Part 54 (2/2)
”My father was head _jager_ to Count Geier von Sturmspitz, and I was already a dead shot with a rifle when we emigrated to Canada. And when he became an Athabasca trader, and I was only twelve years old, I could set a moose-hide shoe-lace swinging and cut it in two with a revolver at thirty yards. And I can drive a s.h.i.+ngle nail at that distance and drive the bullet that drove it, and the next and the next, until my revolver is empty. You don't believe me, do you?”
”You know that the beautiful Scheherazade----”
”Was famous for her fantastic stories? Yes, I know that, Mr. Neeland.
I'm sorry you don't believe I fired only to frighten you.”
”I'm sorry I don't,” he admitted, laughing, ”but I'll practise trying, and maybe I shall attain perfect credulity some day. Tell me,” he added, ”what _have_ you been doing to amuse yourself?”
”I've been amusing myself by wondering whether you would come here to see me tonight.”
”But your note said you were sure I'd come.”
”You _have_ come, haven't you?”
”Yes, Scheherazade, I'm here at your bidding, spirit and flesh. But I forgot to bring one thing.”
”What?”
”The box which--you have promised yourself.”
”Yes, the captain has it, I believe,” she returned serenely.
”Oh, Lord! Have you even found out _that_? I don't know whether I'm much flattered by this surveillance you and your friends maintain over me. I suppose you even know what I had for dinner. Do you?”
”Yes.”
”Come, I'll call that bluff, dear lady! What did I have?”
When she told him, carelessly, and without humour, mentioning accurately every detail of his dinner, he lost his gaiety of countenance a little.
”Oh, I say, you know,” he protested, ”that's going it a trifle too strong. Now, why the devil should your people keep tabs on me to that extent?”
She looked up directly into his eyes:
”Mr. Neeland, I want to tell you why. I asked you here so that I may tell you. The people a.s.sociated with me are absolutely pledged that neither the French nor the British Government shall have access to the contents of your box. That is why nothing that you do escapes our scrutiny. We are determined to have the papers in that box, and we shall have them.”
”You have come to that determination too late,” he began; but she stopped him with a slight gesture of protest:
”Please don't interrupt me, Mr. Neeland.”
”I won't; go on, dear lady!”
”Then, I'm trying to tell you all I may. I am trying to tell you enough of the truth to make you reflect very seriously.
”This is no ordinary private matter, no vulgar attempt at robbery and crime as you think--or pretend to think--for you are very intelligent, Mr. Neeland, and you know that the contrary is true.
”This affair concerns the secret police, the emba.s.sies, the chancelleries, the rulers themselves of nations long since grouped into two formidable alliances radically hostile to one another.
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