Part 26 (1/2)
”Well, I do not see that I should be betraying any confidence now,” he said. ”The promise I gave was only binding for a short time, and now that she is to be seen openly with the d.u.c.h.ess de Montegarde, I suppose the embargo is removed. The young lady is the Princess Helene Frances de Bourbon, and the young man is her betrothed husband, the Prince of Ortrens!”
Piccadilly became suddenly a vague and shadowy thoroughfare to Wolfenden. He was not quite sure whether his footsteps even reached the pavement. Densham hastened him into the club and, installing him into an easy chair, called for brandies and soda.
”Poor old Wolf!” he said softly. ”I'm afraid you're like I was--very hard hit. Here, drink this! I'm beastly sorry I told you, but I certainly thought that you would have had some idea.”
”I have been a thick-headed idiot!” Wolfenden exclaimed. ”There have been heaps of things from which I might have guessed something near the truth, at any rate. What a fool she must have thought me!”
The two men were silent. Outside in the street there was a rush for a special edition, and a half cheer rang in the room. A waiter entered with a handful of copies which were instantly seized upon. Wolfenden secured one and read the headings.
”MOBILIZATION DECLARED. ALL LEAVE CANCELLED. CABINET COUNCIL STILL SITTING.”
”Densham, do you realise that we are really in for war?”
Densham nodded.
”I don't think there can be any doubt about it myself. What a thunderbolt! By the bye, where is your friend, Mr. Sabin?”
Wolfenden shook his head.
”I do not know; I came to London partially to see him. I have an account to settle when we do meet; at present he has disappeared. Densham!”
”Well!”
”If Miss Sabin has become the Princess Helene of Bourbon, who is Mr. Sabin?”
”I am not sure,” Densham answered, ”I have been looking into the genealogy of the family, and if he is really her uncle, there is only one man whom he can be--the Duke de Souspennier!”
”Souspennier! Wasn't he banished from France for something or other--intriguing for the restoration of the Monarchy, I think it was?”
Densham nodded.
”Yes, he disappeared at the time of the Commune, and since then he is supposed to have been in Asia somewhere. He has quite a history, I believe, and at different times has been involved in several European complications. I shouldn't be at all surprised if he isn't our man. Mr. Sabin has rather the look of a man who has travelled in the East, and he is certainly an aristocrat.”
Wolfenden was suddenly thoughtful.
”Harcutt would be very much interested in this,” he declared. ”What's up outside?”
There had been a crash in the street, and the sound of a horse plunging; the two men walked to the windows. The debris of a hansom was lying in the road, with one wheel hopelessly smashed, a few yards off. A man, covered with mud, rose slowly up from the wreck. Densham and Wolfenden simultaneously recognised him.
”It is Felix,” Wolfenden exclaimed. ”Come on!”
They both hurried out into the street. The driver of the hansom, who also was covered with mud, stood talking to Felix while staunching the blood from a wound in his forehead.
”I'm very sorry, sir,” he was saying, ”I hope you'll remember as it was your orders to risk an accident, sooner than lose sight of t'other gent. Mine's a good 'oss, but what is he against a pair and a light brougham? and Piccadilly ain't the place for a chase of this sort! It'll cost me three pun ten, sir, to say nothing of the wheel----”
Felix motioned him impatiently to be silent, and thrust a note into his hand.
”If the damage comes to more than that,” he said, ”ask for me at the Russian Emba.s.sy, and I will pay it. Here is my card.”
Felix was preparing to enter another cab, but Wolfenden laid his hand upon his shoulder.
”Won't you come into my club here, and have a wash?” he suggested. ”I am afraid that you have cut your cheek.”
Felix raised his handkerchief to his face, and found it covered with blood.
”Thank you, Lord Wolfenden,” he said, ”I should be glad to; you seem destined always to play the part of the Good Samaritan to me!”
They both went with him into the lavatory.
”Do you know,” he asked Wolfenden, when he had sponged his face, ”whom I was following?”
Wolfenden shook his head.
”Mr. Sabin?” he suggested.
”Not Mr. Sabin himself,” Felix answered, ”but almost the same thing. It was Foo Cha, his Chinese servant who has just arrived in England. Have you any idea where Mr. Sabin is?”
They both shook their heads.
”I do not know,” Wolfenden said, ”but I am very anxious to find out. I have an account to settle with him!”
”And I,” Felix murmured in a low tone, ”have a very much longer one against him. To-night, if I am not too late, there will be a balance struck between us! I have lost Foo Cha, but others, better skilled than I am, are in search of his master. They will succeed, too! They always succeed. What have you against him, Lord Wolfenden?”
Wolfenden hesitated; yet why not tell the man the truth? He had nothing to gain by concealment.
”He forced himself into my father's house in Norfolk and obtained, either by force or craft, some valuable papers. My father was in delicate health, and we fear that the shock will cost him his reason.”
”Do you want to know what they were?” Felix said. ”I can tell you! Do you want to know what he required them for? I can tell you that too! He has concocted a marvellous scheme, and if he is left to himself for another hour or two, he will succeed. But I have no fear; I have set working a mightier machinery than even he can grapple with!”
They had walked together into the smoke-room; Felix seemed somewhat shaken and was glad to rest for a few minutes.
”Has he outstepped the law, been guilty of any crime?” Wolfenden asked; ”he is daring enough!”
Felix laughed shortly. He was lighting a cigarette, but his hand trembled so that he could scarcely hold the match.
”A further reaching arm than the law,” he said, dropping his voice, ”more powerful than governments. Even by this time his whereabouts is known. If we are only in time; that is the only fear.”
”Cannot you tell us,” Wolfenden asked, ”something of this wonderful scheme of his--why was he so anxious to get those papers and drawings from my father--to what purpose can he possibly put them?”
Felix hesitated.
”Well,” he said, ”why not? You have a right to know. Understand that I myself have only the barest outline of it; I will tell you this, however. Mr. Sabin is the Duc de Souspennier, a Frenchman of fabulous wealth, who has played many strange parts in European history. Amongst other of his accomplishments, he is a mechanical and strategical genius. He has studied under Addison in America, one subject only, for three years--the destruction of wars.h.i.+ps and fortifications by electrical contrivances unknown to the general world. Then he came to England, and collected a vast amount of information concerning your navy and coast defences in many different ways--finally he sent a girl to play the part of typist to your father, whom he knew to be the greatest living authority upon all naval matters connected with your country. Every line he wrote was copied and sent to Mr. Sabin, until by some means your father's suspicions were aroused, and the girl was dismissed. The last portion of your father's work consisted of a set of drawings, of no fewer than twenty-seven of England's finest vessels, every one of which has a large proportion of defective armour plating, which would render the vessels utterly useless in case of war. These drawings show the exact position of the defective plates, and it was to secure these ill.u.s.trations that Mr. Sabin paid that daring visit to your father on Tuesday morning. Now, what he professes broadly is that he has elaborated a scheme, by means of which, combined with the aid of his inventions, a few torpedo boats can silence every fort in the Thames, and leave London at the mercy of any invaders. At the same time his plans include the absolutely safe landing of troops on the east and south coast, at certain selected spots. This scheme, together with some very alarming secret information affecting the great majority of your battles.h.i.+ps, will, he a.s.serts with absolute confidence, place your country at the mercy of any Power to whom he chooses to sell it. He offered it to Russia first, and then to Germany. Germany has accepted his terms and will declare war upon England the moment she has his whole scheme and inventions in her possession.”
Wolfenden and Densham looked at one another, partly incredulous, partly aghast. It was like a page from the Arabian Nights. Surely such a thing as this was not possible. Yet even that short silence was broken by the cry of the newsboys out in the street-- ”GERMANY ARMING! REPORTED DECLARATION OF WAR!”
CHAPTER x.x.xVIII.