CHAPTER XVII
M. NICOL HENDRY
Franklin Marmion sat down and began to think the situation over. It wasnot an easy one, for, as it appeared to him, it would be very difficult,if not impossible, for Nitocris and himself to help in the elucidationof the Zastrow mystery, and the prevention of any European complicationsthat might arise out of it, on both the higher and the lower planes ofexistence. Of course, it would have been perfectly easy to do so in onesense, for now, practically nothing in human affairs was impossible ofachievement to them; but, on the other hand, it would never do to allowpeople on the lower plane to become aware of their extra-human powers.This was out of the question for many reasons, not the least of whichwas that they had their lives to live under the ordinary conditions oftime and space and among their fellow-mortals, every one of whom wouldshun them in fear, perhaps even horror, if they knew their secret. What,for instance, would happen to Nitocris in her temporal state if evenonly Merrill came to know it? No, the idea was certainly beyond thepossibility of consideration.
At the same time, it was to some extent necessary that they should workon both planes if they were to reap the full advantage of their recentlyacquired powers, and out of this dilemma there appeared to be only oneway open to the Professor: he must have the assistance of others to doon the lower plane the work that he would, as it were, direct from thehigher. The question was, who? Obviously it must be some one upon whosediscretion absolute reliance could be placed. He must be highly skilledin police work, and have a reputation to enhance or lose as the resultmight decide. Suddenly a name occurred to him. A short time ago hisfriend the President had been telling him the inner story of a veryintricate case which had involved a scandal of two Courts. Only the mostmeagre details had obviously been permitted to appear in the papers, butHis Lordship had told him that it had been solved and settled almostentirely by the skill and diplomacy of a M. Nicol Hendry, who held thelittle advertised but highly responsible position of Head of the EnglishDepartment of the International Police Bureau.
"That's the very man," he said, "the very man, and I shouldn't wonder ifhe's engaged on this particular case. It's too late to wire, and,besides, that would look suspicious. I could telephone to Scotland Yard,but I don't want even the police to know I want him until I've seen him.No, I'll write a note: it will go by the early post, and no one willknow where it comes from."
Just as lunch was over the next day the front door bell tingled, andpresently the parlour-maid knocked, and came in with a card on a silversalver:
"I have shown the gentleman into the drawing-room, sir. He says that hehas an appointment with you for half-past two."
"Very well: I will be up in a moment, Annie." Then, as she closed thedoor, he gave Nitocris the card, and continued: "Our ally on the lowerplane that may be. You say you wouldn't care to be present and help mewith your opinion?"
"Oh no, Dad. I don't want any one to know that I am taking any part inthis little adventure. But if you will introduce him afterwards, I'lltell you what I think. You know, women generally judge other people thatway."
"Very well," laughed her father, as he turned to the door, "that will bebest. If everything goes right and I think I can work with him, I shallbring him upstairs and you can give him a cup of tea. If I don't, youwill know that he won't do."
"Good-bye, then, for the present," she smiled, "and don't frighten thepoor man, if you can help it. I dare say he's only an exaggeratedpoliceman, after all."
But it was a very different sort of person whom Franklin Marmion greetedin the drawing-room. M. Nicol Hendry was a slimly but strongly-built manof about forty. His high, somewhat narrow forehead was framed withclose-cut, crinkly, reddish-brown hair. Under well-defined browneyebrows shone a pair of alert steel-grey eyes of almost startlingbrilliancy. His nose was a trifle long and slightly aquiline. Acarefully-trained golden-brown moustache half-concealed firm, thinly-cutlips, and a closely-trimmed, pointed beard just revealed the strength ofthe chin beneath. He was dressed in a dark grey frock-coat suit, andwore a pinky-red wild rose, which he had plucked on the Common, in hisbutton-hole. As he shook hands with him the Professor made a mental noteof him as an embodiment of strength, keenness, and quiet inflexibility:a summing-up which was pretty near the truth.
"Good afternoon, M. Hendry," he said, as the hands and eyes met.
"Good afternoon, Professor," returned the other in a gentle voice, andalmost perfect English. "May I ask to what happy circumstance--at least,I hope it is a happy one--I owe the honour of making the acquaintance ofthe gentleman who has succeeded in mystifying all the mathematicians ofEurope?"
"Well," said Franklin Marmion with a smile, "I don't know whether thereis so very much honour about that, but I do know that your time is veryvaluable and that I have already taken up a good deal of it by bringingyou all the way out here, so I will come to the point at once. But waita moment. Come down into my study. We can talk more comfortably there."When the Professor had given his guest a cigar and lit his pipe, hesaid quite abruptly: "It is about the Zastrow affair."
If he had said it was about the last Grand Ducal plot in the Peterhof,M. Hendry could not have been inwardly more astonished. Outwardly theProfessor might have mentioned the last commonplace murder. Only hiseyelids lifted a little as he replied:
"Ah, indeed? Well, really, Professor, you must forgive me for sayingthat that is about the very last matter I should have expected you tohave brought up. All the world knows you as one of its mostdistinguished men of science, now, of course, more distinguished thanever; but I hardly think any one would have expected you to interestyourself in political mysteries. I have a recollection of hearing orreading somewhere that politics were your pet aversion."
"So they are," replied Franklin Marmion, with a short laugh. "I considerordinary politics--juggling with phrases to delude the ignorance andflatter the prejudices of the mob, and bartering principles for placeand power--to be about the most contemptible vocation a man can descendto, but those are low politics in more senses than one. Now highpolitics, as a psychological study, to an outsider are a very differentmatter. But I am digressing. I did not invite you here to discusstrivialities like these. I want to ask you--of course, you will notanswer me unless you like--whether you are connected, professionally orotherwise, with the Zastrow affair?"
M. Hendry looked down at the toes of his perfectly-shaped boots for amoment or two. Then he raised his head and said good-humouredly:
"Professor, I know that there is no more honourable man in the worldthan you, but even from you I must ask frankly your reasons for askingthat question?"
"You have a perfect right to do that, my dear sir," was the quiet reply."If you say 'yes,' I am anxious to help you: if you say 'no,' I shouldlike you to help me: if you don't care to answer, there is an end of thematter. Those are my reasons."
It took a good deal to astonish Nicol Hendry, but he was considerablyastonished now. Yet it was impossible to have the remotest doubt ofFranklin Marmion's absolute earnestness. But why should he of all men onearth want to unravel the Zastrow mystery? What interest save the merestcuriosity could he have in the matter? And yet he was by no means thesort of man to be merely curious. The very strangeness of hisproposition half-convinced him that there must be some other very strongreason underlying those which he had given. Again, he was to beperfectly trusted, so no harm could be done trying to discover if thiswas so, since if he could help he would do so loyally. So he told him.
"Yes, Professor," he said, looking keenly into his eyes, "I aminterested in the _affaire_, professionally interested, and, I may add,very deeply interested, to boot."
"I am glad to hear that," said Franklin Marmion with unexpectedearnestness. "Now, the next question is: Will you accept my assistance,whatever it may be, under my own conditions, which are these: No one butyourself shall know that I am helping you, and you yourself will not askme how I help you."
Once more a puzzle. Nicol Hendry thought for a few seconds before herepl
ied slowly:
"Yes, Professor. As long as you do help us I don't care either why orhow, for, as I may now be quite frank with you, we certainly want helpof some sort very badly. The papers are quite right for once. Neitherhere nor on the Continent have we found a single clue worth picking up.It is humiliating, but it is true."
"Then before you go I hope I shall be able to give you some that will beworth picking up, and keeping too," said the scientist with a faintsmile; "at any rate, I think I can put you upon certain lines of enquirywhich you will find it profitable to trace out."
Nicol Hendry was an ambitious man, and he would have given a good dealto have known what was passing in the other's mind just then, but hisexpression betrayed nothing more than interested anticipation.
"We shall be entirely grateful to you if you will, Professor," hemurmured.
"I have no doubt of that, my dear sir. Now, to begin with: I presumethat there are photographs of the persons mentioned in the newspapersas being in the Castle of Trelitz with the Prince on the last day thathe was known to be there?"
"Certainly; we should scarcely leave a simple preliminary like thatneglected," smiled Nicol Hendry. "With the exception of the FraueleinHulda von Tyssen, the Princess' Lady of the Bedchamber, all have beenphotographed for publication, and hers we have got through a privatesource. The Chief of each of our Departments has a copy of them, and Ihappen to have mine in my pocket now, if you would like to see them. ThePrincess, of course, you must have seen. She is in every photographer'swindow in the West End."
"Oh yes, I have seen her. Who has not? She is a singularly beautifulwoman. But I should very much like to see the others, if I may."
The Chef de Bureau looked at him sharply as he took a small squaremorocco case out of his inner pocket and opened it. Going to a littletable he spread out five small unmounted photographs upon it. He put twoof them on one side, saying:
"Those, of course, you know; they are the Prince and Princess. This oneis Count Ulik von Kessner, High Chamberlain of Boravia; this, CaptainAlexis Vollmar; and this is Frauelein von Tyssen."
Franklin Marmion looked at them with much more than ordinary interest,for he recognised all five as clearly as though he had just left them inhis own dining-room.
"There are no suspicions attaching to any of these people, I suppose?"he said carelessly.
"My dear Professor," replied Nicol Hendry a little coldly, "those whowrite stories about our profession always say that it is our invariablerule to suspect everybody, but we have a little common-sense, and weknow the records of these ladies and gentlemen in the minutest detailfrom the Prince himself to Frauelein Hulda. We have not the slightestreason to suspect any of them."
"Ah, just so," said the other musingly; "no, of course you wouldn'thave, and, unfortunately, I cannot tell you why you should. But I'lltell you this: if you ever do find cause to suspect any of thesepersons, you will find that this group is not complete. It ought tocontain the photograph of Prince Oscar Oscarovitch."
"Prince Oscar Oscarovitch!" exclaimed Nicol Hendry, staring at him thistime with wide-open eyes. "Why on earth should you----"
"Pardon me, my dear sir," interrupted Franklin Marmion gently, "rememberthat you are not supposed to care anything about the why or the how. Ihave already explained that I cannot explain."
"A thousand pardons, Professor. I don't often forget myself, but I didthen. You took me so utterly by surprise."
"I fancy that you will be a good deal more surprised before you havecome to the end of this affair," was the smiling but almost exasperatingreply; "but, as I implied, I can only give you clues. I cannot eventell you how I get them, and it is for you to follow them or not as yourjudgment dictates. Now, here are one or two to go on with. Try and findout whether or not there was a four-funnelled Russian destroyer anywherein the neighbourhood of Trelitz on the night of the 6th. Trace asclosely as you can the movements of Prince Oscarovitch on that and thetwo preceding days. Try and find out whether or not a large closedchariot something like a barouche, drawn by four black horses, went fromanywhere in the direction of the Castle on that day. And lastly, keep avery close eye upon the Egyptian Adept, as he calls himself--his name isPhadrig Amena--who worked those alleged miracles at my daughter'sgarden-party the other day. The Prince practically invited himself, andbrought this fellow with him. If you can find out the true relationshipbetween them I think you will have found out enough to keep you ratherbusy for the present. If you do think anything of these little pointsand examine them, let me know how you get on. We are going abroad for abit of a holiday, but I will send you my address every now and then.Now, let us go back into the drawing-room, and my daughter will give ussome tea."
When Nicol Hendry left "The Wilderness" that afternoon he was about themost mystified man in London. After he had gone, Franklin Marmion saidto Nitocris:
"Well, Niti, what do you think of our gimlet-eyed friend? Will he do?"
"Yes, Dad; I like his manner, and he seems very clever in his own way.Quite a gentleman, too," she replied.
"I'm glad you think that," he added; "but what a pity it is that wecould not get the world to accept fourth dimensional evidence withoutturning the said world inside out. We could clear up the whole _affaire_Zastrow in a week then."
"But we shouldn't enjoy our holiday as much, I'm afraid, it would be tooexciting," concluded Nitocris.