CHAPTER VIII.
LEARNING THE PART.
It was nearly eleven the next morning by the time Arnold and Colstonhad finished breakfast. This was mostly due to the fact that Arnoldhad passed an almost entirely sleepless night, and had only begun todoze off towards morning. The events of the previous evening kept onrepeating themselves in various sequences time after time, until hisbrain reeled in the whirl of emotions that they gave rise to.
Although of a strongly mathematical and even mechanical turn of mind,the young engineer was also an enthusiast, and therefore there was astrong colouring of romance in his nature which lifted him far abovethe level upon which his mere intellect was accustomed to work.
Where intellect alone was concerned--as, for instance, in the workingout of a problem in engineering or mechanics--he was cool,calculating, and absolutely unemotional. His highly-disciplined mindwas capable of banishing every other subject from consideration savethe one which claimed the attention of the hour, and of incorporatingitself wholly with the work in hand until it was finished.
These qualities would have been quite sufficient to assure hissuccess in life on conventional lines. They would have made him rich,and perhaps famous, but they would never have made him a greatinventor; for no one can do anything really great who is not adreamer as well as a worker.
It was because he was a dreamer that he had sacrificed everything tothe working out of his ideal, and risked his life on the chance ofsuccess, and it was for just the same reason that the tremendouspurposes of the Brotherhood had been able to fire his imaginationwith luridly brilliant dreams of a gigantic world-tragedy in whichhe, armed with almost supernatural powers, should play the centralpart.
This of itself would have been enough to make all otherconsiderations of trivial moment in his eyes, and to bind himirrevocably to the Brotherhood. He saw, it is true, that a frightfulamount of slaughter and suffering would be the price either ofsuccess or failure in so terrific a struggle; but he also knew thatthat struggle was inevitable in some form or other, and whether hetook a part in it or not.
But since the last sun had set a new element had come into his life,and was working in line with both his imagination and his ambition.So far he had lived his life without any other human love than whatwas bound up with his recollections of his home and his boyhood. As aman he had never loved any human being. Science had been his onlymistress, and had claimed his undivided devotion, engrossing his mindand intellect completely, but leaving his heart free.
And now, as it were in an instant, a new mistress had come forwardout of the unknown. She had put her hand upon his heart, and, thoughno words of human speech had passed between them, save the merestcommonplaces, her soul had said to his, "This is mine. I have calledit into life, and for me it shall live until the end."
He had heard this as plainly as though it had been said to him withthe lips of flesh, and he had acquiesced in the imperious claim witha glad submission which had yet to be tinged with the hope that itmight some day become a mastery.
Thus, as the silent, sleepless hours went by, did he review over andover again the position in which he found himself on the threshold ofhis strange new life, until at last physical exhaustion brought sleepto his eyes if not to his brain, and he found himself flying over thehills and vales of dreamland in his air-ship, with the roar of battleand the smoke of ruined towns far beneath him, and Natasha at hisside, sharing with him the dominion of the air that his genius hadwon.
At length Colston came in to tell him that the breakfast wasspoiling, and that it was high time to get up if they intended to bein time for their appointment at Chelsea. This brought him out of bedwith effective suddenness, and he made a hasty toilet for breakfast,leaving more important preparations until afterwards.
During the meal their conversation naturally turned chiefly on thevisit that they were to pay, and Colston took the opportunity ofexplaining one or two things that it was necessary for him to knowwith regard to the new acquaintance that he was about to make atChelsea.
"So far as the outside world is concerned," said he, "Natasha is theniece of the Princess Ornovski. She is the daughter of a sister ofhers, who married an English gentleman, named Darrel, who was drownedwith his wife about twelve years ago, when the _Albania_ was wreckedoff the coast of Portugal. The Princess had a sister, who was drownedwith her husband in the _Albania_, and she left a daughter aboutNatasha's then age, but who died of consumption shortly after inNice.
"Under these circumstances, it was, of course, perfectly easy for thePrincess to adopt Natasha, and introduce her into Society as herniece as soon as she reached the age of coming out.
"This has been of immense service to the Brotherhood, as the Princessis, as I told you, one of the most implicitly trusted allies of thePetersburg police. She is received at the Russian Court, and istherefore able to take Natasha into the best Russian Society, whereher extraordinary beauty naturally enables her to break as manyhearts as she likes, and to learn secrets which are of the greatestimportance to the Brotherhood.
"Her Society name is Fedora Darrel, and it will scarcely be necessaryto tell you that outside our own Circle no such being as Natasha hasany existence."
"I perfectly understand," replied Arnold. "The name shall never passmy lips save in privacy, and indeed it is hardly likely that it willever do so even then, for your habit of calling each other by yourChristian names is too foreign to my British insularity."
"It is a Russian habit, as you, of course, know, and added to that,we are, so far as the Cause is concerned, all brothers and sisterstogether, and so it comes natural to us. Anyhow, you will have to useit with Natasha, for in the Circle she has no other name, and to callher Miss Darrel there would be to produce something like anearthquake."
"Oh, in that case, I daresay I shall be able to avoid the calamity,though there will seem to be a presumption about it that will notmake me very comfortable at first."
"Too much like addressing one's sweetheart, eh?"
This brought the conversation to a sudden stop, for Arnold's onlyreply to it was a quick flush, and a lapse into silence that was agood deal more eloquent than any verbal reply could have been.Colston noticed it with a smile, and got up and lit a pipe.
For the first time for a good few years Arnold took considerablepains with his toilet that morning. A new fit-out had just beendelivered by a tailor who had promised the things within twenty-fourhours, and had kept his word. The consequences were that he was ableto array himself in perfect morning costume, from his hat to hisboots, and that was what it had not been his to do since he leftcollege.
Colston had recommended him in his easy friendly way to payscrupulous attention to externals in the part that he wouldhenceforth have to play before the world. He fully saw the wisdom ofthis advice, for he knew that, however well a part may be played, ifit is not dressed to perfection, some sharp eyes will see that it isa part and not a reality.
The playing of his part was to begin that day, and he recognised thatat least one of the purposes of his visit to Natasha was thedetermining of what that part was to be. He thus looked forward withno little curiosity to the events of the afternoon, quite apart fromthe supreme interest that centred in his hostess.
They started out nearly a couple of hours before they were due atCheyne Walk, as they had several orders to give with regard toArnold's outfit for the journey that was before him; and this done,they reached the house about a quarter of an hour before lunch time.
They were received in the most delightful of sitting-rooms by a veryhandsome, aristocratic-looking woman, who might have been anywherebetween forty and fifty. She shook hands very cordially with Arnold,saying as she did so--
"Welcome, Richard Arnold! The friends of the Cause are mine, and Ihave heard much about you already from Natasha, so that I alreadyseem to know you. I am very sorry that I was not able to be at theCircle last night to see what you had to show. Natasha tells me thatit is quite a miracle of genius."
"She is too generous in her praise," replied Arnold, speaking asquietly as he could in spite of the delight that the words gave him."It is no miracle, but only the logical result of thought and work.Still, I hope that it will be found to realise its promise when thetime of trial comes."
"Of that I have no doubt, from all that I hear," said the Princess."Before long I shall hope to see it for myself. Ah, here is Natasha.Come, I must introduce you afresh, for you do not know her yet as theworld knows her."
Arnold heard the door open behind him as the Princess spoke, and,turning round, saw Natasha coming towards him with her handoutstretched and a smile of welcome on her beautiful face. Beforetheir hands met the Princess moved quietly between them and said,half in jest and half in earnest--
"Fedora, permit me to present to you Mr. Richard Arnold, who is toaccompany us to Russia to inspect the war-balloon offered to ourLittle Father the Tsar. Mr. Arnold, my niece, Fedora Darrel. There,now you know each other."
"I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr. Arnold," said Natasha,with mock gravity as they shook hands. "I have heard much already ofyour skill in connection with aerial navigation, and I have no doubtbut that your advice will be of the greatest service to his Majesty."
"That is as it may be," answered Arnold, at once entering into thesomewhat grim humour of the situation. "But if it is possible Ishould like to hear something a little definite as to this missionwith which I have been, I fear, undeservingly honoured. I have beenvery greatly interested in the problem of aerial navigation for someyears past, but I must confess that this is the first I have heard ofthese particular war-balloons."
"It is for the purpose of enlightening you on that subject that thislittle party has been arranged," said the Princess, turning for themoment away from Colston, with whom she was talking earnestly in alow tone. "Ha! There goes the lunch-bell. Mr. Colston, your arm.Fedora, will you show Mr. Arnold the way?"
Arnold opened the door for the Princess to go out, and then followedwith Natasha on his arm. As they went out, she said in a low tone tohim--
"I think, if you don't mind, you had better begin at once to call meMiss Darrel, so as to get into the way of it. A slip might beserious, you know."
"Your wishes are my laws, Miss Darrel," replied he, the name slippingas easily off his tongue as if he had known her by it for months. Itmay have been only fancy on his part, he thought he felt just thelightest imaginable pressure on his arm as he spoke. At any rate, hewas vain enough or audacious enough to take the impression for areality, and walked the rest of the way to the dining-room on air.
The meal was dainty and perfectly served, but there were no servantspresent, for obvious reasons, and so they waited on themselves.Colston sat opposite the Princess and carved the partridges, whileArnold was _vis-a-vis_ to Natasha, a fact which had a perceptibleeffect upon his appetite.
"Now," said the Princess, as soon as every one was helped, "I willenlighten you, Mr. Arnold, as to your mission to Russia. One part ofthe business, I presume, you are already familiar with?"
Arnold bowed his assent, and she went on--
"Then the other is easily explained. Interested as you are in thequestion, I suppose there is no need to tell you that for severalyears past the Tsar has had an offer open to all the world of amillion sterling for a vessel that will float in the air, and becapable of being directed in its course as a ship at sea can bedirected."
"Yes, I am well aware of the fact. Pray proceed." As he said thisArnold glanced across the table at Natasha, and a swift smile and aflash from her suddenly unveiled eyes told him that she, too, wasthinking of how the world's history might have been altered had theTsar's million been paid for his invention. Then the Princess wenton--
"Well, through a friend at the Russian Embassy, I have learnt that aFrench engineer has, as he says, perfected a balloon constructed on anew principle, which he claims will meet the conditions of the Tsar'soffer.
"My friend also told me that his Majesty had decided to take anentirely disinterested opinion with regard to this invention, andasked me if I could recommend any English engineer who had made astudy of aerial navigation, and who would be willing to go to Russia,superintend the trials of the war-balloon, and report as to theirsuccess or otherwise.
"This happened a few days ago only, and as I had happened to read anarticle that you will remember you wrote about six months ago in the_Nineteenth_, or, as it is now called, the _Twentieth Century_, Ithought of your name, and said I would try to find some one. Two dayslater I got news from the Circle of your invention--never mind how;you will learn that later on--and called at the Embassy to say I hadfound some one whose judgment could be absolutely relied upon. Now,wasn't that kind of me, to give you such a testimonial as that to hisOmnipotence the Tsar of All the Russias?"
Once more Arnold bowed his acknowledgments--this time somewhatironically, and Natasha interrupted the narrative by saying with aspice of malice in her voice--
"No doubt the Little Father will duly recognise your kindness,Princess, when he gets quite to the bottom of the matter."
"I hope he will," replied the Princess, "but that is a matter of thefuture--and of considerable doubt as well." Then, turning to Arnoldagain, she continued--
"You will now, of course, see the immense advantage there appeared tobe in getting you to examine these war-balloons. They are evidentlythe only possible rivals to your own invention in the field, andtherefore it is of the utmost importance that you should know theirstrength or their weakness, as the case may be.
"Well, that is all I have to say, so far. It has been decided thatyou shall go, if you are willing, with us to Petersburg the day afterto-morrow to see the balloon, and make your report. All your expenseswill be paid on the most liberal scale, for the Tsar is no niggard inspending either his own or other people's money, and you will have ahandsome fee into the bargain for your trouble."
"So far as the work is concerned, of course, I undertake itwillingly," said Arnold, as the Princess stopped speaking. "But ithardly seems to me to be right that I should take even the Tsar'smoney under such circumstances. To tell you the truth, it looks to merather uncomfortably like false pretences."
Again Natasha's eyes flashed approval across the table, butnevertheless she said--
"You seem to forget, my friend, that we are at war with the Tsar, andall's fair in--in love and war. Besides, if you have any scruplesabout keeping the fee for your professional services--which, afterall, you will render as honestly as though it were the merest matterof business--you can put it into the treasury, and so ease yourconscience. Remember, too," she went on more seriously, "how theenormous wealth of this same Tsar has swollen by the confiscation offortunes whose possessors had committed no other crime than becomingobnoxious to the corrupt bureaucracy."
"I will take the fee if I fairly earn it, Miss Darrel," repliedArnold, returning the glance as he spoke, "and it shall be my firstcontribution to the treasury of the Brotherhood."
"Spoken like a sensible man," chimed in the Princess. "After all, itis no worse than spoiling the Egyptians, and you have scripturalauthority for that. However, you can do as you like with hisMajesty's money when you get it. The main fact is that you have theopportunity of going to earn it, and that Colonel Martinov is cominghere to tea this afternoon to bring our passports, speciallyauthorising us to travel without customs examination or any kind ofquestioning to any part of the Tsar's dominions, and that, I canassure you, is a very exceptional honour indeed."
"Who did you say? Martinov? Is that the Colonel Martinov who is thedirector of the secret police here?" asked Colston hurriedly.
"Yes," replied the Princess, "the same. Why do you ask?"
"Because," said Colston quietly, "he received the sentence of deathnearly a month ago, and to-morrow night he will be executed, unlessthere is some accident. It was he who stood with the governor ofBrovno in the prison-yard and watched Radna Michaelis flogged by thesoldiers. I received news this morning that the arrangements arecomple
te, and that the sentence will be carried out to-morrow night."
"Yes, that is so," added Natasha, as Colston ceased speaking."Everything is settled. It is therefore well that he should dosomething useful before he meets his fate."
"How curious that it should just happen so!" said the Princesscalmly, as she rose from the table and moved towards the doorfollowed by Natasha.
As soon as the ladies had left the room, Colston and Arnold lit theircigarettes and chatted while they smoked over their last glass ofclaret. Arnold would have liked to have asked more about the comingtragedy, but something in Colston's manner restrained him; and so theconversation remained on the subject of the Russian journey untilthey returned to the sitting-room.