Part 2 (1/2)
”Chief's gone to the Palace--no one knows why. I just looked in because I met a woman the other day whom Ansell says you know something about--Baroness von Haase.”
”Well?”
”Is there anything to be told about her?” Norgate asked bluntly. ”I dined with her last night.”
”Then I don't think I would again, if I were you,” the other advised.
”There is nothing against her, but she is a great friend of certain members of the Royal Family who are not very well disposed towards us, and she is rather a brainy little person. They use her a good deal, I believe, as a means of confidential communication between here and Vienna. She has been back and forth three or four times lately, without any apparent reason.”
Norgate stood with his hands in his pockets, frowning slightly.
”Why, she's half an Englishwoman,” he remarked.
”She may be,” Mr. Gray admitted drily. ”The other half's Austrian all right, though. I can't tell you anything more about her, my dear fellow.
All I can say is that she is in my book, and so long as she is there, you know it's better for you youngsters to keep away. Be off now. I am decoding a dispatch.”
Norgate retraced his steps to his own room. Ansell glanced up from a ma.s.s of pa.s.sports as he entered.
”How's the Secret Service Department this morning?” he enquired.
”Old Gray seems much as usual,” Norgate grumbled. ”One doesn't get much out of him.”
”Chief wants you in his room,” Ansell announced. ”He's just come in from the Palace, looking like nothing on earth.”
”Wants me?” Norgate muttered. ”Righto!”
He went to the looking-gla.s.s, straightened his tie, and made his way towards the Amba.s.sador's private apartments. The latter was alone when he entered, seated before his table. He was leaning back in his chair, however, and apparently deep in thought. He watched Norgate sternly as he crossed the room.
”Good morning, sir,” the latter said.
The Amba.s.sador nodded.
”What have you been up to, Norgate?” he asked abruptly.
”Nothing at all that I know of, sir,” was the prompt reply.
”This afternoon,” the Amba.s.sador continued slowly, ”I was to have taken you, as you know, to the Palace to be received by the Kaiser. At seven o'clock this morning I had a message. I have just come from the Palace.
The Kaiser has given me to understand that your presence in Berlin is unwelcome.”
”Good G.o.d!” Norgate exclaimed.
”Can you offer me any explanation?”
For a moment Norgate was speechless. Then he recovered himself. He forgot altogether his habits of restraint. There was an angry note in his tone.
”It's that miserable young cub of a Prince Karl!” he exclaimed.
”Last night I was dining, sir, with the Baroness von Haase at the Cafe de Berlin.”
”Alone?”
”Alone,” Norgate admitted. ”It was not for me to invite a chaperon if the lady did not choose to bring one, was it, sir? As we were finis.h.i.+ng dinner, the Prince came in. He made a scene at our table and ordered me to leave.”