CHAPTER V
"VON BEHRLING HAS THE PACKET"
Bellamy stole along the half-lit corridors of the train until hecame to the coupe which had been reserved for Mademoiselle Idiale.Assured that he was not watched, he softly turned the handle ofthe door and entered. Louise was sitting up in her dressing-gown,drinking her coffee. He held up his finger and she greeted himonly with a nod.
"Forgive me, Louise," he whispered, "I dared not knock, and I wasobliged to see you at once."
She smiled.
"It is of no consequence," she said. "One is always prepared here.The porter, the ticket-man, and at the customs--they all enter.Is anything wrong?"
"It has happened," he answered.
She shivered a little and her face became grave.
"Poor fellow!" she murmured.
"He simply sat still and asked for it," Bellamy declared, stillspeaking in a cautious undertone. "He would not be warned. I couldhave saved him, if any one could, but he would not hear reason."
"He was what you call pig-headed," she remarked.
"He has paid the penalty," Bellamy continued. "Now listen to me,Louise. I got into that small coupe next to Von Behrling's, and Ifeel sure, from what I overheard, that they will go on to London,all three of them."
"Who is there on the train?" she demanded.
"Baron Streuss, who is head of the Secret Police, Von Behrling andAdolf Kahn," Bellamy answered. "Then there are four or five SecretService men of the rank and file, but they are all travelingseparately. Von Behrling has the packet. The others form a sortof cordon around him."
"But why," she asked, "does he go on to London? Why not return toVienna?"
"For one thing," Bellamy replied, with a grim smile, "they areafraid of me. Then you must remember that this affair of Dorwardwill be talked about. They do not want to seem in any wayimplicated. To return from any one of these stations down the linewould create suspicion."
She nodded.
"Well?"
"I am going to leave the train at the next stop," he continued. "Ifind that I shall just catch the Northern Express to Berlin. Fromthere I shall come on to London as quickly as I can. You know theaddress of my rooms?"
She nodded.
"15, Fitzroy Street."
"When I get there, let me have a line waiting to tell me where Ican see you. While I am on the train you will find Von Behrlingalmost inaccessible. Directly I have gone it will be different.Play with him carefully. He should not be difficult. To tell youthe truth, I am rather surprised that he has been trusted upon amission like this. He was in disgrace with the Chancellor a shortwhile ago, and I know that he was hurt at not being allowed toattend the conference. The others will watch him closely, butthey cannot overhear everything that passes between you two. VonBehrling is a poor man. You will know how to make him wish he wererich."
Very slowly her eyebrows rose up. She looked at him doubtfully.
"It is a slender chance, David," she remarked. "Von Behrling is alittle wild, I know, and he pretends to be very much in love withme, but I do not think that he would sell his country. Then, too,see how he will be watched. I do not suppose that they will leaveus alone for a moment."
Bellamy took her hands in his, gripping them with almost unnaturalforce.
"Louise," he declared earnestly, "you don't quite realize VonBehrling's special weakness and your extraordinary strength. Youknow that you are beautiful, I suppose, but you do not quite knowwhat that means. I have heard men talk about you till one wouldthink that they were children. You have something of that art orguile--call it what you will--which passes from you through aman's blood to his brain, and carries him indeed to Heaven--butcarries him there mad. Louise, don't be angry with me for what Isay. Remember that I know my sex. I know you, too, and I trustyou, but you can turn Von Behrling from a sane, honorable man intowhat you will, without suffering even his lips to touch yourfingers. Von Behrling has that packet in his possession. When Icome to see you in London, I will bring you twenty thousand poundsin Bank of England notes. With that Von Behrling might fancyhimself on his way to America--with you."
She closed her eyes for a moment. Perhaps she wished to keep hiddenfrom him the thoughts which chased one another through her brain.He wished to make use of her--of her, the woman whom he loved.Then she remembered that it was for her country and his, and theanger passed.
"But I am afraid," she said softly, "that the moment they reachLondon this document will be taken to the Austrian Embassy."
"Before then," Bellamy declared, "Von Behrling must not know whetherhe is in heaven or upon earth. It will not be opened in London.He can make up another packet to resemble precisely the one of whichhe robbed Dorward. Oh! it is a difficult game, I know, but it isworth playing. Remember, Louise, that we are not petty conspirators.It is your country's very existence that is threatened. It is forher sake as well as for England."
"I shall do my best," she murmured, looking into his face. "Oh,you may be sure that I shall do my best!"
Bellamy raised her fingers to his lips and stole away. The electriclamps had been turned out, but the morning was cloudy and the lightdim. Back in his own berth, he put his things together, ready toleave at Munich. Then he rang for the porter.
"I am getting out at the next stop," he announced.
"Very good, Monsieur," the man answered.
Bellamy looked at him closely.
"You are a Frenchman?"
"It is so, Monsieur!"
"I may be wrong," Bellamy continued slowly, "but I believe that ifI asked you a question and it concerned some Germans and Austriansyou would tell me the truth."
The man's gesture was inimitable. Englishmen to him were obviouslythe salt of the earth. Germans and Austrians--why, they existedas the cattle in the fields--nothing more. Bellamy gave him asovereign.
"There were three Austrians who got in at Vienna," he said. "Theyare in numbers ten and eleven."
"But yes, Monsieur!" the man assented. "As yet I think they arefast asleep. Not one of them has rung for his coffee."
"Where are they booked for?"
"For London, Monsieur."
"You do not happen," Bellamy continued, "to have heard them sayanything about leaving the train before then?"
"On the contrary, sir," the porter answered, "two of the gentlemenhave been inquiring about the boat across to Dover. They were veryanxious to travel by a turbine."
Bellamy nodded.
"Thank you very much. You will be so discreet as to forget that Ihave asked you any questions concerning them. As for me, if onewould know, I am on my way to Berlin."
The bell rang. The man looked outside and put his head once morein Bellamy's coupe.
"It is one of the gentleman who has rung," he declared. "Ifanything is said about leaving the train, I shall report it at onceto Monsieur."
"You will do well," Bellamy answered.
The porter returned in a few moments.
"Two of the gentlemen, sir," he announced, "are undressed and intheir pyjamas. They have ordered their breakfast to be served afterwe leave Munich."
Bellamy nodded.
"Further, sir," the man continued, coming a little closer, "one ofthem asked me whether the English gentleman--meaning you--wasgoing through to London or not. I told them that you were gettingout at the next station and that I thought you were going to Berlin."
"Quite right," Bellamy said. "If they ask any more questions, letme know."
Mademoiselle Idiale, with the aid of one of the two maids who weretraveling with her, was able to make a sufficiently effectivetoilette. At a few minutes before the time for luncheon, she walkeddown the corridor and recognized Von Behrling, who was sitting withhis companions in one of the compartments.
"Ah, it is indeed you, then!" she exclaimed, smiling at him.
He rose to his feet and came out. Tall, with a fair moustache andblue eyes, he was often taken for an Englishman and was incl
ined tobe proud of the fact.
"You have rested well, I trust, Mademoiselle?" he asked, bowing lowover her fingers.
"Excellently," replied Louise. "Will you not take me in to luncheon?The car is full of men and I am not comfortable alone. It is notpleasant, either, to eat with one's maids."
"I am honored," he declared. "Will you permit me for one moment?"
He turned and spoke to his companions. Louise saw at once that theywere protesting vigorously. She saw, too, that Von Behrling onlybecame more obstinate and that he was very nearly angry. She moveda few steps on down the corridor, and stood looking out of thewindow. He joined her almost immediately.
"Come," he said, "they will be serving luncheon in five minutes.We will go and take a good place."
"Your friends, I am afraid," she remarked, "did not like yourleaving them. They are not very gallant."
"To me it is indifferent," he answered, fiercely twirling hismoustache. "Streuss there is an old fool. He has always somefancy in his brain."
Louise raised her eyebrows slightly.
"You are your own master, I suppose," she said. "The Baron isused to command his policemen, and sometimes he forgets. There aremany people who find him too autocratic."
"He means well," Von Behrling asserted. "It is his manner onlywhich is against him."
They found a comfortable table, and she sat smiling at him acrossthe white cloth.
"If this is not Sachers," she said, "it is at least more pleasantthan lunching alone."
"I can assure you, Mademoiselle," he declared, with a vigoroustwirl of his moustache, "that I find it so."
"Always gallant," she murmured. "Tell me, is it true of you--thenews which I heard just before I left Vienna? Have you reallyresigned your post with the Chancellor?"
"You heard that?" he asked slowly.
She hesitated for a moment.
"I heard something of the sort," she admitted. "To be quite candidwith you, I think it was reported that the Chancellor was making achange on his own account."
"So that is what they say, is it? What do they know about it--thesegossipers?"
"You were not allowed at the conference yesterday," she remarked.
"No one was allowed there, so that goes for nothing."
"Ah! well," she said, looking meditatively out upon the landscape,"a year ago the thought of that conference would have driven mewild. I should not have been content until I had learned somehowor other what had transpired. Lately, I am afraid, my interest inmy country seems to have grown a trifle cold. Perhaps because Ihave lived in Vienna I have learned to look at things from yourpoint of view. Then, too, the world is a selfish place, and our ownlittle careers are, after all, the most important part of it."
Von Behrling eyed her Curiously.
"It seems strange to hear you talk like this," he remarked.
She looked out of the window for a moment.
"Oh! I still love my country, in a way," she answered, "and I stillhate all Austrians, in a way, but it is not as it used to be withme, I must admit. If we had two lives, I would give one to mycountry and keep one for myself. Since we have only one, I amafraid, after all, that I am human, and I want to taste some of itspleasures."
"Some of its pleasures," Von Behrling repeated, a little gloomily."Ah, that is easy enough for you, Mademoiselle!"
"Not so easy as it may appear," she answered. "One needs manythings to get the best out of life. One needs wealth and one needslove, and one needs them while one is young, while one can enjoy."
"It is true," Von Behrling admitted,--"quite true."
"If one is not careful," she continued, "one lets the years slip by.They can never come again. If one does not live while one is young,there is no other chance."
Von Behrling assented with renewed gloom. He was twenty-five yearsold, and his income barely paid for his uniforms. Of late, thisfact had materially interfered with his enjoyments.
"It is strange," he said, "that you should talk like this. You havethe world at your feet, Mademoiselle. You have only to throw thehandkerchief."
Her lips parted in a dazzling smile. The bluest eyes in the worldgrew softer as they looked into his. Von Behrling felt his cheeksburn.
"My friend, it is not so easy," she murmured. "Tell me," shecontinued, "why it is that you have so little self-confidence. Isit because you are poor?"
"I am a beggar,"--bitterly.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Well," she said, glancing down the menu which the waiter had brought,"if you are poor and content to remain so, one must presume that youhave compensations."
"But I have none!" he declared. "You should know that--you,Mademoiselle. Life for me means one thing and one thing only!"
She looked at him, for a moment, and down upon the tablecloth. VonBehrling shook like a man in the throes of some great passion.
"We talk too intimately," she whispered, as the people began to filein to take their places. "After luncheon we will take our coffeein my coupe. Then, if you like, we will speak of these matters. Ihave a headache. Will you order me some champagne? It is a terriblething, I know, to drink wine in the morning, but when one travels,what can one do? Here come your bodyguard. They look at me asthough I had stolen you away. Remember we take our coffee togetherafterwards. I am bored with so much traveling, and I look to youto amuse me."
Von Behrling's journey was, after all, marked with sharp contrasts.The kindness of the woman whom he adored was sufficient in itselfto have transported him into a seventh heaven. On the other hand,he had trouble with his friends. Streuss drew him on one side atOstend, and talked to him plainly.
"Von Behrling," he said, "I speak to you on behalf of Kahn andmyself. Wine and women and pleasure are good things. We two, welove them, perhaps, as you do, but there is a place and a time forthem, and it is not now. Our mission is too serious."
"Well, well!" Von Behrling exclaimed impatiently, "what is all this?What do I do wrong? What have you to say against me? If I talkwith Mademoiselle Idiale, it is because it is the natural thing forme to do. Would you have us three--you and Kahn and myself--travelarm in arm and speak never a word to our fellow passengers? Wouldyou have us proclaim to all the world that we are on a secretmission, carrying a secret document, to obtain which we have alreadycommitted a crime? These are old-fashioned methods, Streuss. Itis better that we behave like ordinary mortals. You talk foolishly,Streuss!"
"It is you," the older man declared, "who play the fool, and we willnot have it! Mademoiselle Idiale is a Servian and a patriot. Sheis the friend, too, of Bellamy, the Englishman. She and he weretogether last night."
"Bellamy is not even on the train," Von Behrling protested. "Hewent north to Berlin. That itself is the proof that they knownothing. If he had had the merest suspicion, do you not think thathe would have stayed with us?"
"Bellamy is very clever," Streuss answered. "There are too many ofus to deal with,--he knew that. Mademoiselle Idiale is clever,too. Remember that half the trouble in life has come about throughfalse women.
"What is it that you want?" Von Behrling demanded.
"That you travel the rest of the way with us, and speak no more withMademoiselle."
Von Behrling drew himself up. After all, it was he who was noble;Streuss was little more than a policeman.
"I refuse!" he exclaimed. "Let me remind you, Streuss, that I amin charge of this expedition. It was I who planned it. It was I"--hedropped his voice and touched his chest--"who struck thefirst blow for its success. I think that we need talk no more," hewent on. "I welcome your companionship. It makes for strengththat we travel together. But for the rest, the enterprise has beenmine, the success so far has been mine, and the termination of itshall be mine. Watch me, if you like. Stay with me and see thatI am not robbed, if you fear that I am not able to take care ofmyself, but do not ask me to behave like an idiot."
Von Behrling stepped away quickly. The siren
was already blowingfrom the steamer.