not very promising for universal peace, " shesaid, at last. "There can be no universal peace until we have humiliated England, "replied the Prince. "That is the belief of all good Germans. Theconflict must come soon, and we strain every nerve to prepare for it. Ibetray no secret when I tell you this. All Europe knows it. Englandstruggles also to prepare, but we are always far ahead. When we arequite ready, we shall strike. Then, after we have won, after we haveestablished Germany as the first nation of Europe, we shall be ready forpeace. But we must have one more great victory. The welfare of our housedemands it. " As he spoke, his eyes rested on the top of the companion-way leadingfrom the lower deck, and he started violently, for a face had appearedthere--a face which looked at him sternly, almost threateningly. It wasthe face of Pachmann. Without a word, it disappeared. The Prince turnednervously to his companion. "Pardon me, Miss Vard, " he said, "but I must go. And do not think tooseriously of my chatter. I am not admitted to councils of state; I knowonly what every one knows. We Germans, we have our dreams; but perhapsthey are only that. " He arose, opened his lips to say something more, then changed his mind, bowed, and hurried away. Kasia stared after him. She had not seen thatsilent summons. But he did not look back. * * * * * An hour later, Pachmann, with a countenance distinctly troubled, soughtout Ignace Vard, who was reading in his room. "The Prince has been talking to your daughter, " he said. Vard looked at him in surprise. "I sent them out together, " he explained. "I thought perhaps Kasia wouldamuse him--and be amused. " "Has she told you nothing?" Again Vard glanced at him. "No. Has she reason for complaint?" "I did not mean that. I dare say he behaved decently enough. But hespouted a lot of childish nonsense about German hopes and Germanambitions, and I feared your daughter might take him seriously. He isnothing but an ignorant young fool. " Vard laid aside his book and looked Pachmann full in the face. "The truth comes sometimes from the mouths of fools, " he said. "When amI to have my answer?" "To be quite candid, " answered Pachmann, readily, "I am afraid to giveit to you on board this boat. I chose this boat because I believed weshould be safe here. But there are spies on board; one of ourconferences has been overheard--perhaps both of them, " and he told ofthe assault upon Schroeder. "Then again, we must not be seen too muchtogether. I might be recognised; and you are already suspected of havingcaused the destruction of _La Liberté_. " "How can that be?" Vard demanded, in a tone which showed that he wasgenuinely startled. For answer, Pachmann took from his pocket-book a paper, unfolded it andhanded it to Vard. It was the wireless from Lépine. "That was received last Thursday, " he said. "I suppose you know whoLépine is. By great good fortune, I intercepted it, and sent an answerdenying that you were on board. It was for that reason you were removedto the first-class and your name kept off the passenger list. But howcan he have suspected you?" Vard shook his head slowly. He was a little pale, and the hand whichheld the message trembled. "I cannot guess, " he said. "You have told no one?" "Told!" flashed Vard. "Do you not see that, unless my great plansucceeds, that action will have been an infamous one? To kill threehundred men in order to assure peace to the world--that may bejustified--that may even be heroic; but to kill them wantonly, to killthem and then to fail--that would drive me mad!" He looked at Pachmann, his eyes suddenly inflamed. "And let me tell you this, " he added, in avoice of concentrated passion, "if I find that you have deceived me, ifI find that you have betrayed me, Germany shall suffer a reprisal thatwill make you shudder! I swear it!" Pachmann's eyes were also suffused. In that moment, he literally sawred. "You threaten!" he cried hoarsely. "You dare to threaten!" "I warn!" said Vard. "And you will do well to heed the warning! You areplaying with fire--take care that it does not consume you!" Pachmann conquered his emotion by a supreme effort. "It is foolish to talk in that way, " he said. "It is foolish to speak ofdeception and betrayal. There is no question of either. But we must movecautiously. We must evade these spies. Even you can see that!" "Here is my last word, " said Vard, more calmly. "We shall reach New Yorkon Tuesday. I will await your answer for twenty-four hours after we havelanded. If I have not then received it, I shall consider myself free toact as I think best. " A gleam of triumph flashed in Pachmann's eyes. "I accept your condition, " he said, and with a little ironical bow, roseand left the cabin. CHAPTER XXII THE EVENTS OF MONDAY Kasia did not see the Prince again. That ingenuous young man had spent amost uncomfortable half hour with the doughty Admiral, whose languagehad been both lucid and emphatic, and who had opened the discussion, andspiked the Prince's guns at the very start, as it were, by producing thepaper sealed with the Imperial seal. "I would call your attention especially to this clause, " said Pachmann, and placed his finger upon the words, "all members of my family. " "Itwas not placed there by accident, I assure you. You understand itsmeaning?" The Prince nodded sullenly, as he handed the paper back. "Your father, " Pachmann continued, replacing it in his pocket, "foresawthat some difficulty such as this might arise. As you know, hisconfidence in you is not great. " The Prince flushed and opened his lips angrily; but closed them againwithout speaking. Pachmann smiled unpleasantly. "I can guess what you wish to say, " he said. "You would remind me thatyou are a Hohenzollern, a Prince of the blood, a scion of the house towhich I, a petty member of the inferior nobility, owe allegiance. That Ido not permit myself to forget. But in this affair, by virtue of thispaper, I stand in place of your royal father. He would not hesitate torebuke you, and neither shall I. What was it you were saying to MissVard?" And the Prince, after a moment's inward struggle, repeated theconversation, while Pachmann listened frowningly. "You have been most indiscreet, " he said severely, when the Prince hadfinished. "How much harm you have done I cannot say--but I must hastento undo it. I do not understand you. You know how important this affairis--you are a good German!--and yet you go about talking in thisfashion! It is enough to drive one mad! If your father learned of it, Ifear he would think it necessary to punish you with great severity. Ishall not report it--but on one condition: you must give me your word todiscuss affairs of state with no one, to make no chance acquaintances, and to see this girl or her father only in my presence. " And so deeply grounded was the habit of obedience, so profound hisrespect even for his father's signature, that the Prince promised. Besides, he had no wish to spend a year or more in some second-ratefortress; and he resolved to watch himself most warily, until thisannoying business was at an end and he was back again in Berlin. So Kasia saw him no more. She had a little struggle with herself beforeshe finally decided that it was her duty to outline the Prince'sconfessions to her father, and she was deeply relieved when he wavedthem aside as of no importance. "Every one knows, " he said, "that Germany dreams of nothing buthumiliating England; that is no secret--it has been the talk of Europefor ten years past. But it is one of those dreams which never cometrue--or go by contraries!" * * * * * By noon of Monday, Pachmann had completed his scrutiny of thepassengers, and sought an interview with the Captain. "I have discovered nothing, " he said; "absolutely nothing. At one time, I thought that I had the man, but I caused his story to be investigated, and found that it was true. There remains only one thing to be done. Atwhat hour shall we land?" "That will depend upon the delay at quarantine. Two of our steeragepassengers are ill. We may not be able to dock before evening. " Pachmann considered this for a moment. "In the first place, " he went on, at last, following out his thought, "you must secure for me two landing-tickets--one for Vard and one forhis daughter. The immigration officers must not see them. There must beno evidence that they ever reached New York. " Hausmann's face clouded. "That is a very serious offence, " he pointed out. "We must take the risk. " "What will you do about their baggage?" "I will have it claimed by some one from the consulate. " The Captain hesitated yet a moment. "I will secure the tickets, " he agreed, finally. "A considerable outlaywill be necessary. " "You will be reimbursed. Furthermore, " Pachmann added, "I will myselfexplain to the Emperor how greatly you have assisted us. " Hausmann bowed coldly. "Is there anything else?" he asked. "You have watched the wireless?" "Yes. " "It must be watched even more closely. No message in cipher, nor anythat is at all questionable, must be sent or delivered. If there arecomplaints afterwards, the failure can be explained as an oversight. " Again Hausmann bowed. "And finally, " said Pachmann, "I have here a message, which I would askyou to have sent at once. " It was in cipher and a long one, and it took half an hour to transmit, for the wireless man at the Cape Cod station was required to repeat itfor verification. Then it was hurried on by telegraph to New York, andfinally delivered at the German consulate, where the chief of the Germansecret service, to whom it was addressed, read it with great care. * * * * * Miss Vard, meanwhile, was finding the hours long. The Prince hadfurnished a slight divertissement the day before; but to-day there wasno such relief in sight, and she found herself singularly restless. Thiswas, in part, a reflection of her father's mood, for she had never knownhim so nervous and irritable. The lines in his face had deepened, hiseyes were brighter than ever, and he waved her impatiently away whenevershe ventured to address him. Plainly, a crisis was at hand, and, as shesaw how her father was affected, she awaited it with foreboding. She tried to read and gave it up, for she could not fix her attention onthe page; she sat for a long time looking at the sea, and then turnedher eyes away, for its restlessness increased her own; she went for awalk about the deck, but it seemed to her in every pair of eyes turnedupon her there was suspicion and aversion. How glad she was that thevoyage was almost ended! It had started happily enough, and then, quitesuddenly, it had become wearisome and hateful. It was inevitable that, at this point, her thoughts should fly to Dan. What a nice boy he was! She would see him to-morrow night--she hadpromised him that! And before that? Would it be too undignified for herto steal up again to that bench on the after boat-deck--would it--wouldit precipitate matters? She did not want to do that and yet. . . . "Good afternoon, " said a voice, and some one fell into step beside her, and she looked up and saw that it was Dan. For an instant, she fanciedit was only the visualisation of her own thoughts; then she winked themists away. "This is nice of you, " she said. "I was just wishing for--some one. Iwas dreadfully bored. " "You were a thousand miles away. I passed you twice and you didn't evensee me. If it hadn't been for my newspaper training, I'd have made offto my den. " "I'm very glad you didn't. I really wanted to talk to you. " "Suppose we go up to the boat-deck, " said Dan, "where you. . . . " He stopped. "Where I what?" Dan led the way up the ladder without replying; but a gleam ofunderstanding penetrated Miss Vard's mind when she saw him go straightto the bench where she and the Prince had sat. "It was this way, " Dan explained, sitting down beside her. "I happenedto be staring down at the forward promenade, yesterday afternoon, when Isaw you walking with a tall young fellow, who seemed exceedinglyinterested in you. Naturally, I was a little curious, as he happened tobe a second-class passenger like myself. . . . " "Second-class!" broke in Kasia, and stopped herself. "Did you think him a millionaire?" queried Dan, a little bitterly. "No, " answered Kasia, quietly; "I thought him just what he is--aningenuous young German, not very brilliant, perhaps, but clean andhonest. I passed a very pleasant half hour with him. " Dan's face was a little pale, but he looked at her manfully and squaredhis shoulders. "I deserved that!" he said. "Thank you, Miss Vard. But it _was_ verylonely, last night!" Kasia's look softened. "Yes, " she agreed; "it was. " "You felt it, too?" asked Dan, his face lighting up again. "Certainly I felt it. I haven't dared make any friends among thefirst-class passengers, and a person can't read _all_ the time! Onelikes to talk occasionally, no matter with whom. " "Why not slip over to second-class to-night, " Dan suggested, "and sit onthe bench. The moon is very beautiful. " But Kasia shook her head, smiling. "I shall have to admire it alone, " she said. "We must not be seen somuch together--it is not wise for us to sit here. Suppose some one, seeing us together, should take it into his mind to search your baggage, and should find that little package. . . . " "He wouldn't find it, " Dan broke in. "During the day, I carry it in mypocket. At night, I sleep with it under my pillow. " Kasia gave him a quick glance. "That is splendid!" she said, quickly. "And you don't even wish to knowwhat it is?" "Not unless you wish to tell me. There is one danger, though. If thecustoms inspector should happen to run across it, he will want to knowwhat it is. " "Tell him it is an electrical device. " "And if he opens it?" "That will do no harm. All he will find is a small metal box, filledwith tiny wires coiled about each other. " Dan breathed more freely. "That simplifies things, " he said. "From what you said when you gave itto me, I was afraid I might have to knock him down, snatch the package, and make a break for it. " "No, " and Kasia smiled. "It would appear of value only to some one whoknew what it was. The customs inspector doesn't count. " "And to-morrow evening, say at eight o'clock, I shall bring it up toyou. " "Very well. I shall expect you. And now you must go. " Dan rose obediently. "It will be a long twenty-four hours, " he said. "But I feel morecheerful than I did. By the way, " he added, turning back, "there's onething I forgot to tell you. If that other young fellow shows up again, you needn't be afraid to talk to him. Chevrial says he's about the onlyone on the ship you are safe to talk freely with!" "Chevrial!" she repeated, staring; "Chevrial said that!" "Yes, " and Dan laughed. "He seems to be the wise guy, all right!" andwithout suspecting her emotion, he turned and left her. But for a longtime Kasia sat there, unmoving, trying to understand. * * * * * Dan's evening was not so lonely as he had expected, for, as he sat onthe bench on the boat-deck, staring out across the water and thinkingof the morrow, Chevrial joined him. "I do not intrude?" the Frenchman asked. "Not at all. Sit down, won't you?" Chevrial sat down, and for some moments there was silence. "Our voyage nears an end, M. Webster, " Chevrial said at last. "To-morrowyou will be home again. Perhaps I may see you in New York. " "Where will you stay?" "I have some friends in the wine-trade with whom I usually stay. Thelittle money I pay them is welcome to them, and I am more comfortablethan at an hotel. I do not know their exact address--they have movedsince I was last here; but they are to meet me at the pier. " "Whenever you have a leisure evening, " said Dan, "call up the _Record_office and ask for me, and we will have dinner together. " "Thank you. I shall remember. And I should like you to meet my friends. I do not know if you are a connoisseur of wine, but if you are, theypossess a few bottles of a vintage that will delight you. " "I'm far from being a connoisseur, " Dan laughed; "but I accept theinvitation with thanks. " Chevrial's face was bright. "And when next you come to Paris, " he added, "I hope you will let meknow. There is my card. A letter to that address will always reachme--we have no telephone, alas! There are some things I should delightto show you--things which the average visitor does not see. " "You are very kind, " said Dan, taking the card; "and I shall not forget;though I don't expect to get abroad again very soon. You see, I have tocollect a reserve fund, first; and the cost of living is high!" "Whenever it is; and the more soon, the better I shall be pleased. " "How long will you be in New York?" "A week--ten days, perhaps. Then I go to Boston, and to Montreal andQuebec, and thence home again. I am glad I shall not have to use aGerman boat. I do not like German boats--nor anything German, for thematter of that! Which reminds me of a most peculiar circumstance. Youmay have wondered at my remark with reference to that young man who wasstrolling with Miss Vard?" "That she could talk to him without fear? Yes, I have wondered just whatyou meant by it. " "I may be mistaken--but I should like your judgment. In the library, among the other books, is one which describes the life of the Kaiser andhis family--it is put there, I suppose, for all good Germans to read. Itis illustrated by many photographs. In looking at the photographs, oneof them impressed me as curiously familiar; if I should happen to becorrect, it would make a most startling article for your newspaper. ButI wish you to judge for yourself. You will find the book lying on thetable in the library, and the photograph in question is on pagesixty-eight. If you will look at it, and then return here, I shouldconsider it a favour. " Considerably astonished, Dan descended to the library, found the book, and turned to page sixty-eight. Yes, there was a photograph of the Emperor, with the Empress and Princess Victoria; another of the Crown Prince, withhis wife and children; another of the Princes--Eitel-Frederick, August, Oscar, Adalbert. . . . And Dan, looking at it, felt his eyeballs bulge, for he found himselfgazing at the face of Kasia Vard's companion. He told himself he was mistaken; closed his eyes for an instant and thenlooked again. There was certainly a marvellous resemblance. If it shouldreally be the same--Dan's head whirled at thought of the story it wouldmake! He closed the book, at last, climbed slowly back to the boat-deck andsat down again beside M. Chevrial. "Well?" asked the latter. "What do you think of it?" "If they are not the same man, they are remarkably alike, " said Dan. "I believe they are the same. " "But it seems too grotesque. Why should a Hohenzollern travelsecond-class, dressed in a shabby walking-suit, and without attendants?" "There is a middle-aged German with him, who is, no doubt, his tutor, orguardian, or jailer--whichever you may please to call it. " "His jailer?" Chevrial smiled. "The Emperor is a father of the old school, and punishes his sonsoccasionally by imprisonment or banishment under guard. I fancy that isthe case here. Before I left Paris, I heard rumours of indiscretions onthe Prince's part with a young lady in Berlin, which had made his fathervery angry. This journey, perhaps, is a penance. At least, it is worthinvestigating. " "It certainly is, " agreed Dan warmly, and fell silent, pondering howbest to prove or disprove this extraordinary story. It was decidedly ofthe sort the _Record_ liked; if he could only verify it, his return tothe office would be in the nature of a triumph! But to prove it! Well, there were ways! A low exclamation from his companion brought him out of his thoughts. "Behold!" said Chevrial; and, far away to the right, Dan caught thegleam of a light. "A ship?" he asked. "No, no; it is the lighthouse on what you call the Island of Fire. It isAmerica welcoming you, my friend. " And Dan, with a queer lump in his throat, took off his cap. "America!" he repeated, and Kasia Vard's words leaped into his mind. "The land of freedom!" "Yes, " agreed his companion, softly; "you do well to be proud of her!She is at least more free than any other!" CHAPTER XXIII THE LANDING When Dan Webster awoke, next morning, his first thought was thatsomething was wrong, and it was a moment before he realised what it was. The screw had stopped. Instead of quivering with the steady, pulse-likevibration to which, during the past week, he had grown accustomed, theship lay dead and motionless. He got on deck as quickly as he could, andfound that they were anchored in the shelter of Sandy Hook, with a boatfrom quarantine alongside. Already the deck was thronged with excitedpassengers; many of the women, in their eagerness to go ashore, had puton their hats and veils and even their gloves. But word got about thatthere was some sickness in the steerage, and that it would probably besome hours before they could proceed. Dan took a long look at the familiar land; then he hurried below tobreakfast. He had planned his campaign before he went to sleep theprevious night, and he was eager to begin it. Breakfast, therefore, didnot take him long, and he was soon searching the decks for the man who, possibly, was a son of the Kaiser, but, much more probably, merely ayoung German who made the most of a chance resemblance. Dan possessed the aplomb which only years of work on a great paper cangive a man; he had wormed interviews from many reluctant and exaltedpersonages; he had asked questions which the other man was certain toresent, often quite justly; he had drilled himself to believe that, whenhe was on the trail, all mankind was fair game, and that any devicewhich would drag the truth from them was justified--the truth, thetruth, that was the end and the justification of newspaper methods!Nevertheless, his heart beat a little faster when, at last, he perceivedthe object of his search leaning against the rail at the rear of theupper promenade and gazing out to sea. "I've got buck-fever, " he told himself. "It's because I'm out oftraining. " And then he wondered if the Prince was thinking of Germany, and of the lady-love from whom he had been torn. Nobody else, apparently, had any thought for Germany or for the opensea. Every one had crowded to the side-rails to stare at the land or atthe smudge of smoke which marked Long Island, and the stern of the shipwas deserted. Telling himself that he would never have a better chance, and that he must finish with the affair before the ship-reporters cameaboard, Dan braced himself, approached the solitary and somewhatpathetic figure, removed his cap and bowed respectfully. The Prince, abruptly wakened from his day-dreams, looked up with a start, and metDan's smiling eyes with an astonished stare. "I see Your Highness does not remember me, " said Dan, good-humouredly. "That is not remarkable, but I was conceited enough to think it justpossible that you might. " "No, " said the Prince, finding his tongue, "I fear I do not. . . . " Hestopped abruptly. "For whom do you take me?" he demanded. "Surely I am not mistaken!" and Dan looked at him more closely. "No--itis really Your Highness! I cannot be deceived!" The Prince met his gaze and shook his head, and tried to laugh. But hewas not a good liar--his father had long since recognised his unfitnessfor any diplomatic mission. "I see it is useless for me to dissemble, " he said, in a low tone. "ButI am here strictly incognito, and I beg that you will not betray me. Where have we met?" Dan's heart leaped with exultation. And then a little feeling of shameseized him. It was too bad to have to betray the fellow--but dutydemanded it! Perhaps, however, it could be done in a way that would notbe offensive. He opened his lips to explain, when a stocky figuresuddenly thrust itself between them, and Dan found himself gazing into apair of irate eyes. "What is this?" demanded the newcomer, though his voice, too, wascarefully lowered. "Who are you, sir?" Dan felt his good resolutions ooze away at the other's brutal manner. "I am a reporter, " he said. "What is your business?" "Gathering news. " "Your business here, I mean?" "I was just interviewing the Prince, " explained Dan, blandly. "The_Record_ would be very glad to have his opinion of the Moroccansituation, of the Italian war, of the triple entente, or of anythingelse he cares to talk about. Perhaps he could find a theme in thedestruction of _La Liberté_. " He spoke at random, and was surprised to see how fixedly the other manregarded him, with eyes in which apprehension seemed to have taken theplace of anger. "One moment, " said Pachmann, for it was he, and he turned and spoke afew rapid words of German to the Prince, who reddened and noddedsullenly. Dan judged from the sound of the Admiral's subsequent remarksthat he was swearing; but he preserved a pleasant countenance, the moreeasily since, happening to glance up, he saw Chevrial leaning over therail of the boat-deck just above them and regarding the scene with anamused smile. At last, having relieved his feelings, the Admiral fellsilent and pulled absently at the place where his moustache had been. "When does your paper appear?" Pachmann asked, at last. "To-morrow morning. " "You would not wish to use the interview before that time?" "No. " Pachmann breathed a sigh of relief, and his face cleared. "Then we are prepared to make a bargain with you, " he said. "It is mostimportant that the Prince's incognito be strictly preserved untilto-night. If you will give me your word of honour to say nothing of thisto any one until eight o'clock this evening, I, in return, give you myword of honour that the Prince, at that hour, will grant you aninterview which I am sure you will find of interest. Do you agree?" Dan reflected rapidly that he had nothing to lose by such an agreement;that eight o'clock would release him from his promise in ample time towrite his story; and the interview _might_ really be important. "Yes, " he said; "I agree; but on one condition. " "What is that?" demanded Pachmann, impatiently. "That the interview be exclusive. " "Exclusive?" echoed Pachmann. "I do not understand. " "I mean by that that no one else is to get the interview but me, " Danexplained. A sardonic smile flitted across Pachmann's lips. "I agree to the condition, " he said. "And you on your part agree to sayno word to any one; you are not to mention the appointment which I willmake with you. " "I understand, " said Dan. "But, interview or no interview, I am to bereleased from the promise at eight o'clock. " "Yes. Very well, then. I accept your word of honour, and I give youmine. At seven o'clock to-night, you will call at the German consulateand ask for Admiral Pachmann. I shall be in waiting to conduct you tothe Prince. " "I thank you, " said Dan, and walked away, treading on air. Then anotherconsideration occurred to him. All this was going to interfere with hisevening with Kasia. He must see her and explain that he would be late. But an official stopped him at the gangway and explained that, underquarantine regulations, each class must keep to its own quarters untilthe boat had docked. * * * * * The delay was less than had been feared, for the illness in the steerageturned out to be well-defined typhoid; so, at the end of two hours, thebig ship began to move slowly up the harbour, with the passengershanging over the rails, for the first glimpse of the great city. Therewas the green shore of Long Island; and then the hills of Staten Island;and then, there to the left, loomed the Statue of Liberty, her torchheld high. Dan took off his cap, his eyes moist; and then, as he glancedat the faces of his neighbours, he saw that they were all gazing raptlyat the majestic figure, just as he had been. Most of them, no doubt, hadseen it many times before; some of them, perhaps, had committed thesacrilege of climbing up into the head and scribbling their names there;they had glanced at her carelessly enough outward-bound for Europe; butnow she had for all of them new meaning, --she typified the spirit oftheir Fatherland, she welcomed them home. And finally the wonderful skyline of New York towered far ahead, theweb-like structure of the Brooklyn bridge spanning the river to theright; little clouds of steam crowning with white the summits of thetowering buildings, and a million windows flashing back the sunlight. There is nothing else in the whole world like it, and the thousandpassengers on the upper decks coming home, and the thousand men andwomen crowded on the lower deck, seeking fortune in a strange land--allalike gazed and marvelled and were glad. Then, with a battalion of tugs pushing and pulling and straining andpanting, the ship swung in toward her dock, and soon she was near enoughfor those on board to see the faces of the waiting crowd, and there werecries of greeting and wavings of handkerchiefs, and the shedding ofhappy tears--for it is good to get home! And at last the great hawserswere flung out and made fast, and the voyage was ended. At this moment, as at all others, the first-cabin passengers had theprecedence, and filed slowly down one gangplank, their landing-ticketsin their hands, while at another the stewards proceeded to yank off thehand-baggage. Dan, leaning over the rail, watched the long line ofpassengers surging slowly forward, and finally he saw Kasia and herfather. He would see them on the pier, of course, for it would take themsome time to get their baggage through, and he could explain to Kasiaabout the other engagement. He followed them with his eyes--and then, with a gasp of astonishment, he perceived just behind them, also movingslowly down the gangplank, the Prince and the man who had called himselfAdmiral Pachmann. But those men could have nothing to do with Kasia! It was just anaccident that they happened to be behind her. And then he grasped therail and strained forward, scarcely able to believe his eyes. ForPachmann had spoken to Vard, who nodded and walked hurriedly on withhim, while Kasia, with a mocking smile, tucked her hand within thePrince's arm and fell into step beside him. Along the pier they hastenedto the entrance gates, passed through, and were lost in the crowdoutside. Dan stood staring after them for yet a moment; then, with the carefulstep of a man who knows himself to be intoxicated, he climbed painfullyto the boat-deck, dropped upon a bench there, and took his head in hishands. There, half an hour later, a steward found him. "Beg pardon, sir, " he said. "Are you ill?" Dan looked up dazedly. "No, " he said. "Why?" "The passengers are all off, sir. If you have any luggage, you'd betterbe having it examined, sir. " "Thank you, " said Dan, and got to his feet, descended to the lower deck, surrendered his landing ticket, and went unsteadily down the gangplank. The pier was littered with baggage and crowded with distracted men andwomen watching the inspectors diving remorselessly among their tenderestpossessions. Each was absorbed in his own affairs, and none of themnoticed Dan's slow progress toward the little office of thechief-inspector. After a short wait, an inspector was told off to lookthrough his baggage, and, with Dan's declaration in his hand, led theway to the letter "W, " where his two suit-cases were soon found. Danunlocked them, and stood aside while the inspector knelt and examinedtheir contents. He was through in ten minutes. "Nothing here, " he said, and rose. Then his eyes ran Dan up and down. "Isee you have a small parcel in your coat-pocket. May I see it?" Without a word, Dan handed him the parcel. The inspector turned it overand examined the seals. "What's in it?" he asked. "A little electrical device, " Dan answered. "Well, I'll have to open it--it might be diamonds, for all I know. " "Go ahead, " said Dan, and the inspector broke the seals, unwrapped thepaper, and disclosed a small pasteboard box. He lifted the lid, glancedinside, and then looked at Dan. "What is this? A joke?" he demanded. "I don't understand, " Dan stammered. "You said it was an electrical device. " "That's what it is. " "Either you're crazy or I am, " said the man; "and I don't think it'sme, " and he thrust the box under Dan's nose. And Dan's eyes nearly leaped from his head, for the box contained a cakeof soap, cut neatly to fit it, into which had been pressed a number ofnickel coins. CHAPTER XXIV PACHMANN SCORES Dan Webster never had any definite recollection of how he got to hisrooms. Somebody must have carried his bags to a cab and put them and himinside it, and he must have given the cabby the number of theapartment-house where his rooms were, for after a certain time he foundhimself in a cab which had stopped in front of it, with Marshall, thedoorman, staring in at him. "I think he's drunk, that's what I think, " said the cabby, who had gotdown, suspecting that his services would be needed. "He ought to be putto bed and left to sleep it off. " "I don't understand it, " said Marshall. "I never saw him like thisbefore. Paris must surely be an awful place!" The cabby chuckled, and together they got Dan out and into the elevator;but when the doorman had paid and dismissed the cabby, and tried tofollow his advice, he met with unexpected resistance. "Go away, Marshall, and leave me alone, " said Dan. "I heard what thatfellow said; but I'm not drunk--though no doubt I look it. Just go awayand shut the door. I'll thank you another time. There's a good fellow!" And in the end, Marshall went doubtfully away. Dan went to work at himself immediately with mechanical thoroughness. Hefilled his tub with cold water, undressed and plunged into it, dippinghis head under half a dozen times. Then he rubbed down with the roughesttowel he could find, gave himself a vigorous massage from head to feet, took a sharp turn with a pair of dumb-bells, got into fresh clothes, andbegan to feel more like himself. "There, " he said; "that's better. Now let's see if this thing is real, or only a nightmare. " He went to his coat, got out the pasteboard box, placed it on a table, sat down before it, and carefully removed the lid. No, it was not a nightmare. There was the cake of soap--pink, scentedsoap--weighted with the nickel coins. Poising the box in his hand, heunderstood why the coins had been added. Without them, the box wouldhave been too light. He pulled one of the coins out and looked at it. Itwas a German piece of twenty pfennigs, such as any one on the ship mighthave used. He put it carefully back, and lay down on his bed to reasonthe thing out. How had the substitution been made? How _could_ it have been made? Everyday the box had been in his pocket; every night it had been beneath hispillow. There was only one explanation--the change must have been madewhile he was asleep. Some one had entered the stateroom, slipped out theother box with a cautious hand and substituted this one. Whoever it wasmust have been familiar with the weight of the other box and with theway it was wrapped and sealed. But how was that possible? No one couldhave seen Miss Vard give it to him; no one could have known that he hadit. And then Dan sat suddenly erect. Chevrial might have known. Chevrialmight have seen him slip it into his pocket as he dressed. Yes, Chevrialmight have done it. Who was Chevrial? How should a wine-merchant know somuch about spies and diplomacy and German princes? There had always beenabout him an air of power, of reserve force. Yes, and an air ofmystery--the air of one who knows a great many things he does not chooseto tell. Chevrial was undoubtedly a spy himself. And, as he found this answer, Dan wondered that it had not occurred tohim long before. For it furnished the clue upon which Chevrial's wordsand hints and looks and warnings were strung together as on a thread! There could be no doubt about it: Chevrial was a spy, engaged in somedesperate plot--no ordinary plot, for a Prince and Admiral of the GermanEmpire were also engaged in it, and heaven alone knew how many others! There was one thing to be done at once. He must go to Kasia Vard andconfess that he had been outwitted. And he trembled as he thought whatthe loss of that little box would mean to her! Why had he been so dense, why had he not suspected. . . . Telling himself that self-accusations would do no good, he finisheddressing hurriedly, let himself out, and ran downstairs without waitingto call the elevator. At the front door he met Marshall, whose facebrightened at sight of him. "So you're all right again, sir?" he said. "I'm glad of that!" "Yes, " and Dan slipped a bill into his hand. "I had a little shock thatsort of upset me. Many thanks for looking after me, Marshall. I'll notforget it. " "That's all right, sir. Thank you, sir. Hope you had a good time?" "Splendid. Come up and see me to-morrow. I brought a little memento foryou from that awful place called Paris!" and leaving Marshall staring, he ran down the steps to the street, sought the nearest subway station, and twenty minutes later mounted the steps of the house on WestSixty-fourth Street, whose address Kasia had given him--a quiet house ina quiet neighbourhood. His finger was trembling as he touched the bell. How should he ever face her! A negro boy answered the ring. "I wish to see Miss Vard at once, " said Dan, and produced a card. "Miss Vard is not here, sir. " "Not here? Has she gone out?" "No, sir; she's been to Europe and ain't got back yet. " Dan steadied himself against the wall, for he felt a little dizzy again. "I know. But she must be back! Her boat docked three or four hours ago. " "We was expectin' her to-day, sir--her and her father; but they ain'tgot here yet. " Dan looked at the boy for a moment; then he gave him a silver dollar. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, sir; I'm sure, " and Dan could see that he was telling the truth. "Have you a 'phone?" "Oh, yes, sir. " "What's its number?" The boy told him and Dan jotted it down. "Will you give the card to Miss Vard as soon as she arrives?" he asked. "Yes, sir, I'll do that. " Dan wrote a hasty line on the card, asking Kasia to call him at once, and added his telephone number. Then he turned wearily away, and wentback to his rooms. There was nothing to do but wait. And he foundwaiting most trying of all. The minutes dragged miserably, each of themweighted with self-accusation, but the afternoon shadows began tolengthen and still his telephone had not rung. Finally he called forKasia's number and asked for her. A voice which he recognised as that ofthe negro boy answered that she had not yet returned. "It's those Germans!" Dan muttered to himself. "It's those damnedGermans! They've got her into it, somehow!" And then suddenly he remembered his appointment, and snatched out hiswatch. It was nearly six o'clock. "I'll drag it out of them!" he said. "I'll drag it out of them! And ifChevrial's there. . . . " He stopped. Chevrial and the Germans could not be in collusion--such analliance was unthinkable. But how else to explain it. . . . Dan gave it up; but a good dinner at a near-by restaurant restored himsomething of his self-confidence. After all, this was America. Europemight be honeycombed with intrigue and over-run with spies, but theywould find their occupation gone on this side of the water! And hehimself would explode a bomb in the morning's _Record_ that would shakethem up a little! So it was a fairly confident and self-controlled youngman who mounted the steps of the German consulate at five minutes toseven. A flunkey in livery opened the door to his ring. "I have an appointment with Admiral Pachmann, " said Dan, with a suddencold fear at his heart that he would be laughed at; but instead he wasshown at once into a little ante-chamber. "Sit here a moment, sir, " said the footman, and hastened away, closingthe door behind him. But it opened almost at once, and Pachmann himselfentered. Dan drew a deep breath of relief; it was all right then! Pachmann fairly radiated good-humour. All his roughness of the morninghad disappeared, and he greeted Dan beamingly. "I am most glad to see you, " he said, in such a tone that Dan almostbelieved him. "You are prompt--but that, I am given to understand, is anAmerican virtue. However, I am prompt, also. The car is waiting. " "The car?" Dan echoed. "You will understand, " Pachmann explained, "that, since the Prince isincognito, it is impossible for him to remain at the consulate--thatwould at once betray him. I was uncertain, this morning, as to ourarrangements, or I should have directed you to the proper address. However, it is but a step, " and he opened the door. Dan followed him along a handsome hall to the carriage entrance, where, at the foot of the steps, stood a limousine. As soon as they appeared, the driver, who had been standing at the hood, bent and cranked hismotor and then sprang to the door and opened it. "Enter, my dear sir, " said Pachmann, and followed him into the car. Thedoor slammed, the driver sprang to his seat, and they were off. In thesemi-darkness, Dan fancied he heard a repressed chuckle, and a vagueuneasiness stole upon him. But he shook it off. What had he to fear? "You will remember, " said Pachmann finally, "that this interview is nota thing which we desire, but to which we consent because we must. Youplaced us, this morning, in a very awkward position. You newspaper menof America have a method all your own. The manner in which you entrappedthe Prince compels my admiration. How did you know that it was he?" "There was a book on the ship with a history and portraits of the royalfamily, " Dan explained. "I happened to be looking it over and recognisedthe likeness at once. " "So?" said Pachmann, and there was a note of surprise in his voice, which told Dan definitely that, whatever Chevrial's plot might be, thisGerman was not in it. "You have sharp eyes. But the likeness may havebeen merely a chance one. It must have seemed most strange to you that aPrince of the Empire should travel alone as a passenger of the secondclass. " "It did. That was why I approached him as I did. " "It was most clever. We admit it. Ah, here we are. " The car had stopped, and Pachmann opened the door. As Dan alighted, heglanced up and down the street, but did not recognise it. It was astreet of close-built apartment-houses and private dwellings like anyone of hundreds in New York. Pachmann crossed the pavement, mounted thesteps and touched the bell. The door was opened instantly by a tallservant in livery. If Dan had expected it to reveal a regal magnificence, he wasdisappointed. The hall into which he stepped was simply, even meagrelyfurnished. Without pausing, Pachmann mounted the stair, and led the wayinto the front room on the upper floor. It was a large room, lightedonly by the glow of a wood fire. A man was sitting in front of it, andsprang up at their entrance. Pachmann, at the door, switched on theelectrics. "My dear Prince, " he said, "I have brought the young gentleman for theinterview which we promised him. " And Dan, as he saw the other's face, breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, itwas the Prince. For a moment in the car, he had feared that he was beingtricked. Pachmann had undoubtedly chuckled! The Prince bowed coldly. His face was very gloomy--in striking contrastto Pachmann's, which was beaming more than ever with good-humour. "I feel that an apology is due Your Highness, " said Dan, "for the way inwhich I sought to entrap you this morning. Please believe that I wasabout to promise to do what I could to respect your incognito when thisgentleman intervened. In my article for to-morrow, I shall try to saynothing that can offend you. " "I thank you, " said the Prince gravely. "All this is wasting time, " broke in Pachmann, impatiently. "Proceedwith your questions, my young sir. " "What is the purpose of Your Highness's visit to America?" asked Dan. The Prince hesitated and glanced at Pachmann. "Perhaps it would be best for the explanation to come from me, " said thelatter smoothly, but with a sardonic smile upon his face. "The Princetravels in search of health. He is of a most studious disposition--sitsup with his books far into the night--becomes so absorbed in them thathe forgets to go to bed, even to eat. So the Emperor, in fear that hewould injure his health--you can see by looking at him he is mostdelicate--decreed a trip around the world, made incognito in thesimplest fashion, during which he was not so much as to look inside abook. This accounts for the fact that never once on the voyage over didyou see him with a book in his hand. That is the whole mystery, my youngsir. " Dan, glancing at the Prince, saw that he was red with anger; but hecould not repress a smile at the absurdity of Pachmann's explanation. The Prince was evidently as strong as an ox, and had anything but theappearance of a student. "You may have heard some idle tales, " went on Pachmann, rubbing hishands with pleasure, "of a love affair--of a bar-maid, perhaps. Berlinis always full of such gossip, and you American journalists hear it all. But believe me, it is merely gossip; the truth is as I have told you. " The Prince had wheeled upon Pachmann, his eyes blazing. "It is too much!" he cried, in German. "You insult me, and you shallanswer for it. I warn you!" and he strode to the door. "Farewell, my Prince!" said Pachmann, and waited, with a sneer on hislips, until the Prince's heavy footsteps died away down the hall. Thenhe turned back to Dan. "Behold that Princes have rages just as othermen, " he said. "I don't blame him!" said Dan. "I wonder he didn't knock you down. " "So?" and Pachmann's eyes took an ugly gleam. "I fear the interview isat an end. " "I have another question to ask, " said Dan quietly. "Where are Mr. Vardand his daughter?" Pachmann's eyes narrowed to mere slits and his face became positivelyvenomous. "I was expecting that question, " he sneered. "What do you know of Vardand his daughter?" "They are friends of mine. I saw them leave the pier with you. They havenot yet reached their apartment. Where are they?" "I cannot tell you. " "You mean you will not?" "Put it that way, if it pleases you. " A storm of rage was hammering in Dan's brain. "I would advise you to tell me, " he said, tensely. "You threaten?" "Yes, " and Dan took a step toward the Admiral. "I would advise you totell me. " Pachmann did not stir. He glanced with ironic eyes from Dan's white faceto his working fingers. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "But this is better fortune than I deserve!" he mocked. "I did notknow, I did not suspect . . . Even when the girl told me!" Then his moodchanged, his lips curled, his eyes flashed fire. "What a fool!" hesneered. "What a fool! You thrust yourself upon us--you walk into ourtrap--you are wholly in our power--and yet you think to frighten me withyour grand air and your twitching hands! Bah! To me you are merely aspeck of dust, to be blown aside--so! Now, more than ever! As anignorant young fool, who knew no better, I might perhaps in time havelet you go. But now. . . . " The anger had ebbed from Dan's brain, although his attitude had notrelaxed. Staring into Pachmann's leering face, he realised that he mustthink and act quickly. The first thing was to escape; with a deep breathhe braced himself and sprang for the door--to plunge straight into theoutstretched arms of a man on guard there. There was a moment's struggle; then Dan felt his feet kicked from underhim, and fell with a crash that shook the house. In an instant two menwere sitting on him, holding him down. Then Pachmann came and looked down at him, his lips twitching withtriumph. "Young fool!" he sneered. "Young fool!" And then, in German, to the twomen, "Take him away! In yonder!" and he pointed toward a door at therear of the hall. CHAPTER XXV THE TRAP To Kasia Vard the day had been one of manifold excitements. Like Dan, she had awakened to find the boat motionless, and had run to the windowto gaze entranced at the green slopes of Sandy Hook. Home! Home! Shefairly sang the words as she dressed and rushed on deck. From thatinstant, every moment was charged with emotion, culminating as sheleaned against the rail and gazed with misty eyes at Bartholdi'smasterpiece. She remembered how, ten years before, her father, withtears streaming down his cheeks, had lifted her in his arms for herfirst sight of the majestic Goddess, and had explained to her, in avoice broken by emotion, why this statue stood here, at the entrance ofthis great harbour, holding her torch high in the air. The ship swept on, and Kasia, with a sigh of joy, turned her eyesforward for the first sight of New York. It was at that moment her father joined her. One glance at his face, andshe had placed her hand within his arm, walked back with him to theirsuite, entered and closed the door. "Now tell me, " she said. "What has happened?" "I have just seen Pachmann, " answered her father hoarsely. "He hasarranged for the final conference as soon as we land. It will be at theconsulate. There is yet one danger, " and he dropped his voice. "Pachmannhas discovered that there are spies on board--French spies. They suspectsomething--how much we do not know. But it is necessary for us to evadethem. We will leave the pier as soon as we land with Pachmann and thePrince. Pachmann will have a car waiting--he has made all arrangements. Here is your landing-ticket. " Kasia took it and slipped it inside her glove. "Very well, " she said. "But the baggage?" "We cannot wait for that--it would be too dangerous. I will return forit as soon as the conference is over. " His eyes were burning withexcitement, his lips twitching with nervousness. "I am glad that thehour is at hand, " he added. "I feel that I could not endure a longerdelay--these hours of suspense are dangerous for me. " Kasia laid a calming hand upon his arm. "I know, father, " she said. "You must not permit yourself to dwell uponit so. Let us go on deck again and watch the landing. " "No; we are to wait here, " said her father. "These last moments we mustnot be seen, " and he sat gnawing feverishly at his fingers. The long minutes drifted by. They could hear the rush of feet andchatter of voices on the deck outside, then excited cries of recognitionand greeting, as the boat swung into the dock, and finally the clatterof the gangplank as it was run into place. Almost at once there came atap at the door. Vard sprang to open it and found Pachmann and thePrince outside. "You are ready?" asked the former. "Yes, " and Kasia and her father stepped out upon the deck. "You have your landing-checks? Good. Then we will start. " They joined the long line moving down the gangplank. "This way, " said Pachmann, the instant they reached the pier, and ledVard hurriedly toward the entrance. Kasia, left with the Prince, glanced into his moody and downcast face. "So we are permitted to have another chat, " she said, smiling at hiswoebegone appearance, and tucked her hand under his arm. "You look asthough you needed some advice. What is wrong?" He glanced at her, then looked away, and answered with a shake of thehead. Just beyond the entrance stood a handsome limousine, its motorthrobbing. Pachmann hurried them all into it, stepped round for a wordwith the driver, then himself jumped in and slammed the door. The carstarted with a jerk, backed out of the pier-shed, and headed awaynorthward through the streets of Hoboken. This way and that it turnedand doubled, while Pachmann gazed anxiously through the little window inthe back. No one spoke, but they all watched Pachmann's face. At lastthey were in the open country, with a smooth road ahead. The driveropened his throttle, pushed up his spark, and in a moment they werewhirling along at forty miles an hour. Pachmann looked back for yet amoment; then he turned with a sigh of relief and sank back into hisseat. "We have evaded them, " he said. "But we will take no chances. " On and on went the car, climbing to the top of the Palisades andthreading the Jersey woods; mile after mile along woodland roads, pastcountry estates, through little villages, on and on. At last, on a longstretch of lonely road, they stopped, and the chauffeur climbed down, detached the licence numbers at front and rear, and strapped on anotherset. Then onward again, back toward the river, and finally, at the FortLee ferry, down to the water's edge. The boat was about to start whenthe car ran on board; in another minute it was moving out into thestream. No one else had come on board, nor was there any sign ofpursuers on the bank. Leaving the ferry, on the other side, the car at once plunged into atangle of by-streets, and Pachmann half drew the curtains. Then, turningsouthward along Riverside Drive, it joined the endless procession ofcars there, in which it became at once only an indistinguishable unit. Finally it turned eastward along a quiet street, swung sharply aroundone corner and then around another, and stopped. "Here we are, " said Pachmann, threw open the door, and jumped out. The Prince followed, and, without looking back, walked straight acrossthe sidewalk and up the steps of the house opposite. Pachmann, with asmile on his lips, waited to assist Miss Vard to alight. "But this is not the consulate!" she protested, looking first at thehouse and then up and down the street. She had never seen the consulate, but she knew it would not be in such a house nor in such a street. Besides, there was no flag above the door. "No, it is not the consulate, " said Pachmann smoothly, and turned toVard. "I found, at the last moment, that there was a reception at theconsulate to-day which would make our conference there impossible. Imanaged to procure this house, where one of our secretaries lives, andwhere we will be secure against interruption. But if you prefer theconsulate, we can, of course, wait until to-morrow--" "No, no, " Vard broke in. "Let us get it finished at once--there has beentoo much delay. " "I agree with you, " said Pachmann. "I, also, am anxious to get theaffair settled, " and he led the way into the house. "If you will waithere, Miss Vard, " he added, and pulled aside the hangings before a dooropening from the hall. "We will not be long. " Kasia stepped through the doorway, and the curtain dropped behind her. She heard the footsteps of her companions mounting the stair to theupper story; then all was still. She glanced about the room; it was arather small one, furnished as a sitting-room, with furniture both cheapand scant. There were two windows, side by side, which opened upon alittle court or area-way closed in by high walls, topped by an ugly andformidable iron chevaux-de-frise, which would be equally effective inpreventing any one getting in or getting out. She soon exhausted the interest of this limited prospect, and, turningback to the room, spent a long half-hour wandering about it, looking atthis and that, endeavouring to keep her thoughts occupied. She wasvaguely uneasy, a feeling of oppression weighed upon her, and frommoment to moment she caught herself listening for some sound, but thehouse was absolutely still. Finally she drew a chair to one of thewindows, and sitting down, stared out again into the little court. Itwas dark and damp and well-like and apparently never swept, for itspavement was littered with rubbish. Again she caught herself listening, her head half-turned. But she heard no sound. It must be past the middleof the afternoon; she should be getting home to set their rooms inorder, for to-night Dan was coming. . . . And again she was listening, rigid, breathless in her chair. There wasno sound; but suddenly, with nerves a-quiver, she sprang to her feet, crossed the room and swept back the hangings at the door. She wassurprised to find that the door itself had been closed. She turned theknob, but the door did not open; she shook it, but it held fast. Andthen she realised that it was locked. It was a moment before she understood. Then, very quietly, she crossedthe room to another door and tried it. She had expected it to be lockedalso, but to her surprise it opened. Beyond it was a bedroom, also witha window opening on the walled court, and beyond the bedroom was awindowless bathroom. There were no other doors. She returned to the outer room and again tried the door, testing itcautiously but firmly with her whole strength. Yes; there could be nodoubt of it--she was locked in. She went to one of the windows, raisedthe sash and looked out. It was at least a twelve-foot drop to theflagged pavement of the court. That might be managed with the help ofthe bed-clothes, but there remained the high wall and the threateningiron spikes. Below her, she could see that a small door opened from thecourt into the basement of the house, but it had no other exit. She found the fresh air welcome, and sat down, at last, before the openwindow. She was much calmer than she had been; now that she was face toface with danger, the feeling of oppression vanished and her couragerose. She was a Pole, she had been trained in a hard school, she was notafraid. No, she repeated passionately to herself, she was not afraid;and how she hated that smooth-tongued German, with the cold eyes andsmiling lips! Treacherous! Treacherous! * * * * * "If you will come this way, " said Pachmann, and Vard tramped after himup the stair to a room on the second floor. The Prince was already there, standing at the window, hands in pockets, staring moodily out. "Be seated, Mr. Vard, " said Pachmann. "My dear Prince, will you not sitdown?" The Prince flung himself into a chair. "And now, Mr. Vard, " went on Pachmann, sitting down very deliberatelyface to face with the inventor, "our answer is ready for you. " "Very well; let me have it, " snapped Vard, twitching with impatience. "We refuse to accept your conditions. " For an instant there was silence, then Vard leaped to his feet, his facelivid. "So you have been playing with me!" he cried. "Well, I suspected it! Andyou shall pay! Oh, you shall pay!" and he turned blindly to the door. "One moment!" called Pachmann, and his voice had in it a ring of commandwhich Vard had never heard before. "Sit down. I have still something tosay. " "I do not care to hear it. " "That is nothing to me. You _shall_ hear it!" With a glance of contempt, Vard strode to the door and turned the knob;but it did not open. He wrenched at it madly, but it held fast. In twostrides he confronted Pachmann. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "The meaning, " replied the Admiral sternly, "is that you are a prisonerhere until I choose to release you. Now will you sit down?" Vard stood for a moment, his face deadly white, his hands clasping andunclasping convulsively, staring down into Pachmann's leering eyes;then he went slowly back to his chair. "That is right, " said the German. "It will be best to take this calmly. In the first place, I want you to realise that you are wholly in mypower. Nothing that occurs in this house will ever be known to theoutside world. If you should fail to reappear, there will be no one totrace you. You will remember that we have your daughter also. And I sayto you in all seriousness, and as emphatically as I can, that neitheryour life nor your daughter's life will cause me to turn aside or evento hesitate. I would kill you with my own hands, and then yourdaughter--yes, and a thousand like you, if need be--rather than thatthis chance should be lost to Germany. I say to you, then, that eitheryou will consent to my proposal, or both you and your daughter willsuffer the utmost consequence. " Vard's eyes had never left the speaker's face, nor had any colour comeback into his own. But at the last words he laughed contemptuously. "It is useless, " he sneered. "I am not one to be frightened. " "I am not trying to frighten you--I warn you. " "Your warning is useless. I reply to you in all seriousness that neithermy life, nor my daughter's life--no, nor the lives of a thousand likeus!--would persuade me to put this power in your hands. But you darenot kill me. In this brain, and there alone, is the great secret. " "You forget, " Pachmann reminded him, "that in your baggage is a completemachine. We do not really need you. " At the words, Vard burst into a shout of mad laughter. Pachmann watchedhim, and his face fell into haggard lines. "So that is it!" jeered the inventor, when he had got his breath. "Sothat is the great plot! Well, Pachmann, to that I answer, 'Checkmate!'Go, get the baggage! You are welcome to all you find there!" "You mean the machine is not there?" demanded Pachmann, thickly. "Just that!" "Where is it then?" Gazing into his adversary's bloodshot eyes, Vard had another burst ofstrangling laughter. "I have already told you, " he said. "In this brain--there alone--therealone!" His face was red now, strangely red, and his words were queerlyjumbled. Pachmann sat looking at him for a moment, then he rose. "We shall soon see if you are speaking the truth, " he said. "Whether youare or not makes no difference. If there is no machine in your baggage, you shall construct for us another. " "Oh, shall I!" screamed Vard, also springing to his feet. "Shall I! Howgood of you, that permission!" "You shall construct another!" repeated Pachmann, between clenchedteeth. "Oh, you will be glad to consent, once I turn the screw! Come, Prince. " He tapped at the door, and there came from outside the scrape of asliding bolt. Then, standing aside for the Prince to pass, he lookedonce at Vard, and turned to cross the threshold. CHAPTER XXVI THE TURN OF THE SCREW It was a moment later that Kasia Vard, still sitting at the windowstaring out into the court, searching desperately through her brain forsome plan of escape, was brought quivering to her feet by a shrillscream, followed by the sound of a terrible struggle on the floor above. There was a heavy tramping to and fro, the thud of falling furniture, adull crash that shook the house--and then silence. It was over in amoment, but she stood rigid for a moment longer, her hands against herheart, then she flew to the door and wrenched at the knob. The door did not yield. Panting with excitement, she snatched up a chairand drove it with all her strength against the lower panel. The chairflew to pieces in her hands, but the door held firm. And then, as shelooked about for another weapon, she heard the sound of a sliding bolt, the door swung open, and Pachmann entered. He looked at her and at thebroken chair, and smiled slightly. "I come to reassure you, Miss Vard, " he said, "since I suppose you musthave heard the noise of our little combat. No one was injured; but yourfather, after a burst of rage at finding himself in our hands, duringwhich we found it most difficult to control him, has had what appears tobe an epileptic seizure. Is he subject to epilepsy?" "I have known him to have two attacks, " said Kasia, in a low voice, witha shuddering remembrance of the desperate crisis at which each had come. "There is nothing to be done, I think, except to loosen his clothing andbathe his head and wrists?" "No--that is all. " Mechanically her hands were smoothing her disorderedhair. "And there is, of course, no danger. Nevertheless, you may wish to go tohim. " "I do wish it. " "Then come with me, " and he led the way up the stair. "Your father is inthere, " he said, pointing to an inner room. "I will bring some water. " Kasia, with white face, passed into the inner room. Her father had beenplaced on a bed, and lay on his back, his eyes rolled up, breathingheavily. His hands were tightly clenched, but already the spasm waspassing and the muscles relaxing. Almost at once, Pachmann appeared atthe door, handed her a basin of water and then withdrew. Under her ministrations, the breathing of the unconscious man grewsofter and softer, the hands unclosed, the eyelids drooped, and finallyhis head fell over on one side and he slept. Kasia, watching him for afew moments, assured herself that all was well, then turned out thelight, returned to the outer room and closed the door. Pachmann was sitting at the window, staring idly out at the deepeningshadows. He arose at once at the sound of her entrance. "Miss Vard, " he said, "there is something I wish to say to you. Will younot sit down?" and he placed a chair for her. "What I have to say ismost serious, and whatever your feeling of ill-usage may be, I hope youwill try to look at the matter also a little from my side. The situationis this: Your father, as you doubtless know, is the inventor of amechanism which will make the nation possessing it mistress of theworld. That nation must be Germany. Apart from my ambition for mycountry and my love of her, I believe that she is the nation best fittedto possess it. At any cost, it must be hers--no cost can be too great; ahundred lives, a thousand lives, millions of treasure--all these wouldbe sacrificed gladly, without hesitation. You understand?" "Yes, " said Kasia. "I think I understand. " "It is your father's dream, as I suppose you also know, " Pachmanncontinued, "to bring about a world-wide peace by causing all nations tostrike hands together in a sort of universal brotherhood. He demandsthat, to enter this brotherhood, Germany relinquish her share of Polandand restore Elsass and Lorraine to France. He requires, too, thevirtual abdication of our ruling house. To such conditions Germanycannot consent. Rather than that, we should prefer a hundred times thepresent status. For Germany has nothing to fear from the future. "Now, Miss Vard, let me say at once that I regard your father's dream asa dream and nothing more. It cannot be realised. There is only one wayin which world-peace can be secured--let your father consent to placethis power in our hands, and there will be no more war--or, at most, only one very short and decisive war. If your father is in earnest, ifhe is not mad, he will consent to this proposal. I need hardly add that, if he does consent, he has only to name his own reward--Germany will payit gladly. Wealth, position, the suzerainty of a nation--all thisGermany is prepared to grant. " "You have placed this before him?" Kasia asked. "Yes; it was placed before him at much greater length at our secondconference. " "And he refused?" "He refused; but we cannot take that refusal. " "Why do you tell me all this?" "I tell you this, Miss Vard, " answered Pachmann earnestly, "because Iwish you to understand that in what may seem to you treachery andpersecution, I am but fighting for my country. For her, I hesitate atnothing. Then, too, I wish you to know what our position is. If youwill think of it, I believe you will find it an honourable position, andone which will bring peace to the world, and quickly. I hope that, afterfull consideration, you will decide to speak to your father. Perhaps toyou he might listen. " "No, he would not listen, " said Kasia, calmly; "and I shall not speak;or, if I do, it will be to urge him to continue to defy you. Do youimagine that any threat, any torture, could compel him to place theworld at the mercy of your Kaiser? You do not know him, Mr. Pachmann. " "That is your final answer?" Pachmann asked. "Yes. " He rose. "Then I shall have to request you to return to the room below. " "One moment, Mr. Pachmann, " said Kasia. "I wonder if you realise howdangerous is this game you are playing? You are not in Germany; youcannot kidnap two people here in New York, even by the Emperor's order, without some inquiry being made. " "Who will make it? No one knows that you were on the _Ottilie_; yourroom was empty, your names were not among the list of passengers; to allinquiries the reply will be made that you did not cross with the boat. No one knows that you are in New York. " "You are mistaken, " retorted Kasia, her cheeks flushed. "One man knows. I am to meet him this evening. " "Ah! but when he finds you not at home, when he inquires of our company, he will conclude that you missed the boat. " "He will know better, because he crossed with us. " Pachmann stared at her, his brows contracted; then a slow smile brokeacross his lips. "I remember now, " he said. "I did, on one occasion, observe you talkingto a young man. No doubt it is to him you refer. " "Yes--and he has a power at his disposal which even you may fear. " Pachmann chuckled. "The power of the press, is it not?" he asked. "Be at rest, Miss Vard. He will not use it against us. He will walk into our net at seveno'clock this evening! You may be sure that now he will not be permittedto escape!" In spite of herself, Kasia turned pale. Herself and her father she wasprepared to sacrifice--they had played for a great stake and had beenoutwitted. But Dan! That he, too, should be drawn into the whirlpool andsucked down and destroyed! She turned faint at the thought. Then shepulled herself up sharply, for Pachmann's gimlet eyes were upon her, glittering with comprehension, reading her face, while on his own therewas an expression of infernal triumph. She shivered as she looked athim. "Have you anything else to say, Miss Vard?" he asked, with a leer. "No, " said Kasia, and turned to the door, anxious to hide her face, toescape from him, to be alone with her thoughts. "Then please come with me. " She stepped first to the inner door and glanced at her father. He wassleeping peacefully. Then she followed Pachmann down the stair. At thedoor of her room he paused. "By the way, Miss Vard, " he said, still leering, "it is useless for youto fatigue yourself by endeavouring to break this door. It isstrengthened on the outside by a sheet of steel--behold. " He swung thedoor for her to see, then held it open for her. "I will have your dinnersent in to you, " he added, and Kasia heard the bolts shot into placeagain. Half an hour later, a bearded giant in livery brought in a traycontaining a very appetizing meal, set it on the table, and retired. Kasia realised suddenly that she was very hungry, for she had hadnothing to eat since breakfast. There was certainly nothing to be gainedby starving herself--that, she told herself with a shiver, might comelater!--so she washed hands and face at the basin in the bathroom, straightened her hair, and at last sat down to the meal with a calmnesswhich surprised even herself. She ate deliberately and well, and when, at last, she pushed her cup away, it was with a sense of renewedstrength and courage. Once more she examined the room minutely, but there was no exit save bythe steel-lined door. The windows remained, but they opened into thatwell-like court, with walls surmounted by bristling iron. Yet she wasstrong and agile; perhaps . . . Perhaps. . . . She snapped out the light, went to the open window and peered out. Itwas very dark in the shadow of those walls, but she remembered preciselyhow it looked; she remembered the door opening into the basement, justbeneath the window. If it should, by any chance, be unlocked. But thatwas foolish to expect. Perhaps it would be possible to twist a rope fromthe bed-clothes and throw it up over the chevaux-de-frise; but even thenthere would be a long hand-over-hand climb to accomplish; and the barbedand pointed spikes had looked very formidable. In any event, she had thewhole night before her; she must not act hastily; she must wait andwatch; perhaps some other means would present itself; perhaps Dan. . . . And then the pain of recollection stabbed through her. Dan could donothing; Dan was to be himself entrapped; and yet, how could that be?Perhaps Pachmann was lying--and yet he had not seemed to be lying. Hehad spoken confidently, triumphantly, gloatingly. She sat erect, listening, then stole to the door and placed one earagainst it. There were steps in the hall outside, steps which passed, which mounted the stair. . . . Perhaps that was Dan; yes, it must be after seven o'clock. . . . She forced herself to sit again at the window, but her hands weretrembling. She stared out into the shadows of the little court and triedto think. But thinking was so difficult; there was a dull ache at theback of her eyes, and her throat felt dry and swollen. One thought ranthrough her mind, over and over: Dan must not be sacrificed, Dan mustnot suffer; even if Germany must triumph. . . . Then, suddenly, from overhead, came the sound of a sharp scuffle and aheavy fall. She fancied she could hear voices raised in anger. The slamof a door echoed through the house. A moment later came a series ofsavage blows, of rending crashes, as though the house itself was beingtorn to pieces;--and then silence. Kasia stood as though turned to stone, listening, listening. Was it Dan?Was it her father? What was happening in that room upstairs? What didthat sudden silence mean? Her imagination pictured frightful things. . . . And then, from overhead, she heard the pacing of swift feet, up anddown, up and down; back and forth a hundred times, as though driven bysome raging spirit, scourging, scourging. And then again silence. Horrible as the sounds had been, the silence frightened her still more;it was filled with menace, it was charged with terror. Movement, sound--those meant life, at least; silence might mean anything--mightmean death! She could endure it no longer. She ran wildly into the other room andflung herself face-downward on the bed, covering her ears, burying hereyes in the pillow. . . . But the terror passed; and at last she rolled over and stared up intothe darkness and tried again to think. She must, must, must escape! Oncefree, once in the street, she could summon aid, could raise the town, could storm the house! But to escape! She pressed her hands to heraching temples. And then a sound from the outer room brought her upright; she listenedwith bated breath, pressing her hands against her breast to still thebeating of her heart. There it was again, stealthy, scraping. . . . Slowly, cautiously, she stole to the door of the bedroom; the noiseagain; and the sound of heavy breathing. And then her heart leapedsuffocatingly; for there against the grey light of the window wassilhouetted the figure of a man. In frantic terror, she sprang for theswitch, found it after an instant's frenzied groping, and turned on thelights. The sudden flare blinded her; then her straining eyes saw whostood there. "Dan!" she cried. "Dan!" He was standing on the window-sill, steadying himself by a knotted sheetsecured somewhere overhead; and at the sound of her voice, he reeled andnearly fell. Then, with a face like ivory, he stooped and peered inunder the raised sash, rubbed his eyes, looked a second time, and with alow cry, sprang into the room. "Kasia!" She was in his arms, close, oh! close to his heart. "Oh, Dan, Dan!" she sobbed. "I'm so glad--so glad!" And she kissed him with trembling lips. CHAPTER XXVII THE VOICE AT THE DOOR It was nearly nine o'clock when Pachmann sat down to dinner thatevening, but he did so in an exceedingly pleasant frame of mind. He feltthat he had done a good day's work. In the first place, he had eludedthe spies; in the second place, he had enticed all the flies into theweb, where they were now securely entangled. There was just one way inwhich they could regain their freedom; and that they would, in the end, accept that way, the Admiral did not doubt. Protests were natural, at first; inevitable, indeed, until theirindignation at the trick played upon them had subsided somewhat; it wasalso inevitable that there should be some heroics, some talk of honour, self-sacrifice, and such tom-foolery. But these vapourings would sooncome to an end; a few hours of sober reflection would work wonders indissipating them. And if there was need, why, it would always bepossible to apply the screw--the screw of hunger, the screw of solitaryconfinement, the screw of sleeplessness, of fear, of anxiety--and toturn it gently, gently. Oh, victory was certain now! So Pachmann rubbed his hands together, mentally, at least, and enjoyedhis dinner immensely. It was a good dinner, but it did not seem toappeal to Pachmann's table-companion. That was the Prince, summoned fromhis room where he had sulkily immured himself, and obeying from force ofhabit; but, strangely enough, his appetite, which was of a magnitude andreliability characteristic of the Hohenzollerns, had evidently failedhim now. He trifled gloomily with the food, and drank more wine than wasgood for him without any perceptible resultant lightening of spirit. Plainly something was seriously wrong, but if the Prince expected theAdmiral to make any anxious inquiries about his health, or to expressregret for the scene of an hour before, he was disappointed. Beyondcocking an amused eye at him, now and again, the Admiral took no noticeof him. So it was the Prince who had to open the conversation, which hedid as soon as the servants had withdrawn. "Admiral Pachmann, " he began, with heavy dignity, "I did not like theway in which this evening you spoke of me. It appeared to me almostinsulting. " "Insulting, Your Highness!" protested the Admiral. "You astonish me. Iimagined myself speaking most respectfully. " "It was insulting, " repeated the Prince doggedly. "Surely you misunderstood me!" said the Admiral, with deep concern. "Letme see--what was it I said? I do not remember the exact words, but itwas to the effect, was it not, that your health was threatened byover-study and that the Emperor had instructed you to take a vacation?" "There was more than that. " "I emphatically denied that there was any truth in that absurd rumourabout the bar-maid. " "She was not a bar-maid. " The Admiral laughed. "Was she not? Then I was misinformed. But that is a detail. " "In addition to which, " pursued the Prince, rather red in the face withthe knowledge that he was getting the worst of it, "I do not considerthat you are behaving honourably in this matter. " "In what way?" "You brought Miss Vard and her father here, promising to give them ananswer. " "And I gave them an answer, did I not?" "Yes--and then proceeded to imprison them. " "I have no recollection of having promised not to do so. " "But they trusted you. " "The more fools they!" "They must be released, " said the Prince, firmly. "I command it!" Pachmann selected a cigar from the tray on the table with great care. Then he lighted it, took a slow puff or two, and looked at the Prince. "Ah, you command it!" he said, thoughtfully. "Yes, " repeated the Prince, "I command it!" "How I wish, " sighed the Admiral, "that my heart was as young as yours, my Prince! I would give much to bring that about! But, alas, it has longsince grown indifferent to red lips and bright eyes; this old heart ofmine has been hardened by forty years of service; it is capable, now, ofonly one passion--but that is a fierce one. " "And what is that?" the Prince inquired. "The passion for my country and for my King!" said the Admiral, andsaluted. "My house is not a great one, as you have had occasion toremind me; but it is loyal! Its motto is, 'I love and I obey. ' We areproud of that motto, and we have never been false to it. As for myself, I love my country as I have loved no woman; for her I would give mylife, my honour, and rejoice to do it! For my King, as you have seen, Ihesitate at nothing! Prince, sooner or later you must learn yourlesson--and the longer you defer it the more bitter it will be. " "To what lesson do you refer?" asked the Prince, impressed in spite ofhimself, as he gazed at the glowing face opposite him. "The lesson that never, never must red lips or bright eyes make youfalse to your country or to your house, even in thought. You commandthat I release these people at the moment when I touch success. And why?Because you have been impressed with a girl's face. " "It is a lie!" shouted the Prince, and started to his feet. The Admiral did not stir, only looked at him; but there was in his eyesa frigid anger which turned the Prince cold. "I beg your pardon, Admiral, " he stammered. "It may be, in part atleast, the truth. But it is not the whole truth. Putting the girl aside, I still think you should release them. One should not behavedishonourably, even to one's enemies. " "They are not my enemies, they are my country's, " retorted the Admiral, quickly; "and I would point out to you that one can never behavedishonourably in serving one's country. In that service, there are noquestions of right and wrong; there is only one question--our country'sglory. Any good soldier could tell you that! But perhaps you consider itmurder to kill a man in battle, or theft to take the enemy's supplies?" "No, " said the Prince, flushing at the mordant irony; "but that isdifferent--that is war. In time of peace--" "There is no time of peace, " broke in the Admiral, impatiently. "Onlyfools believe so. Every thinking man knows that it is war, war, everyday of every week. We manoeuvre for advantage, we build secretdefences, we perfect plans of attack, we prepare night and day for theonset--just as we are preparing at this moment. For what purpose do youimagine that Germany maintains this house, with its grated windows andsteel-lined doors and heavy bolts, as of a prison? For just suchpurposes as this! For the detention of her enemies. And it has been usedmany times--many, many times! And now, " he added, in a voice as hard assteel, "as a reparation for your insult, I will ask you to return atonce to the consulate, to go to your apartment there, and to remain init until I see you in the morning. If you are wise, you will employ thenight in pondering carefully what I have said to you. " White with humiliation, the Prince bowed, and stalked from the room. Amoment later, the slam of the front door denoted that he had left thehouse. Pachmann sat for a moment longer, his lips curled in a sardonicsmile. Then he touched a bell. A burly fellow in livery answered it. "Arm yourself, " said Pachmann, "and bring your comrade. " The man was back again in a moment, bringing another giant with him. Each had, strapped about his waist, an ammunition-belt from whichdepended in its holster a heavy revolver. They saluted and stood atattention, while the Admiral looked them over. "You will stand guard in the lower hall to-night, " he said, at last;"turn and turn about, one sleeping on the floor at the stair-foot andwith the hall fully lighted. Under no pretext, will you permit any oneto enter the house or leave it. In case of any disturbance, of anysuspicious circumstance, however slight, you will summon me at once. Youhave revolvers--do not hesitate to use them in case of need--evenagainst a woman. You understand? Good! Has there some baggage come?" "Two pieces, sir. " "Clear the table and bring them up to me. " He leaned back and finishedhis cigar, while the men clumsily cleared the table and placed twobattered suit-cases upon it. "The servants who prepared the dinner have departed?" the Admiral asked. "They departed some time ago, sir. " "You are sure that all doors and windows are secured?" "We have just made the round, sir. " "And the young lady?" "We have heard nothing from her, sir. " "The young man?" "I glanced in at him, sir, some time ago. He was lying on his bed, withhis eyes closed, but I do not think he slept. " "Did he have dinner?" "We had no orders to that effect, sir. " "Good; let him go hungry. You will serve him no food until I order it. That is all. " They saluted and withdrew. Pachmann turned to a leisurely examination of the suit-cases. They wereunlocked, and he soon found the queer box with sides of glass lined withtin-foil. He snatched it up eagerly, but after a glance at it, his facefell. "So he was telling the truth!" he muttered. "Well, so much the worse forhim!" Nevertheless he examined the box attentively, with minute concentration, noting the arrangement of the interior plates, the scheme ofwiring--each detail. Then, with it in his hand, he left the room, sawthat his men were on guard, mounted to the upper story, unbolted a doorthere and entered. Closing the door carefully behind him, he switched onthe lights, placed the box on the table, and entered the room beyond. Here, too, he turned on the lights, and stood for a moment contemplatingthe occupant of the bed, who returned his gaze steadily, with glitteringeyes. "You are awake, then, my dear Vard?" said the Admiral, at last. "As you see. " "You are feeling better, I trust?" "I am quite well. " "You have had dinner?" "I cared for none. " "I wish to talk with you for a few minutes. " "It would be a waste of time. " Pachmann paused to look again at the glittering eyes, and the thoughtflashed through his mind, as it had done more than once before, that hehad to do with a madman. An inspired genius, perhaps, but mad, nevertheless. Pachmann knew that there was about madness a certainchildishness, and he determined to humour it. "For you, perhaps, it would be waste of time, " he said, approaching thebed and sitting down; "but not for me. My life-work has been the studyof electrical energy as applied to war, and I fancied myself fairly wellinformed, when, suddenly, you come and prove to me that I know nothing. That morning, ten days since, when I stood on the quay at Toulon and sawa great battleship reduced to a twisted wreck, I realised my ignorance, and my heart glowed with admiration for you, my master. " "Yes, I am your master, " and Vard raised himself upon one elbow. "Evenhere, your prisoner, I am still your master. " "I admit it. And I have a proposal to make to you. " "I have no confidence in your proposals. " "Yet listen to this one. Place this power at the Emperor's service, andhe will name you ruler of any nation you choose--of this one, if itpleases you--and leave you to govern it as seems best to you, withoutinterference of any kind. Think, my friend, what a destiny--free toembody your own ideas in the government of what is in some ways thegreatest nation on earth; free to make a paradise here, if you can. Andif you succeed, your dream comes true, for all the other nations of theworld will follow. " Vard gazed at the speaker with wistful eyes. "It _could_ come true, " he said. "It _could_ come true; it could notfail. But you are too blind, too selfish, too narrow. You are only aGerman. " "And you?" "I am a Pole--that is to say a citizen of no country and of everycountry. " "But you love that country, even though it does not exist?" "Aye--more than you love yours. " Pachmann was silent a moment, thinking deeply. "Listen, my friend, " he said, at last. "I desire to meet you; I willcome along the road toward you as far as I am able. " "Yes?" "I agree to reconstitute Poland. You shall have a country again, andshall be its ruler, if you choose. " The eyes of the inventor glowed for an instant, and then the glow fadedand he shook his head. "You have betrayed me once, " he said; "you would betray me again. I willnever place this power in the hands of your Emperor. He has alreadyshown how he would use it. " "You refer to _La Liberté_?" "Yes. " "I alone am responsible for _La Liberté_. It was I who chose thattest--not the Emperor. " "You!" said Vard hoarsely, and a slow flush mounted to his cheeks. "You!" "Yes, I!" and Pachmann cast at the other a mocking and triumphant look. "It was I who compelled your consent; it was I who arranged the details;it was I who assumed the whole burden. For I was determined that eventhe first test should be of benefit to Germany--and it was! However youmay wish it, you cannot restore _La Liberté_!" Vard was staring at the speaker with hollow eyes, his face convulsed. "Did not the Kaiser know?" he questioned. "No one knew but Von Tirpitz, and he was panic-stricken. He is old andtimid--but I convinced him--I won him over--he could not resist me. Eventhen, his heart failed him at the last, and he tried to stop me. Luckily, his telegram was delayed--or I should have been compelled todisobey my superior officer. Oh, I admit that it was rash of me, "Pachmann added, his face glowing; "I admit that I was riskingeverything--life, honour, everything; but success excuses rashness--andI succeeded!" "Yes, " agreed the inventor, slowly, "you succeeded!" "After that, " went on Pachmann, "it was too late to turn back, even hadany one wished to do so. Now it is for me to finish this affair. " "How do you propose to finish it?" Pachmann shrugged his shoulders. "You are in my hands, " he said, "you and your daughter. Heretofore Ihave been lenient with you, I have been good-natured; I hoped that wemight reach some agreement, and I have tried to meet you half-way. Butmy good nature is at an end; I withdraw all my offers. I demand that youplace your secret at Germany's disposal. " "And if I refuse?" "I shall turn the screw!" answered Pachmann, and there was cold menacein his eyes and in his voice. Vard had raised himself to a sitting posture. Now he swung his feet offthe bed. "I too have a demand to make, " he said, his voice a mere whisper. "Mypatience also is at an end. I demand my freedom and that of mydaughter. " "What do you offer in exchange?" "I offer nothing in exchange!" said Vard, and rose slowly to his feet. "I intend to offer my services to France!" Pachmann looked at him--at his bent and wasted figure, his shakinghands, his trembling knees--a mocking light in his eyes. "My dear friend, " he sneered, "you are mad--quite mad! I have suspectedit from the first!" "You are _not_ mad, M. Vard, " said a pleasant voice at the threshold. "And you have your freedom. France accepts your services!" CHAPTER XXVIII CROCHARD, THE INVINCIBLE! Pachmann jerked round with an oath. At the first glance, he thought itwas the Prince who stood there, though it had not been the Prince'svoice. A second glance undeceived him. There was, it is true, a certainpuzzling resemblance to the Prince, but this man was more stronglybuilt, more graceful--and the Prince could never smile like that! Andthen, with a little bow, the newcomer removed the broad-brimmed hatwhich shadowed his face, and, with a sudden feeling of sickness, Pachmann recognised him. But the Admiral was a brave man, with a nerve not easily shaken;besides, the odds were all in his favour! Yet he realised the need forall his resource, all his self control. At the end of a moment, he roseslowly, almost carelessly. "Who are you, sir?" he demanded. "Do you not know me?" laughed the stranger. "Surely, yes! I saw youreyes penetrate this slight disguise. I crossed with you on the_Ottilie_, Admiral, as André Chevrial. I believe you even did me thehonour to convince yourself that that was really my name. I am, however, better known in Paris as Crochard, L'Invincible!" "Ah, " said Pachmann, with a tightening of the brows, "a spy, then?" "No, Admiral; a patriot like yourself. " "And your business here?" "I have already stated it: to accept for France the services of thisincomparable man. " Something flashed in Pachmann's hand, but even as he jerked up his arm, there was a soft impact, and a revolver clattered to the floor. Crochardsprang for it, seized it, and slipped it into his pocket. "I was expecting that, " he said, still smiling. "Now we can talk more atour ease, " and he came into the bedroom, closed the door, placed a chairagainst it, and sat down. "Pray be seated, M. Vard, " he addedcourteously to the inventor. "And you, Admiral. " Pachmann, white with pain, was nursing a numbed and nerveless hand. Hesat down slowly, his eyes on the face of his antagonist. "You should admire this weapon, Admiral, " Crochard went on, extendingfor his inspection what looked like an ordinary revolver. "It is a mostuseful toy, of my own invention--or, perhaps, I would better say adaptedby me from an invention of that ingenious Sieur Hyacinthe, who waspistol-maker to the Great Louis. Should you ever visit Paris, I shouldbe charmed to show you the original at the Carnavalet. This embodiessome improvements of my own. It can, as you have seen, discharge, almostnoiselessly, a disabling ball; it can also, not quite so noiselessly, discharge a bullet which will penetrate your body, and which no bonewill stop or turn aside. Should you open your mouth to shout, I can, still with this little implement, fling into your face a liquid whichwill strike you senseless before your shout can come, or a poison asingle breath of which means death. And I assure you, my dear Admiral, that I shall hesitate no more than you to use any of these Agencieswhich may be necessary. " Pachmann listened, glowering; but, he told himself, he was not yetdefeated; and he sat rubbing his hand and measuring his adversary. "What do you imagine to be the exact nature of the services of which youspeak?" he asked, at last. "Their nature? Why, their nature will be of the same sort as thosealready offered to your Emperor. " "Yes?" "The position of leader in the movement for world-wide disarmament, "said Crochard, and smiled as Pachmann's lips whitened. "Ah, my dearAdmiral, your Emperor is too selfish, too ambitious--he has, as anEnglish poet puts it, that ambition which overleaps itself. He shouldhave accepted the arrangement which M. Vard proposed. That would havebeen glory enough. But no; he must dream of being a greater thanNapoleon, of world-empire; and in consequence he will lose that which healready has. But I foresaw it; I foresaw it from the moment M. Vardstipulated that Alsace-Lorraine must be returned to France. I knew thatyour Emperor was not great enough--that he has too small a soul--toconsent to that restitution!" Pachmann raised his head slowly. "So it was you who listened at the door, that night?" he said. "Yes, it was I. And it was I who discovered that you and a companionwhom I will not name waited for sunrise, one Monday morning, on the quayat Toulon. For that, France must have revenge. " Crochard's eyes were gleaming now, and there was no smile upon his lips. Instead there was in his face a deadly earnestness, a fierce hatred, before which Pachmann shrank a little. "She shall have it!" cried a voice from the bed, where Vard had beenbending forward, drinking in every word. "She shall have it!" "You hear?" said Crochard, and then he smiled again. "Ah, my dearAdmiral, it was a mistake to insist upon that test! It could have beenmade, just as well, upon some old hulk of your own--and then Francewould have had nothing for which to exact vengeance! I pity you; for itis you and you alone, who have brought this retribution to yourcountry. From first to last, you have behaved like a fool in thisaffair. It was you who betrayed her!" "I?" stammered Pachmann. "I? In what way? By what means?" "By means of the hundred-franc note with which you paid your reckoningat Toulon. That was careless, Admiral; it was not like you. You shouldhave carried gold, not paper--that would have told no secrets. But banknotes are numbered. And then, when you gave our friend here a packet ofsimilar notes--I do not see how you could expect to escape, after that!" Pachmann struck his forehead heavily with his open hand. "So it was that!" he groaned. "So it was that! Yes, I was a fool!" There was pity in the gaze which Crochard bent upon him. He could guesswhat this good German suffered at that moment. "That was not your fault, " he said, "so much as that of the person whosupplied you with those notes, after getting them directly from the Bankof France. But, at this end of the journey, how clumsy you were! Allthat haste, all that circling--and for nothing!" "You followed us, then?" "Why no!" laughed Crochard. "I had no need to follow you. I had only tobe at your consulate at seven o'clock. " Pachmann could only stare. "The appointment was made on the open deck, " said Crochard; "I wasexpecting it, and my ears are sharp! Well I was there at that hour, aswell as M. Webster--and you led me straight here! That was careless!That was clumsy! After that, you deserved to fail!" "How did you enter here?" asked Pachmann, hoarsely. "My men--are they--" "They are on guard below, no doubt. But their eyes are not so keen asyours nor their ears so sharp--and then my imitation of the Prince'svoice and manner was very good. I admit I kept my face somewhat in theshadow. They passed me without question. " Pachmann, with sudden intentness, scanned the other's garments. "Yes, they, at least, are genuine, " laughed Crochard. "The Prince wasmost indignant at having to remove them. My heart bled for him--butthere was no other way. Beyond a little tightness across the shoulders, and a little looseness about the waist, they do very well. " "The Prince is a prisoner?" Pachmann asked. "A hostage--to be released when I give the word. You should warn him tochoose his cabs more carefully--never, in a strange city, to take thefirst that offers!" "Then, " said Pachmann, his face livid, "you have confederates--you arenot alone!" "I have friends, " Crochard assented, "who were happy to oblige me bytaking charge of the Prince. More than that I did not ask of them. " "You mean, " asked Pachmann, almost in a whisper, "that you are alonehere?" "Quite alone, my dear Admiral, " Crochard assured him, and smiledpleasantly. Pachmann regarded the speaker for another moment; then he drew a deepbreath, and a little colour crept back into his cheeks. "M. Crochard, " he said, "or whatever may be your name, I admire yourdexterity and your daring. I wish Germany possessed a few such men asyou. Nothing, I suppose would tempt you--no wealth, no position?" "I am a Frenchman, monsieur, " answered Crochard, quietly. Pachmann sighed. "I see I must abandon that project. I am sorry. For, let me warn you, all your dexterity, all your daring, cannot get you alive out of thishouse. If the Prince is a hostage for your safety, then he must besacrificed. So far as my own life is concerned, it is nothing. I havetwo men below who, at a shout from me, or at the report of the shotwhich kills me, will shoot you down as you attempt to descend the stair. That is my order. There is from this house but one way out--the door bywhich you entered. You may kill me--I shall welcome that!--but youyourself will infallibly be killed a moment later. " "That may be, " said Crochard lightly, "but I am not so sure of it. Atany rate, if M. Vard is ready, I am prepared to make the trial. " "I am ready!" cried the inventor, and sprang to his feet. Crochard rose and moved the chair from before the door. Pachmann, with asteady eye, measured the distance between himself and the Frenchman. But Vard, his eyes blazing, stepped in front of the Admiral. "So this is your reward!" he sneered. "You, who would have betrayed me, who would have made me infamous, shall yourself be infamous! Now it isFrance's turn--for her I will produce a new instrument--" "That is not necessary, M. Vard, " broke in Crochard. "There need not beeven that small delay. I have the old one here, " and he tapped thepocket of his coat. "The old one!" echoed Vard. "But Kasia destroyed it!" "It was not destroyed. I will explain. Are you quite ready? Then passout before me and await me in the outer room. " Still staring, Vard opened the door. Then he sprang to the table with aglad cry, and caught up the box which stood there. "It is complete again!" he cried. "It is--" With a hoarse shout, Pachmann leaped at Crochard's throat. But, inmidair, a spatter of liquid broke against his face, and his body hurtledonward to the floor. And then, from the floor below, came an answering shout, a shot, theclatter of heavy feet. . . . With shining eyes, Crochard dropped on one knee beside his adversary, and bent for a moment above the body. Then he sprang to his feet andswitched off the light. "Stand here!" he said, snatched the inventor to one side, and stoodfacing the outer door. But it did not open. No further sound reached them. "Cowards!" muttered Crochard. "They wait in ambush! Well, let us see, "and, stealing to the door, he opened it softly, softly, bracing his kneeagainst it. Still there was no sound. Cautiously he peered out. The hall was empty. Noiselessly he crawled to the stair-head and looked down. He could seeno one. But where were Pachmann's men--hiding somewhere in the hallbelow, waiting for him to appear. . . . He drew back with a little exclamation, for from somewhere below camethe groan of a man in pain. For a moment Crochard sat with bewildered face, trying to understand. Then he sprang to his feet and went rapidly from door to door in theupper hall. All of them were armed with heavy outside bolts, but onlyone was fastened. He drew the bolts and opened the door a crack. "Is any one here?" he asked. There was no response, and, feeling for the switch, he turned on thelights and looked in. The room was empty. But in an instant his eye hadseen three details--the shattered furniture, the disordered bed, theopen window. At the window, the corner of a sheet was tied securely to a hinge of theheavy shutter, which had been pried open. Crochard touched itthoughtfully and nodded. Then he peered down into the well-like court onwhich the window opened. But he could see no movement there. He retraced his steps to the hall, and again peered cautiously from thestair-head, and again heard that dismal groaning. "Come, " he murmured; "there is not much to fear from that fellow!" andhe resolutely descended, eyes alert, pistol in hand. Halfway down, hestopped in amazement, for the front door swung wide open. But at last hefinished the descent and looked about him. Against the wall back of the stairs sat a burly figure, one hand pressedto his shoulder. A red stream oozed between his fingers, and his dulleyes showed that he was only half-conscious. He was groaningspasmodically with each breath. Across from him was an open door, andlooking cautiously through it, Crochard perceived on the floor of theroom beyond a second burly figure, motionless on its back. "Upon my word!" he commented. "That young fellow does his work well! Acharming exploit! But we must not be found here!" And without waiting tosee more, he sprang back up the stair. Vard was standing where he hadleft him, his beloved box clasped tightly against his breast, his eyesstaring straight before him, vacant and expressionless. "Come, " said Crochard, and took his hand. "The way is clear. But we musthasten. " Vard went with him down the stair; but at the foot he paused. "And Kasia?" he asked. "She is safe. Come. We will go to her. " Obediently as a child, the white-haired man followed his companion outinto the night. CHAPTER XXIX THE ESCAPE That evening remains in Dan Webster's memory as the most crowded andmost glorious of his life. Its supreme moment was when Kasia Vard gaveherself into his arms and raised her lips to his in confession andsurrender, and it left them both dazzled and breathless; but at lastthey were able to speak coherently. "So you are a prisoner, too?" Dan asked. "Yes. " "I suspected it. How splendid that I have found you!" "It was silly of me to be frightened--I might have known it was you!" "How could you have known?" "Admiral Pachmann told me he had set a trap for you. " Dan glanced about the room quickly. "They must not know I am here, " he said, lowering his voice. Kasia sprang to the switch and snapped out the lights. Then she took himby the hand and led him to a couch in one corner of the room. "If we sit here, " she said, "and speak very low, no one can hear us. " They sat down, but some moments passed before the conversation wasresumed. "Now we must be sensible, " she said, drawing away from him. "They may gointo your room at any moment, or come in here. " "That's true, " Dan agreed. And then he remembered. "Kasia, " he said, hoarsely, "some one stole the box, after all!" He heard her quick gasp of dismay. "Not Pachmann!" she cried. "No, not Pachmann; I don't know who it could have been, unless it wasthat fellow Chevrial, " and he rapidly told her the whole story. "I knowI was an awful chump to let Chevrial put it over me like that, " heconcluded. "Once we're out of here, I'm going to scour New York forhim. " "Don't take it so to heart!" she protested, pressing his hand. "Itwasn't any fault of yours; and besides it doesn't matter so much, sinceit wasn't Pachmann. Perhaps we can get it back--if we can't, why fatherwill make another! Come, " she added, rising, "the first thing is toescape. Can we get over the wall?" "It looked pretty formidable; but I don't see what else we can do. Wecan't fight our way out--I haven't anything to fight with. " "No; that is too dangerous, " agreed Kasia, quickly. "There's a regulargiant of a man on guard out there. " "Two of them, " said Dan. "I was an infant in their hands. Did you hearme smashing things? There isn't much of the furniture left in that roomupstairs--and it did me good!" "I did some smashing myself, " laughed Kasia; "there are the pieces of achair over there by the wall. " Dan laughed in sympathy, with a heart surprisingly light. After all, itwas impossible to be either worried or frightened with her there besidehim! "I'll go down and reconnoitre the wall, " he said. "How far is thepavement below your window?" "Ten or twelve feet. " "I'll need more rope. " "My bed-clothes!" she cried. "We can make a rope from them. " She ran into the bedroom, drew the blind at the window, and then turnedon the light. "No one can see us in here, " she said, and began to strip the coversfrom the bed. "Come in and shut the door, and they can't hear useither. " Dan paused an instant at the threshold; then, ashamed of his hesitation, he entered and closed the door. "We can make a perfectly lovely rope of these, " went on Kasia, her faceshining. "I happen to know how--we teach plaiting in our kindergarten onthe East side. First we must tear them into strips. " At this Dan helped her, and then the plaiting began. In twenty minutesas many feet of rough but serviceable rope was done. "Suppose I take a look around the court, " Dan suggested, "while youfinish the plaiting. We'll need a lot of rope, if we have to go over thewall, but perhaps there's some other way out. " She went with him to the window, watched him as he tied the rope to theshutter-hinge, tested it to make sure that it was safe, and kissed himbefore he swung himself off. Then she leaned far over the sill andlooked down into his upturned face, all her love in her eyes. A momenthe hung there, gazing raptly up at her, then slipped down into thedarkness; and Kasia, with brimming heart, returned to her task. A very few minutes sufficed for Dan to convince himself that the onlyway of escape from the court lay over the wall. He found the dooropening into the basement of the house, but it was a strong one andsecurely bolted, as a pressure of the shoulder proved; and there was noother entrance. The wall itself was not encouraging, for it was at leasttwelve feet high, and at the top was that formidable iron defence. Itmight be possible to throw their rope over one of the barbed points, pull himself up, and draw Kasia up after him. Men had accomplished farmore difficult things than that to gain freedom! He groped for the rope, found it, and mounted hand-over-hand to thewindow-sill, threw his arm over it, drew himself up--and hung there, paralysed, staring at what lay within. Through the open door of the bedroom poured a stream of light, andbeyond, on the bed, sat Kasia, her head bent, her fingers busy with thestrips of cloth; and in the darkness of the outer room, peering in ather, was dimly outlined a huge and threatening figure. Dan could see theprofile of the bearded face, half-turned away from him; could guess atthe leer upon it, the evil light in its eyes. Then slowly, slowly, itdrew closer to the bedroom door. . . . With teeth set and heart flaming, Dan drew himself quickly upon thesill, stepped lightly into the room, and crouched in the shadow of thetable. Had the giant heard? He peeped out cautiously. No, he was stillintent upon the working girl. But a weapon--he must have a weapon--andDan's agonised glance, sweeping the room, fell upon the débris of thebroken chair. Quickly he crept to it, and his fingers closed about oneof the heavy legs. Then, as he turned to seek the shelter of the table, Kasia glanced upand saw that bearded face. Terror froze the smile upon her lips; terrordrained the strength from her limbs; terror strangled the cry in herthroat. . . . "Dan--Dan--Dan!" And Dan, flaming with such rage as he had never known before, sprangupright, sprang forward, and rising on tiptoe to get the whole weight ofhis body into it, brought his club whirring down upon that shaggy head. Like a log the man fell, with a crash that echoed through the house, andinstantly from the hallway came a hoarse shout, the rush of heavyfeet. . . . In that instant, Dan was possessed by a curious clairvoyance; he couldsee Kasia, he could see his victim, he could see the room behind him, hecould see the hall with the other guard running along it; he knewsomehow that there was a pistol in the belt of the man who lay at hisfeet, and, without conscious will of his own, his hand found it andjerked it out. That other figure had reached the threshold, and Dan was conscious ofhis red face and staring eyes and open mouth. He was conscious of ahairy hand closing on a pistol-butt, and, again without willing it, hejerked his own hand up and fired. . . . And the next moment, with one arm about Kasia, he threw back the boltsof the front door, flung it open, and fled down the steps into thestreet. That was all Dan ever remembered of those fierce instants. Theyappeared to him afterwards as a series of tableaux, each standingdistinctly by itself, unconnected with the past or with the future, andhe felt himself to be, not an actor in them, but a puppet moved bywires. It was as though his brain had leaped from one mountain-top toanother, across intervening valleys buried in fog. But the instant his feet touched the pavement, the instant the fight waswon, his will asserted itself and his brain began again to workconnectedly. And the first thing he remembered doing was holding up hishand and staring at it, astonished that it did not hold a pistol. He hadno recollection of having dropped it. "We must get help!" Kasia panted. "My father is there!" "The Prince and Pachmann are there, too, " said Dan; "perhaps others. " Helooked up and down the street. "I wonder where we are? There's theelevated. Come along!" Together they sped to the nearest corner. It proved to be Ninth Avenue, and there, in the shadow of the elevated, they found a policeman onduty. It is true that Dan was not as coherent as he might have been and thatthe story he told sounded like a pipe-dream; but the policeman wasundeniably slow of comprehension. At first he smiled good-naturedly. "Aw, youse run along home now, " he said. "I'm onto youse!" "But, look here, " Dan protested, "this is serious. I'm not drunk--I'mjust excited and scared. Now listen. There's a man held prisoner backyonder by a lot of Germans, and I shot one of them and knocked anotherdown--and we've got to get him free. . . . " "Tut, tut!" said the officer, and then he looked at Dan closely, andthen he looked at Kasia, and then he took off his helmet and scratchedhis head. "See here, now, " he said, finally, "I'll call headquarters, ifyou say so--but if you are stringin' me. . . . " "I'm not stringing you!" Dan cried. "And for heaven's sake be quick!Every minute we waste. . . . " The passers-by had begun to stop and stare curiously, and the thoughtflashed through Dan's mind that he might collect a posse. . . . But the patrolman had made up his mind. "Come along with me, " he said, and led the way into the rear room of thecorner drugstore and telephoned to his station for instructions. Heenlarged somewhat upon the perils of the expedition, as Dan hadrecounted them, and when he came out of the booth, it was with adistinctly relieved air. "The sergeant says for us to wait here, " he said, "and he'll rush somedetectives up right away. " "But we can't stay here!" Dan cried. "We've got to get back!" "When the sergeant tells me to do a thing, I do it, " said the officercomposedly. "So I'm goin' to stay right here. " Dan glared at him for a moment, and started to speak his mind, butthought better of it. "Any objection to my waiting in front of the house?" he asked. The officer pondered a moment. "No, I guess not. Right down this street, you said?" "Yes; I didn't notice the number, but it's about half-way of the block. I'll be waiting. " "All right. Skip along. " "I'm going too, " said Kasia. Dan started to object--the danger was not over yet--but she was alreadyat the door. "Take the other side of the street, " he called. She nodded, crossed the street, and sped along in the shadow. In amoment they were opposite the house. Nothing apparently had changedthere. The front door stood open as they had left it, with the lightfrom the hall streaming out over the steps. The hall, so far as theycould see, was empty. There was no one on the stairs. Dan gazed at all this; then he shivered a little; he did not understandthe emptiness and silence; and he was suffering with the reaction fromthose crowded moments. "I don't like it, " he said. "Where's Pachmann?" "Perhaps he's not there. " Dan stood staring a moment longer, then swung round at her. "I'm going to see, " he said. "It was foolish to run away like that. I'mashamed of myself. Wait for me here. " He crossed the street and mounted the steps. As he stepped into thehall, a groan arrested him. In a moment, he perceived the man whom hehad shot lying, half conscious, against the wall. In the room beyond, the other man was sitting up, rubbing his head and staring stupidlyabout him. Dan took one look at him, then closed the door and bolted it. "And _that's_ all right!" he said, and turned to find Kasia at hiselbow. He glared at her sternly. "I thought I told you to wait outside!" "With you in danger! What do you take me for?" Dan took one look into the shining eyes, then put his arm about her, dragged her to him, and kissed her fiercely. "Refreshment for the heroic warrior on the field of battle, " heexplained, before she could protest. "I don't think there's much danger;but just the same you'll stay well in the rear, like a good girl! IfPachmann's upstairs, we'll surely hear from him. He's certain to beannoyed!" "Can't we do something for this poor fellow?" she asked, her eyes largewith pity for the groaning man. "The police will call an ambulance, " said Dan. "There's nothing we cando. " On the floor beside the wounded man lay his revolver, and Danstooped and picked it up. "Now, remember, Gunga Din!" he added, "yourplace is fifty paces right flank rear!" He started up the stair, cautiously at first, but more boldly as nosound came from the upper floor. At the stair-head he hesitated. Theupper hall was empty, but just opposite him an open door disclosed adark room beyond. Still there was no sound, and, after a moment, hestepped to the door and peered inside. "That was where they put my father, " said Kasia. "He was lying on thebed in there. " Before he could stop her, she brushed past him and sped across the room. Then with a frightened cry, she started back. Dan was by her side in aninstant. "Look!" she gasped, and pointed at the floor. Dan saw a dim shape stretched across the inner threshold; then heperceived that it was the body of a man. Pushing Kasia before him, hereturned to the outer door, fumbled for the switch and turned it. Yes, it was the body of a man, lying on its face, its arms thrown above itshead. A strange odour greeted him as he bent above it--an odour whichmade him curiously dizzy--but he managed to turn the body over. "Why, it's Pachmann!" he cried, and stared down at him with startingeyes. It was not a pleasant sight. The Admiral's face was distorted with rage, his lips curled savagely away from his teeth, his eyes were onlyhalf-closed, his hands were clenched--and with it all, he was breathingslowly and regularly, as though asleep. "He isn't dead, anyway, " said Dan, and rubbed his eyes, for strangeclouds floated before them. "And he doesn't seem to be hurt, " he added, looking again. "I wonder what happened to him--he isn't a pretty sight, is he? And where's your father?" "He's not here, " said Kasia, and following her gesture, Dan saw that thebed was empty. Together they hastened back to the hall and looked into the other rooms. They were all empty. "Well, it beats me!" said Dan, at last, and stared down into the girl'sfrightened face. "Your father isn't here, that's sure. It looks like heeither gave Pachmann his quietus with a solar plexus, or else Pachmannjust fell over on his face and went to sleep. Anyway, your father seemsto have escaped. But where's the Prince? Did they elope together?" "Why didn't father stop and look for me?" demanded Kasia. And then a light broke over Dan's face. "He did--and found you gone. Don't you see, " he went on, excitedly, "itmust have been while we were fussing with that thick-headed cop. Andprobably, when he didn't find you, he hurried on home. . . . " But Kasia had already started for the stairs. Dan paused for a last look at the recumbent figure. Suppose the manshould die--suppose something had happened to the Prince--there would bethe German Empire to be reckoned with, and the reckoning would be aserious one--serious for himself, for Kasia, above all for Vard! Verythoughtfully he turned away, followed Kasia down the stair, passed alongthe hall and through the open door. On the top step he paused and lookedup and down the street. The police were not yet in sight. With a little smile, Dan turned and pulled the door shut. Then he randown the steps after his companion. "Let's go the other way, " he said, as she turned toward Ninth Avenue. "We may as well keep out of this. We can get the Subway just belowhere. " And in another moment, they had turned the corner. * * * * * Wherefore it happened that, when the patrolman, in company with threedetectives, who had been torn away from a game of pinocle and who wereconsequently in no very pleasant humour, reached the centre of theblock, some minutes later, there was no one in sight. "He said he'd wait for us, " said the patrolman, helplessly. The detectives looked about them, but there was no evidence of anythingunusual about any of the houses. "Which side of the street was it on?" one of them asked. "He didn't say, " answered the patrolman. "Well, what _did_ he say?" "Blamed if I know, exactly. He was so worked up--with his eyes stickin'out, and his jaw shakin', and the girl hangin' on to his arm--but it wassomething about kidnappin', and shootin' a man, and there bein' anotherprisoner to rescue. . . . " He stopped, for there was frank incredulity in the three pairs of eyesfastened upon him. "He was stringin' you, " said one of the detectives, at last. "Or else he had a jag, " said another. "Dope, more likely, " suggested the third. "Look here, Hennessey, don'tyou ever git us up here again with no such cock-and-bull story! Come on, boys!" They left Hennessey rubbing his head helplessly and staring at thehouses, one after another. He wasn't at all convinced that the strangeyouth had been "stringing" him--his excitement had too evidently beengenuine; but if he was on the square, why had he run away? "Oh, hell!" said Hennessey, finally, and returned to his post at thecorner. * * * * * And it was about that time that the 'phone at the German consulate rang, and a pleasant voice advised that a physician be sent at once to thehouse just off Ninth Avenue, as his services were badly needed there. CHAPTER XXX COUNCIL OF WAR When Paris opened her eyes on the morning of Thursday, the twelfth ofOctober, it was to rejoice at one of those soft and beautiful days ofautumn which make of every house a dungeon to be escaped at the firstpossible moment. Even as early as nine o'clock, a perceptible tide hadset in toward the Bois de Boulogne, or, rather, innumerable littletides, which converged at the Place de la Concorde and rolled on alongthe Champs-Elysées in one mighty torrent. Against this torrent, a sturdy and energetic figure fought its wayacross the square; a figure carefully arrayed in black morning-coat andgrey trousers, and looking alertly about with a pair of very bright eyesmagnified by heavy glasses. The haughtiest of the carriage-crowd felthonoured by his bow, for it was none other than that great diplomat, Théophile Delcassé, Minister of Marine. M. Delcassé was not in the habit of being abroad so early; it was a fullhour before his usual time; but he had an appointment to keep which heregarded as most important, so he strode rapidly across the square, entered the handsome building to the north of it, and mounted to thefirst floor, where, on the corner overlooking the square on one side andthe Rue Royale on the other, he had his office. Early as it was, he found awaiting him the man whom he wished to see--athin wisp of a man, with straggling white beard and a shock of whitehair and a face no wider than one's hand, but lighted by the keenesteyes in the world--in a word, Louis Jean Baptiste Lépine, Prefect ofPolice, to whom full justice has not been done in this story--nor in anyother. M. Lépine had not found the hour early; to him, all hours werethe same, for he was a man who slept only when he found the time, whichwas often not at all. "Good morning, my dear Prefect, " said Delcassé, drawing off his gloves. "I trust I have not kept you waiting?" "I but just arrived, " Lépine assured him; "and I know of no better placeto pass one's idle moments than at this window of yours. " Beyond it stretched the great square, with its obelisk and circle ofstatues, its pavilions and balustrades; beautiful now, and peaceful, butpeopled with ghastly memories--for it was here the Revolution set up itsguillotine, and it was here that some four thousand men and women, highand low, looked their last upon this earth, mounted the scaffold andpassed under the knife. Surely, if any spot on earth be haunted, it isthis! Something of this, perhaps, was in the minds of these two men, as theystood for a moment looking down into the square, for their faces werevery thoughtful; then Delcassé's eyes travelled from one to another ofthe heroic figures representing the great towns of France--Lyons, Marseilles, Brest, Rouen, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille--and came to rest uponthe last one, Strasbourg, hung with black and piled with mourninggarlands, in memory of the lost Alsace. Every morning, before he turnedto the day's work, M. Delcassé, standing at this window, gazed at thatstatue, while he registered anew the vow that those garlands should oneday be replaced by wreaths of victory! That vow was his orison. His lips moved silently as he made it now, then he turned to his desk. "Be seated, my dear Lépine, " he said. "I have much to discuss with you, as you may guess. First about _La Liberté_. My Board of Inquiry will beready to report by Saturday. It has decided that the explosion wascaused by the spontaneous combustion of the 'B' powder, as was the casewith the _Jena_. " "That theory will do as well as any other, " said Lépine, curtly. "Butyou and I know that it is not the true one. " Delcassé looked at him quickly. "Have you any news?" he asked. "None, " answered Lépine, with a frown. "The man we sought has vanishedas completely as though the earth had swallowed him. I have found notrace of him since he left the office of the Messrs. Cook, with twopassages for America in his pocket. I cannot understand it. " "Have the tickets been returned?" "They have not been returned, and the Messrs. Cook, making inquiry at mysuggestion, have a report from the steamship company that they have notbeen used. " Delcassé turned this over in his mind. "Perhaps the man and his daughter have met with some accident. " "We should have heard of it, " Lépine objected. "I have scrutinised everyreport--viewed every body which at all resembled him. " "Then, " said Delcassé, "he has been suppressed, as one who knew toomuch. " "My own opinion is, " said the Prefect, "that he has sought refuge inGermany, until he can prepare for another demonstration against France. " The Minister moved uneasily in his chair. "I have thought of that, " he said, "and I am doing everything I can torender such an attempt impossible--but it is a hard task--one can neverbe sure. There is another thing I wished to ask you. Where isCrochard?" "I do not know, sir. I have not seen him since that morning at Toulonwhen we parted outside the Hotel du Nord. " "Then he, too, has disappeared?" "Yes, sir, completely. " "Has it never occurred to you, Lépine, to connect these twodisappearances?" "Yes, I did connect them. You will remember in the note he left for mehe stated that he hoped soon to have some good news for us. But whenmore than two weeks elapse and we hear nothing, I am forced to concludethat he, too, has been baffled. " "Yes, it was for me a hope, also--almost my only one, " said Delcassé. "Idid not believe that he could fail. And if he has failed, do you knowwhat it means for France, Lépine? It means destruction. Oh, I have spentsleepless nights, I have racked my brain! Germany's attitude is that ofa nation which desires war and which is ready to provoke it. You know, of course, how strained the situation is?" "About Morocco?" "Yes. It has come to this: France and Germany are like two duellists, face to face, sword in hand. Either they must fight, or one mustretreat--and with dishonour!" "France cannot retreat, " murmured Lépine. "I have said the same thing a hundred times; and yet, at the bottom ofmy heart, I know we cannot fight--not while this cloud of uncertaintyhangs over us. To fight, with this power in the hands of Germany, wouldmean more than defeat--it would mean annihilation. There would be otherstatues to be draped with black!" Delcassé's face was livid; he removed his glasses and polished them witha shaking hand, and, for the first time, Lépine saw his bloodshot eyes. Delcassé noticed his glance, and laughed grimly. "Only to you, Lépine, do I dare to show them, " he said. "Before others, I must crush this fear in my heart, bite it back from my lips; I mustappear unconcerned, confident of the issue. Only to you may I speakfreely. That is one reason I called you here. I felt that I _must_ speakwith some one. Lépine, I foresee for France a great humiliation. " Lépine looked at his companion with real concern. "You exaggerate, " he said. "You have been brooding over it too long. " Delcassé shook his head. "I do not exaggerate. This thing is so terrible that it cannot beexaggerated. Even at this moment, Germany is preparing the blow. For thepast week, she has been extraordinarily active. Her fleets have coaledhurriedly and put out to sea--for manoeuvres, it is said; but this isnot the season for manoeuvres. Her shipyards have been cleared of allcivilians, and a cordon of troops posted about each one. The garrison ofevery fortress along the frontier has been at least doubled, and themost rigid patrol established. The police regulations are being enforcedwith the greatest severity. Every city of the frontier swarms withspies; even here in Paris we are not safe from them--my desk was rifledtwo nights ago. I live in dread that any day, any hour, may bring thenews of some fresh disaster!" "And do our men learn nothing?" "Nothing! Nothing! All they can tell me is that something is preparing, some blow, some surprise. Whatever the secret, it is well kept; so wellthat it can be known only to the Emperor and one or two of hisministers. We have tried every means, we have exhausted every resource, all in vain. We know, in part, what is being done; of the purpose backof it we know nothing. But we can guess--the purpose is war; it can benothing else!" Lépine sat silent and contemplated the rugged face opposite him--theface which told by its lined forehead, its worried eyes, its savagemouth, of the struggles, rebuffs, and disappointments of thirty years. Always, out of disaster, this man had risen unconquered. Upon hisshoulders now was placed the whole of this terrific burden. He alone, ofthe whole cabinet, was fit to bear it; beside him, the others were merepigmies: Premier Caillaux, an amiable financier; Foreign Minister deSelves, a charming amateur of the fine arts; War Minister Messimy, anobscure army officer with a love for uniforms; Minister of CommerceCouyba, a minor poet, tainted with decadence--above all these, Delcasséloomed as a Gulliver among Lilliputians. But greatness has itspenalties. While the Minister of Foreign Affairs spent his days incollecting plaques, and the Minister of War his in strutting about theboulevards, and the Minister of Commerce his in composing verses, Delcassé laboured to save his country--laboured as a colossus labours, sweating, panting, throwing every fibre of his being into thestruggle--which was all the more trying, all the more terrific, becausehe felt that it must go against him! "What would you suggest, Lépine?" Delcassé asked, at last. "Is there anysource of information which you can try?" Lépine shook his head doubtfully. "It is not a question of expense, " Delcassé went on, rapidly. "A millionfrancs would not be too much to pay for definite information. We havespent that already! We have had a Prince babbling in his cups; we havehad I know not how many admirals and generals and diplomats confidingin their suddenly complaisant mistresses; we have searched their hearts, shaken them inside out--but they know nothing. Such and such orders havebeen issued; they obey the orders, but they do not know their purpose. They all talk war, shout war--Germany seems mad for war--and thegovernment encourages them. Their inspired journals assert over and overthat Germany cannot recede--that its position is final--that hereafterit must be paramount in Morocco. And to-day--or to-morrow at thelatest--France must send her ultimatum. " "What will it be?" "God knows!" and Delcassé tugged at his ragged moustache. "If it werenot for one thing, Lépine, I should not hesitate, I should not fear war. France is ready, and England is at least sympathetic. But there is _LaLiberté_. What if Germany can treat our other battleships as she treatedthat one? Yes, and England's, too! And if our battleships, why not ourforts, our arsenals . . . Lépine, " and Delcassé's lips were twitching, "Isay to you frankly that, for the first time in my life, I have fear!" Hefell a moment silent, playing nervously with a paper-knife he hadsnatched up from his desk. "What would you suggest?" he asked again. And again Lépine shook his head. "What _can_ I suggest!" he protested. "Where you have failed, what isthere I can do?" The knife snapped in Delcassé's fingers, and he hurled the fragments tothe floor. "There is one thing you can do, " he said. "Find Crochard and bring himto me. " Lépine arose instantly. "I will do my best, " he said, reaching for his hat. "If he is in France, rest assured. . . . " There was a tap at the door, and it opened softly. "I am not to be disturbed!" snapped the Minister, and then he stopped, staring. For there appeared on the threshold the immaculate figure, the charmingand yet impressive countenance, for a sight of which the great Ministerhad been longing; and then his heart leaped suffocatingly, for with thefirst figure was a second--a man with white hair and flaming eyes andthin, eager face. . . . As Delcassé sprang to his feet, Crochard stepped forward. "M. Delcassé, " he said, "it gives me great pleasure to introduce to youa gentleman whom I know you will be most glad to meet----Ignace Vard. " CHAPTER XXXI THE ALLIANCE ENDS Delcassé's nostrils were distended and his eyes were glowing like thoseof a war-horse scenting battle as he invited his visitors to be seated. Only his iron self-control, tested on I know not how many hard-foughtfields of diplomacy, enabled him to speak coherently; never had it beenstrained as at that moment. He sat down at his desk, and glanced from one face to the other. "I am indeed glad to meet M. Vard, " he said, with a calmness that was noless than a triumph; "and to see you again, M. Crochard. I had but thismoment charged M. Lépine to bring you to me. " "Is it so serious as that?" asked Crochard, with a little smile. "The situation could not well be more serious. " "You refer, I suppose, to the Moroccan situation. " "Yes. France must fight, or yield to Germany. " Again Crochard smiled. "No, no, " he protested; "it is Germany which will yield!" Delcassé bounded in his chair, as his eye caught the glance whichCrochard bent upon him. "I knew it, " he said, his face white as marble. "I guessed it--and yet Iscarcely dared believe it. But the moment you entered, bringing M. Vard. . . . " "M. Vard is a very great inventor, " said Crochard. "He offered hisservices to Germany, and she betrayed him; he now offers his services toFrance. " Delcassé glanced at the little man who sat there so still, so fragile, with eyes which gleamed so fiercely and lips that trembled with emotion;and he shivered a little at the thought that here was the man who hadstruck a terrible blow at France. "I can see what you are thinking, " Vard burst out. "You will pardon me, if I speak English? I am more familiar with it than with French. I seewhat you are thinking. You are thinking, 'Here is the miscreant, thescoundrel, who destroyed our battleship!' Well, it is true. I am ascoundrel--or I should be one if I permitted that deed to go unrevenged. I was betrayed, sir, as this gentleman has said. I offered to Germanythe leadership among nations. But the Emperor is consumed with personalambition--his one desire to exalt his house, to establish it morefirmly. Instead of leading, he wished to conquer. I refused to be histool. Thereupon I was deceived by a trick, I was imprisoned--I and mydaughter also. We were threatened with I know not what--with starvation, with torture--but this gentleman rescued us, and I came here with him inorder to place before France the same proposal I made to Germany. " Delcassé had listened closely; but he was plainly confused andastonished. "Before going further, " he suggested, "I should very much like to hearM. Crochard's story. There is much about this extraordinary affair whichI do not understand--and I desire to understand everything. Will you notbegin at the beginning, my friend?" "It was very simple, " said Crochard, and told briefly of the pursuit, ofthe encounters on the _Ottilie_, and of the final struggle in New York. "After our escape, " he concluded, "we hastened to M. Vard's residence, where, as I anticipated, his daughter and that admirable M. Webster whomshe loves, soon joined us. It was a most happy reunion, and in the end, M. Webster forgave me for the theft of the little box. Of our plans wesaid nothing, except that M. Vard was journeying back with me to Paris, and we were aboard the _Lusitania_ when she sailed next morning. Wearrived at Liverpool last night, and here we are!" Lépine's face was shining with a great enthusiasm. "Permit me to congratulate you, sir, " he said. "It was finely done. Irealise that the more deeply because I myself was completely baffled;and yet it should have occurred to me that the Captain of the _Ottilie_might wish to deceive me. My theory was, however, that the tickets hadbeen purchased to throw me off the scent. M. Vard had, of course, as Isupposed, sought refuge in Germany. Even yet I do not understand why heshould have gone to America. " The remark was, in a way, addressed to the inventor, but he had falleninto revery and paid no heed to it. "He is often like that, " said Crochard, in rapid French. "I suspect thatsomething is wrong here, " and he touched his forehead. "The trip toAmerica was, as I understand it, a matter of sentiment with him. Heinsisted that this great treaty, which was to bring about world-widepeace and the brotherhood of man, should be signed on American soil. " "He is really in earnest about that treaty?" asked Delcassé. "He is nota mercenary?" "Mercenary? Far from it, sir. Why, M. Delcassé, he was asked to choosehis own reward, and he refused. He is utterly in earnest--he asksnothing for himself. And I believe his idea practicable. I hope thatyou will consider it carefully, sir. The Emperor refused because of hisconditions. One was the reconstitution of Poland--he is himself a Pole. The other was the restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France. Pachmann didat last agree to give up Poland--and to make him King of it, if hechose!--but the other condition was too much for him. Besides, hethought the game was in his hands--he saw his Emperor ruler of theworld! Permit me to outline for you the plan of this remarkable man. " And clearly but briefly, Crochard laid before the astonished Ministerthe plan for world-wide disarmament, for universal peace, for thefreeing of subject peoples, for the restoration of conquered territory, and for the gradual establishment of representative government, to theexclusion of all hereditary rulers, great and small. "And I see no reason, " Crochard concluded, "why France should hesitateto give herself wholeheartedly to this plan. With all of these thingsshe is in sympathy; 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity' has been herwatchword for a hundred years. Once we regain Alsace-Lorraine, we can bewell-content to lay down our arms. I believe that we can secure thesupport of the United States and perhaps of England. To the UnitedStates, a project so idealistic would be certain to appeal; and as forEngland, she is terrified at heart, she fears the future, she staggersunder the burden of her great armaments----which yet are not greatenough. Yes, we could win England!" Delcassé had listened with gleaming eyes, all the dreamer within himafire at the splendid vision which Crochard's words evoked. "You are right!" he cried, and sprang to his feet and approached theinventor, his hands outstretched. "M. Vard, " he said, "on behalf ofFrance, I accept your proposal!" Vard was on his feet also, and his whole frame was shaking. "You are sincere?" he stammered, peering into Delcassé's eyes. "You arein earnest? You are not deceiving me?" "No!" said Delcassé, solemnly. "I am not deceiving you. I swear it, onmy honour. France will be proud to take her place at the head of thisgreat movement. " And then he stopped, and a shadow flitted across hisface. "There is but one condition, " he added. "You must prove to us thatthis power really exists. " "I agree to that!" cried Vard, eagerly. "I agree to that--yes, yes, Ieven wish it. Any proof, any test--it shall be yours to choose. Andremember--the Germans were not merciful!" "I shall remember!" said Delcassé hoarsely, his face quivering; and hecaught himself away and stood for a moment at the window, struggling forself-control. Through the square below all Paris poured, on its way todrive in the Bois, careless, happy, all unconscious of the crisis in itscountry's history which the moment marked. And then, by habit, Delcassé's eyes wandered to that great statue by Pradier, with the pileof mourning wreaths before it. . . . "I have chosen!" he said, in a choked voice. "The test shall be made atStrasbourg!" The inventor bowed. "If I may retire, " he said, "I will begin my preparations at once. Ishall need to work for a day, or perhaps two days, in some well-equippedwireless laboratory. All other arrangements I shall leave to you. Itwill be necessary to secure two stations in sight of the arsenal, andwithin five miles of it, where we can work without fear of beingdisturbed. " "I will attend to all that, " agreed Delcassé, and touched a bell. "IfGeneral Marbeau is in his office, " he added to his secretary, "pleasesay that I wish to see him at once. " * * * * * The door had closed behind the French Chief of Wireless and thewhite-haired enthusiast, and for a moment the three men who were leftbehind gazed at each other in silence. "Do you believe in this power?" asked Delcassé, at last. "There was _La Liberté_, " Crochard reminded him. "True, " and the Minister fell silent again. "To attack the fort at Strasbourg will not be easy, " said Crochard, atlast. "The Germans are no doubt already on their guard. " Delcassé smote his forehead with his open palm. "That is it!" he cried. "Lépine, that is the explanation! It is not forwar they prepare; it is in terror they withdraw their fleets intomid-ocean and throw cordons of soldiers about their forts! At thismoment, in spite of their bold front, the Emperor and his ministers aretrembling! For of course they know that Pachmann failed--and that wesucceeded!" "Undoubtedly, " Crochard agreed. "Pachmann would notify the Emperor ofhis failure as soon as he regained consciousness!" "Not a pleasant task, " chuckled Delcassé. "He has my pity. What happenedto the Prince?" "The Prince was released next morning. " "You have friends, then, in New York?" asked Lépine, curiously. "I have friends everywhere, " answered Crochard quietly. "When I think of the Kaiser trembling!" cried Delcassé. "Ah, whatanguish must be his! I have tasted it, and I know!" Crochard took from his coat a long pocket-book. "This belonged to Admiral Pachmann, " he said. "I paused long enough tosecure it, because it contained a document which I was most anxious topossess. It will interest you, sir, " and he drew out a black-sealedenvelope and passed it to Delcassé. The latter opened it, took out the stiff sheet of paper he found within, read it, re-read it, and then stared at Crochard stupefied. "That is what one might call an imperial power of attorney, " saidCrochard, with a little laugh. "It is sufficiently comprehensive, is itnot?" "It is unbelievable!" cried Delcassé, and handed the paper to Lépine. "And this was really given by the Emperor to Pachmann?" "I see no reason to doubt it. Though, " Crochard added, with a smile, "Iam of the opinion that Pachmann put it to uses and went to lengths whichthe Emperor did not contemplate--perhaps would have forbidden. " Delcassé's eyes were glowing with an infernal joy. "That does not matter, " he said. "That was because his hand was forced. It is the Emperor who is responsible--it is a risk he took. If he chosehis instrument badly, it is he who must suffer for it. You permit me toretain this paper?" "Certainly. Use it as you think best for France!" Delcassé was out of his chair, striding up and down the room. "So the wheel has turned!" he cried. "You may not remember it, M. Crochard--to you it may have seemed a small thing--but six years ago, the Emperor caused me to be driven from the foreign office because I didand said certain things which displeased him. Such was his power evenhere in Paris! You will scarcely credit it, but so it was. And now it ismy turn! With this in my hand, all things are possible! He must havebeen mad to put his hand to such a paper--but, after all, it does notastonish me. He is always doing mad things; he has no balance, noself-control. Ten years ago, with an imprudent telegram, he almostplunged his country into war with England--and at a moment, too, when itwas wholly unprepared! Two years ago, a wild speech of his broughtGermany to the brink of revolution. Last year, he nearly upset hisempire by an indiscreet interview which was suppressed just in time. Heis always in hot water, but heretofore his good fortune has beenamazing. He has always succeeded in extricating himself. This time, itseems, he has tempted the gods once too often----the game is in ourhands. Our ultimatum I will prepare to-day, and I will invite to myoffice the German ambassador, and I will hand him that ultimatum, and Iwill say certain things to him which have long been biting at my throatfor utterance, and then I will give him a glimpse of this document, andfinally I will send him away. Ah, there will be consternation at Berlinto-night!" Suddenly Delcassé stopped in front of Crochard's chair. "Myfriend, " he said, in another tone, "you have saved France. You must nameyour own reward. I grant it, before you ask it. " "Well, yes, " said Crochard, smiling, "I shall not refuse. At Toulon, onthe quay opposite the spot where lies the wreck of _La Liberté_, afriend of mine conducts a café. It was he who noticed the twoGermans--it was he who gave me my first clue. So he deserves a reward onhis own account. He is an honest man, who has suffered unjustly. Fouryears ago he was condemned to prison for killing the betrayer of hisdaughter. He is called Samson. M. Lépine will no doubt recall thecircumstances. " "I recall them very well, " said Lépine. "Samson escaped the day after hewas sentenced. I could find no trace of him, until I saw him at Toulon. " "But you did not arrest him!" said Crochard quickly. "I promised to take no action until you and I had talked together. " "Thank you, M. Lépine, " said Crochard warmly. "I have always respectedyou as a man of your word. It was I who assisted Samson to escape, sincehis punishment seemed to me undeserved; it was I who secured falsepapers for him and established him at Toulon. He has done well, but hedare not have his family with him. He loves his family, and without themhe finds life sad. M. Delcassé, you have told me to name a reward--I askthat Samson may be pardoned. " "It is granted, " said Delcassé, in a low voice; "but is there nothingelse? Is there nothing I can do for you, my friend?" Crochard had arisen and he and the great Minister stood face to face. "Yes, there is something, sir, " he said, "which you can do for me, andwhich will make me very proud. You are a great man, and I admire you. There are not many men to whom I raise my hat; but I salute you, sir, and I hope you will accept my hand!" Delcassé's hand shot out and seized Crochard's and held it close. "It is I who am honoured!" he said thickly. But at the end of a moment, Crochard drew his hand away. "Do not idealise me, sir, " he said. "I am outside the law; you and I godifferent ways. If for once, M. Lépine and I have worked together, itwas because France demanded it. We admire each other; we have foundthat we possess certain qualities in common. But now I have done mypart; the rest is in your hands. So I say adieu; our alliance is over;we are enemies again--" "Not enemies, " broke in Delcassé, quickly. "Antagonists perhaps; but notenemies. I wish--" "No, do not wish, " said Crochard. "My life satisfies me. I have acertain work to do, and I am happy in doing it. But I accept yourword--henceforth we are antagonists, not enemies. Adieu, sir. " The door closed, and Delcassé, dropping heavily into his chair, gazedmutely into Lépine's inscrutable eyes. CHAPTER XXXII STRASBOURG A Mile or two back from the Rhine, on the banks of the Ill, stands thefair city of Strasbourg. Once she was proud as well as fair; but herpride has been trailed in the dust. For four centuries a free city, defending herself virgin-like against all comers, for two centuries morethe happy capital of the loveliest of French provinces, she has bornefor forty years the chain of the conqueror and bowed her head beneaththe lash. But she is French still--French to the very core of her; andthough her hands are bound, her soul is free! The oldest part of the town has changed but little with the centuries. There are the narrow crooked streets, the tall half-timbered houses withtheir many-dormered roofs, and there is the grey Minster, which haslooked down on the city through all her fortunes. To the north lie thenewer quarters of the town, spick and span, and to the south are greatarsenals and barracks, guarded by a mighty fortification. For Strasbourg is now one of the great strongholds of the German Empire. Haunted by the fear that France may one day come pouring up from thesouth to regain her lost city, the engineers of the Kaiser havelaboured with their every talent for her defence. Far-flung, a circle offourteen forts girdles her round, and within them rampart followsrampart, culminating in the mighty citadel. What hope can an army, however great, have of capturing such a place? Inthe mind of every German engineer there is but one adjective, and alwaysone, associated with it--impregnable. And yet, in this mid-month of October, there was in the air a feeling ofuneasiness, impalpable, not to be defined or even spoken of--butpresent, ever-present. From far-distant posts of the Empire, troops hadbeen hurried southward, until the usual garrison of fifteen thousand menhad been more than doubled. Every rampart was manned, every wall had itssentry, and through the streets patrols moved constantly, their gazedirected at the house-tops. Their orders were to see that no onestretched a wire to any building; to arrest any one found doing so, andsend him at once to Berlin, under guard. The restaurants, the hotels, the cafés--every place where crowdsassembled--swarmed with strangers, speaking French, it is true, but withan accent which, to acute ears, betrayed their origin and made onewonder at their pro-Gallic sentiments. The French and German residentsof the town drew imperceptibly apart, grew a little more formal, ceasedthe exchange of friendly visits. No one knew what was about to happen, but every one felt that a crisis of some sort was at hand. The commandant changed, in those days, from a bluff, self-confident andbrave soldier to a shrunken craven, trembling at shadows. If he hadknown where the danger lay, or what it was, he would have met itvaliantly enough; but he knew scarcely more than did his humblestsoldier. He knew that the peril was very great; he knew that at anymoment his magazines might blow up beneath his feet; he knew that whathe had to guard against was the stringing of wires, the establishment ofa wireless plant. Every stranger must be watched, his registrationinvestigated, his baggage at all times kept under surveillance. Astranger carrying a bundle in the streets must always be followed. Everyresident receiving a roomer, a boarder, or even a guest from anothercity must make immediate return to the police. How many times had the commandant read these instructions! And always, at the last, he read twice over the paragraph at the bottom of thesheet, underlined in red: "At all hours of the day or night, two operators will be on duty at every wireless station, their receivers at their ears, their instruments adjusted. Should they perceive any signal which they are unable to explain, especially a series of measured dashes, they will report the same immediately to the commandant, who will turn out his entire command and cause a thorough search to be made at once of all house-tops, hills and eminences of every sort within a radius of five miles. All wires whose use is not fully apparent will be torn down and all persons having access to such wires will be arrested and held for interrogation. SHOULD THE SERIES OF SIGNALS BEGIN A SECOND TIME, ALL MAGAZINES WILL AT ONCE BE FLOODED. " This last sentence, printed in capitals to give it emphasis, thecommandant at Strasbourg could not understand. To flood the magazinesmeant the loss of a million marks; besides, why should it be necessary?What possible danger could threaten those great ammunition store-houses, buried deep beneath walls of granite, protected from every conceivablemishap, and whose keys hung always above his desk? He was completelybaffled; worse than that, he felt himself shaken and unnerved in face ofthis mysterious peril. * * * * * A copy of this order was sent to every fortress in Germany, and it istherefore not remarkable that, three days after it was issued, it shouldbe in the hands of M. Delcassé. He read it with a lively pleasure. Hewas beginning to enjoy life again. He knew that the tone of hisultimatum had astonished the German ambassador; but he also knew that, while the German press still talked of the national honour and ofGermany's duty to Morocco, the inner circle about the Emperor wasdistinctly ill at ease. The Emperor himself had been invisible for somedays, and was reported to be suffering with a severe cold. After reading the order, Delcassé summoned Marbeau. "How do your plans shape themselves?" he asked. "Admirably, sir, " answered the wireless chief. "We shall be ready tostart to-morrow. " "When is the test to take place?" "If everything goes well, one week from yesterday, at noon. " "You must use great care. The Germans are on their guard. Here issomething that will interest you. " Marbeau took the order and read it carefully. "If the magazines are flooded, " Delcassé pointed out, "we can donothing. " "It will be something to have occasioned the destruction of so muchammunition, " Marbeau rejoined; "but we are not taking that chance. Allour instruments will be tuned and tested before we start. The Germanswill hear those signals but once. " A little tremour passed across Delcassé's face. "You believe in this invention?" he asked. "You have investigated it?" Marbeau shrugged his shoulders. "I know nothing more of it than you do, sir. M. Vard tells me nothing, shows me nothing, persists in working alone. He is most jealous of it. But yes--I believe; when I remember the twenty-fifth of September, Icannot but believe!" Delcassé was pacing to and fro, his hands behind him. "Sometimes I doubt, Marbeau, " he said. "Sometimes I doubt. Thedestruction of _La Liberté_ may have been one of those strangecoincidences which sometimes happen. And sometimes I hesitate; sometimesI draw back before the idea of this demonstration. For Morocco we nolonger need it; I have in my possession a paper which will win thatbattle for us. But then, when I falter, the thought of France's futurenerves me. So I stand aside and let the test proceed. But I warn youagain, Marbeau, to be most careful. Do not neglect to provide a way ofescape. Failure this time is of little consequence--we can always tryagain; but under no circumstances must this machine fall into the handsof Germany; and for you and for Vard it must be death before capture. Hemust not be taken alive. " "I understand, sir, " said Marbeau, quietly. "If you think Strasbourg too difficult, it is not too late to drawback. It was, perhaps, unwise for me to select it. " "The more difficult it is, the more will it dismay the enemy, " Marbeaupointed out. "Let us try Strasbourg, at least. If we fail there, we cantry again somewhere else. " "Well, I agree. Remember, you are not to spare expense. " "We have had to purchase two houses in order to be quite secure. " "Purchase a dozen, if you need them. The date, you say--" "Is one week from yesterday. " "And the hour?" "The hour of noon. " Delcassé turned to the day on his desk calendar, and wrote a large "12"upon it. "Adieu, then, Marbeau, " he said, and held out his hand. "My prayers gowith you!" * * * * * Fronting on the Zurichstrasse, some half mile from the arsenal atStrasbourg, stands a great tobacco manufactory, covering two blocks andemploying a thousand people. These men and women and children live forthe most part in the crooked little streets of the neighbourhood, forthe hours of work are long, and to walk back and forth from a distancenot to be thought of. When a family has managed to scrape together alittle capital, more often than not the head of it opens a tiny shop, while the younger members keep on working at the factory until thebusiness has established itself. Then the family takes a step upward insocial grade. In a little room back of such a shop in the Hennenstrasse, on themorning of a day late in October, three men sat down to breakfast. Itwas a silent meal, for each of the three was preoccupied. They wereroughly dressed in the blouses and coarse trousers of labourers, andtheir faces were covered with a week's stubble of beard. One waswhite-haired, old, and seemingly very feeble; but the other two were inthe prime of life. At last the meal was finished, and the two youngermen pushed back their chairs and looked at each other; then they lookedat their companion, who, with vacant eyes, was staring at the oppositewall so intently that the other two involuntarily glanced around at it. "It is time for you to go, Lieutenant, " said one of the men, in a lowvoice. "Tell me again what you have to do, so that I may be sure thereis no mistake. " "What I have to do is this, General, " said the other: "from here, I goto the house we know of, taking a circuitous route, loitering on theway, and making certain that I am not followed. If I find myselffollowed, I will pass this shop, dropping my handkerchief in front ofit and then turning back to pick it up. If I am not followed, I enterthe other house, mount to the roof and make sure that everything is inorder. At ten minutes to twelve, I hoist into place the two arms towhich our wires are secured, stretching them tight by means of the winchwhich we have provided, and then I at once start the clockwork. I thendescend, make my way to the tram-station, and take a third-class ticketto Colmar, where I will await you at Valentin's cabaret. If you do notarrive by sundown, I am to go on to Paris to make my report. " "That is right. You have your passport?" "Yes. " "Let me see your watch. " They compared watches and found that they both showed twenty minutespast ten. "Adieu, then, " said the elder man; "and let there be no failure. " "Trust me, General!" and the Lieutenant saluted and went out through theshop. "And now, M. Vard, " said Marbeau, in a low tone, "the hour has come. " The old man nodded, and together they left the room. Marbeau stopped tosecure the door, then followed Vard up to the first landing, where therewas another heavy door, which the Frenchman also bolted; so with thenext landing and the next. He smiled grimly as he thought of M. Delcassé's warning to leave open a road of escape! He had, indeed, provided such a road, but he carried it in his pocket. At last they stood in a tiny room under the ridge of the roof. It waslighted by a single dormer, and, looking out through this, one could seeover the house-tops, half a mile away, the grim wall of the arsenal. Before the dormer stood a table, to which was bolted a metal framework, supporting the box, with its sides of glass half-covered with tin-foil. It was mounted on a pivot, and from it two heavy wires ran to a key suchas telegraphers use, and then down to a series of powerful batteriesstanding on the floor. "You are sure it is all right?" asked Marbeau, almost in a whisper. For answer, Vard closed a switch, opened the key and then depressed itslowly. There was a crackle of electricity, and a low humming like thatof a giant top. "No, no!" gasped Marbeau, and snatched the switch open. The inventor smiled. "There is no danger, " he said, "until the other current is turned on. " Marbeau's face was livid and beaded with perspiration. He wiped it witha shaking hand. "Nevertheless you startled me, " he said. "The sound the machine makeshas a frightful menace in it!" Then he looked at his watch. "It is noweleven. " Vard nodded, and bent again above his apparatus, touching it here andthere with the touch of a lover--tightening a wire, examining a contact, testing the vibrator. . . . His usual pale face was flaming with excitement, and his eyes shone witha strange fire. Marbeau glanced at him uneasily, then stared out at the grey wall of thearsenal. Upon its summit a sentry walked to and fro with the precisionof a machine. High above him flapped the imperial flag of Germany, displaying its eagles and complacent motto. Marbeau, like everyFrenchman, considered that flag an insult, for the lower arm of itscross bore the date "1870, " and he stared out at it now, dreaming of thefuture, dreaming of the day when France should tear it down. . . . Vard touched him on the arm. "I should like to see the plan of the fort again, " he said. Marbeau opened his shirt, and from a little oilskin bag produced asquare of tracing-paper. He unfolded it and handed it to the inventor. "This is the side toward us, " he said. "There are the magazines, themain one being here in the centre. " With a nod of understanding, Vard carried the drawing to the window andcompared it carefully with the stretch of wall, swinging his pivotedmachine from side to side to be sure that its range was ample. Then herefolded the map and returned it to Marbeau. "It must be almost the hour, " he said. With a start, Marbeau pulled out his watch. It showed fifteen minutes totwelve. Then, watch in hand, he stood gazing out at the bastion. Fourminutes passed, five, six, seven. . . . Suddenly from the fort came the deep boom of an alarm gun. A minutelater, a file of men appeared upon the summit of the bastion; a gate, away to the right, swung open and an armed battalion marched out at thedouble-quick. "The signal!" gasped Marbeau. "It is the signal! Their wireless men havepicked it up!" Again the alarm gun boomed sullenly, and they could hear the faint, shrill calling of a bugle. Then came the distant thunder of theanswering guns from the forts about the town; from the streets roseexcited voices, the clatter of running feet. . . . One minute--two--three-- "Now!" said Marbeau, snapped shut his watch and thrust it into hispocket. Vard, his face twitching, closed the switch and touched the key. Againcame the sharp crackle of flame, the deep hum of the vibrator. Marbeau, the marrow frozen in his bones but with the sweat pouring from his face, stared out--and then, close beside him, came a white burst of flame--thehorrible odour of burning flesh-- He jerked around to see Vard fallen forward above the table, while abouthis hands played those livid tongues of fire. . . . * * * * * Half an hour before midnight of that day, a man, roughly dressed, with astubble of beard masking his face, appeared at the Ministry of Marine, was passed at once by the guard at the entrance and made his way quicklyto the office of M. Delcassé. He tapped at the door, which was instantlyopened by the Minister himself. "Ah, Marbeau, " he said, quietly. "Come in. We have failed, then?" "Yes, we have failed, " groaned Marbeau, and sank into a chair. Delcassé touched him gently on the shoulder. "Do not take it so much to heart, " he said. "There was something wrong, perhaps. We can try again--" "No, we cannot try again, " and Marbeau's face was piteous. "Vard is not captured!" "No; he is dead. " "But his instrument--his invention?" "Is destroyed, fused, burnt to a mere mass of metal, " and Marbeau toldthe story of that last moment. "But what happened? What occurred?" asked the Minister dazedly. "I do not know--I was staring at the fort. He may have had a seizure andfallen across his instrument, or he may have broken the circuit in someway--displaced a wire, perhaps--and received the full shock himself. Itwas over in an instant. He was dead when I dragged him away. " For some time Delcassé walked thoughtfully up and down. "You could not, by any possibility, reconstruct it?" he asked at last. "I fear not, sir; he told me nothing. I do not even know the principleinvolved. " Again Delcassé paced back and forth; then he sat down before his desk, with a gesture of acquiescence. "So that dream is ended, " he said. "It was too great, no doubt, to beaccomplished. God willed otherwise. But at least we are richer than wewere. From time to time we will terrify these Germans with a littleblast of wireless. That will be amusing, and it may cost them someammunition. And in the struggle over Morocco France wins! That isassured! Good night, General. You need rest. " All the world knows now, of course, that France did win. On Novemberfourth, the question of her supremacy in Morocco was settled once forall by the treaty signed at Berlin. When Europe learned the terms ofthat treaty, it was shaken with amazement. For Germany had receded, after swearing that she would never recede; had guaranteed to France afree hand in Morocco, with the right to establish a protectorate if shethought proper;--and in exchange for all this received a small strip ofthe French Congo! Yes, there was one other thing she received of whichthe treaty made no mention. When Herr von Kiderlen-Waechter had affixedhis signature, Ambassador Cambon, who acted for France, gave himsilently an envelope sealed with a black seal. He glanced at thesignature of the paper it contained, and placed it carefully in hispocket. An hour afterwards, he handed it to his Emperor. And two days later, Admiral Heinrich Pachmann, returning from anaudience with the Emperor, went quietly to his quarters. At the usualhour, his aide, coming for orders, rapped at his door. There was noanswer, and, opening the door, the aide glanced inside. Pachmann laysprawled across the floor, a bullet in his heart. His stiff hand grippeda duelling-pistol--a handsome weapon, which bore, chased along itsbarrel, the motto of his house, "I love and I obey!" +---------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | | | Typographical errors corrected in the text: | | | | Page 113 vizualise changed to visualize | | Page 326 "of" added to "this side of the water?" | | Page 364 Hohenzvollerns changed to Hohenzollerns | +---------------------------------------------------+