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diff --git a/old/66181-0.txt b/old/66181-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8a616c0..0000000 --- a/old/66181-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9337 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Secret History of To-day, by Allen Upward - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Secret History of To-day - Being Revelations of a Diplomatic Spy - -Author: Allen Upward - -Release Date: August 30, 2021 [eBook #66181] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: D A Alexander, John Campbell and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by University - of California libraries) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SECRET HISTORY OF TO-DAY *** - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been - placed at the end of the book. There are only two in this book. - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, - and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. - - Pg vi: ‘William II.’ replaced by ‘Wilhelm II.’. - Pg vii: page no. ‘256’ replaced by ‘254’, and ‘258’ replaced by ‘256’. - Pg 188: ‘William II.’ replaced by ‘Wilhelm II.’. - Pg 303: ‘Guiseppe Sarto’ replaced by ‘Giuseppe Sarto’. - - - - -[Illustration: “The Kaiser was attired in his most magnificent -costume, wearing the famous winged helmet on his head, and surrounded -by a galaxy of ministers and great officers, all arrayed in the -utmost military splendour.”] - - - - - Secret History of - To-Day - - Being Revelations of a Diplomatic Spy - - - By - Allen Upward - - Author of “Secrets of the Courts of Europe” - “Treason,” etc. - - - Illustrated - - - G. P. Putnam’s Sons - New York and London - The Knickerbocker Press - 1904 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - I - PAGE - THE TELEGRAM WHICH BEGAN THE BOER WAR 1 - - - II - - THE BLOWING UP OF THE ‘MAINE’ 31 - - - III - - THE MYSTERY OF CAPTAIN DREYFUS 56 - - - IV - - WHAT WAS BEHIND THE TSAR’S PEACE RESCRIPT 91 - - - V - - WHO REALLY KILLED KING HUMBERT 120 - - - VI - - THE PERIL OF NORWAY 146 - - - VII - - THE RUSE OF THE DOWAGER EMPRESS 170 - - - VIII - - THE ABDICATION OF FRANCIS-JOSEPH 191 - - - IX - - THE DEATH OF QUEEN DRAGA 217 - - - X - - THE POLICY OF EDWARD VII 242 - - - XI - - THE HUMBERT MILLIONS 264 - - - XII - - THE BLACK POPE 288 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - PAGE - “The Kaiser was attired in his most magnificent - costume, wearing the famous winged helmet on his - head, and surrounded by a galaxy of ministers and - great officers, all arrayed in the utmost military - splendour.” _Frontispiece_ - - “A glance at the cheval glass showed me a stiff, - well set-up Prussian official.” 10 - - “‘I have sent for you, in two words, to find out - for me the authorship of this telegram,’ the Kaiser - said.” 12 - - “‘My God!’ he cried out. ‘Who has done this? I shall - be ruined!’” 22 - - “‘We shall find out whether he is a priest,’ was the - retort.” 46 - - “She would talk about her convent.” 48 - - “‘Father Kehler has been good enough to visit a poor - sailor who is lying sick on board,’ he said, in a - tone evidently meant to rebuke my impertinence.” 50 - - “‘As to that--impossible!’ he exclaimed with vigour. - ‘That is our secret--ours, you understand.’” 62 - - “‘Am I under arrest too?’ Prince Pierre demanded - with some indignation.” 72 - - “The Tsar now interposed in a tone of more authority - than I had ventured to hope for. ‘Do you suggest, M. - V----, that the whole staff of the French army are - engaged in a conspiracy to forge documents?’” 88 - - “‘Your Majesty must judge me by what I have - done already. Two days ago you had never heard - my name. Now I am here, alone with you, with a - loaded revolver in my pocket.’ The Sultan started - violently.” 98 - - “It was a singular scene, as I stood there laying - down pile after pile of greasy ten-thousand-rouble - notes on a richly inlaid table.” 106 - - “There at my feet, along the widening valley, lay a - double line of rails, and all across the level space - stretched low banks and ditches--the lines of a vast - encampment, capable of accommodating half a million - men.” 116 - - “I walked past him without a word.” 126 - - “‘I am not under anybody’s orders,’ I said, rising - to my feet.” 130 - - “‘You are free,’ he said briefly. ‘The right man has - been arrested, too late.’” 144 - - “‘Let me see your warrant,’ I said.” 158 - - “He bent forward to listen, and as he did so I - launched my clenched fist at his right temple with - my full force.” 164 - - “I watched the brave monarch read it through from - beginning to end without one manifestation of - dismay.” 168 - - “Finally he turned his back without a word, and - rushed from the room.” 176 - - “Wilhelm II. strode to me, seized me by the - shoulders, and thrust me out of the room.” 188 - - “‘Will you permit me to ask you,’ he said politely, - ‘if you have ever done any business on behalf of the - Emperor of Austria-Hungary?’” 192 - - “The Emperor could not repress a slight start.” 198 - - “I rode right over him.” 212 - - “I took out my loaded revolver, cocked it, and - advanced to the threshold.” 232 - - “Queen Draga cast herself on the inanimate form on - the bed, concealed the face in her arms, and allowed - herself to be stabbed by a dozen bayonets.” 240 - - “‘V----!’ he exclaimed, drawing back as if he had - been stung.” 250 - - “‘Arrest that man!’ the Kaiser commanded, without - giving him time to speak.” 254 - - “‘Now,’ said the Kaiser, stepping close to my side, - ‘tell me the truth--the real truth, mind--and I will - spare your life.’” 256 - - “‘I am going to ask you to undertake a service of an - unusual kind.’” 266 - - “My visitor started as she heard her name, and threw - up her veil with a gesture of astonishment and - indignation.” 274 - - “I was stopped at the barricade by a pompous - sergeant of police.” 280 - - “The chief detective came close up to me, put - his mouth to my ear, and whispered, ‘_Le drapeau - blanc!_’” 284 - - “I found the Cardinal absorbed in the inspection of - his newly arrived treasures.” 296 - - “Saddened and subdued, I quitted the audience - chamber of Pius X.” 306 - - “‘I can only render one more service to your Majesty, - and that is to advise you to make your peace with - the Black Pope.’” 308 - - - - -I - -THE TELEGRAM WHICH BEGAN THE BOER WAR - - -The initials under which I write these confessions are not those of -my real name, which I could not disclose without exposing myself -to the revenge of formidable enemies. As it is, I run a very great -risk in making revelations which affect some of the most powerful -personages now living; and it is only by the exercise of the utmost -discretion that I can hope to avoid giving offence in quarters in -which the slightest disrespect is apt to have serious consequences. - -If I should be found to err on the side of frankness, I can only -plead in excuse that I have never yet betrayed the confidence placed -in me by the various Governments and illustrious families which have -employed me from time to time. The late Prince Bismarck once honoured -me by saying: ‘To tell secrets to Monsieur V---- is like putting them -into a strong box, with the certainty that they will not come out -again until one wants them to.’ - -In these reminiscences it is my object to recount some of the -services I have rendered to civilisation in the course of my career, -while abstaining as far as possible from compromising exalted -individuals or embittering international relations. - -That I am not a man who opens his mouth rashly may be gathered -from the fact that, although at any time during the long struggle -between Briton and Boer for the mastery in South Africa, I might -have completely changed the situation with a word, that word was not -uttered while a single Boer remained under arms. - -In order to explain how I came to be concerned in this affair, I had -better begin by giving a few particulars about myself, and the almost -unique position which I hold among the secret service bureaus of -Europe and America. - -By birth I am a citizen of the United States of America, being the -son of a Polish father, exiled on account of his political opinions, -and a French mother. From my childhood I showed an extraordinary -aptitude for languages, so that there is now scarcely a civilised -country outside Portugal and Scandinavia in which I am not able to -converse with the natives in their own tongue. At the same time, I -was possessed, ever since I can remember, with a passion for intrigue -and mystery. The romances of Gaboriau were the favourite reading of -my boyhood, and it was my ambition to become a famous detective, the -Vidocq of America. - -Fired by these visions, I ran away from the insurance office in which -my parents had placed me, when I was little more than sixteen, and -applied for admission to the ranks of the famous Pinkerton Police. -Although my youth was against me, my phenomenal command of languages -turned the scale in my favour, and I was given a trial. - -Very soon I had opportunities of distinguishing myself in more than -one mission to Europe, on the track of absconding criminals; and in -this way I earned the favourable notice of the heads of the detective -police in London, Paris, Berlin, and other capitals. - -At length, finding that I possessed unique qualifications for -the work of an international secret agent, I decided to quit the -Pinkerton service, and set up for myself, making my headquarters in -Paris. From that day to this I have had no cause to repent of my -audacity. I have been employed at one time or another by nearly every -Government in the world, and my clients have included nearly every -crowned head, from the late Queen Victoria to the Dowager Empress of -China. I have been sent for on the same day by the Ambassadors of two -hostile Powers, each of which desired to employ me against the other. - -On one occasion I acted on behalf of a famous German Chancellor -against his then master, and on another on behalf of the Emperor -against his Chancellor; and neither had cause to complain of my -fidelity. I have been instrumental in freeing a Queen renowned for -her beauty from the persecution of a blackmailer set on by a foreign -court; and I have more than once detected and defeated the plots of -anarchists for the assassination of their rulers. - -In this way it has come about that I enjoy the friendship and -confidence of many illustrious personages, whose names would excite -envy were I at liberty to mention them in these pages; and that few -events of any magnitude happen in any part of the globe without my -being in some measure concerned in them. - -Often, when some great affair has been proceeding, I have felt myself -as occupying the position of the stage manager, who looks on from the -wings, directing the entrances and exits of the gorgeously dressed -performers who engross the attention and applause of the ignorant -spectators on the other side of the footlights. - - * * * * * - -The true story of the famous telegram which may be said to have -rendered the South African War inevitable is one which strikingly -illustrates the extent to which the public may be deceived about the -most important transactions of contemporary history. - -Every one is familiar with the situation created by that celebrated -despatch. For some time previously all England, and, in fact, all -Europe, had been agitated by the intelligence that Johannesburg was -on the eve of insurrection, that the Boers were drawing their forces -together about the doomed city, that Dr. Jameson had dashed across -the frontier with five hundred followers in a mad attempt to come to -the aid of the threatened Outlanders, and that his action had been -formally disavowed by the British Government. - -Close on the heels of these tidings came the memorable day on which -London was cast into gloom by long streams of placards issuing from -the newspaper offices bearing the dismal legend, ‘Jameson Beaten and -a Prisoner!’ - -While the populace were yet reeling under the blow, divided between -distress at this humiliation for the British flag, and indignation -at the criminal recklessness which had staked the country’s honour -on a gambler’s throw, there came the portentous news that the head -of the great German Empire, the grandson of Queen Victoria, had sent -a public message of congratulation to the Boer President, rejoicing -with him in the face of the world over an event which every -Englishman felt as a national disaster. - -That hour registered the doom of the Pretorian Government. Jameson -was scornfully forgotten. The British people, as proud as it is -generous, made up its mind that the forbearance so long extended to -a vassal of its own, could no longer be shown with honour to the -_protégé_ of a mighty European Power. - -On the very day on which this celebrated despatch appeared as the -chief item of news in all the newspapers of the world, I received -an urgent cipher message from the Director of the Imperial Secret -Service, Herr Finkelstein, demanding my presence in Berlin. - -My headquarters, as I have said, are in Paris, and fortunately I -was disengaged when the summons arrived. I had merely to dictate a -few dozen wires to my staff, while my valet was strapping up the -portmanteau which always stands ready packed in my dressing-room, and -to look out my German passport--for I have a separate one for every -important nationality--and in an hour or two I was seated in the -Berlin express, speeding towards the frontier. - -From the bunch of papers which my attentive secretary had thrust into -the carriage, I learned something of the effect which the German -Emperor’s interference in the affairs of South Africa had produced -on the public mind in England. It was evident that the Islanders were -strongly roused, and were preparing to pick up the gage of battle -which had been thrown down. No sooner had I reached German territory -than I found evidences of an even greater excitement. The whole -nation seemed to have rallied round the Kaiser, and to be ready to -back up his words with martial deeds. - -By this time I had little doubt that I had been sent for in -connection with the outbreak of hostile feeling between the two -Powers. But it was impossible for me to anticipate the actual nature -of the task which awaited me. - -On reaching Berlin I was met by a private emissary of Finkelstein’s, -who hurried me off to the Director’s private house. The first words -with which he greeted me convinced me that the business I had come -about was of no ordinary kind. - -‘Do not sit down,’ he said to me, as I was about to drop into a -chair, after shaking hands with him. ‘I must ask you to come to my -dressing-room at once, where you will transform yourself as quickly -as possible into an officer of the Berlin Police. The moment that is -done, I am to conduct you to the Palace, where his Majesty will see -you alone.’ - -As I followed the Director into the dressing-room, where I found a -uniform suit laid out ready for my wearing, I naturally asked: ‘Can -you tell me what this is about?’ - -Finkelstein shook his head with a mysterious air. - -‘The Kaiser has told me nothing. But he warned me very strictly not -to let a single creature in Berlin know of your arrival, and from -that fact I have naturally drawn certain conclusions.’ - -I gazed at Finkelstein with some suspicion. We were good friends, -having worked together on more than one occasion, and I knew he would -have no wish to keep me in the dark. On the other hand, if he had -been instructed to do so, I knew he would not hesitate to lie to me. -The secret service has its code of honour, like other professions, -and fidelity to one’s employer comes before friendship. - -Keeping my eye fixed on him, I observed carelessly-- - -‘You will tell me just as much or as little as you think fit, my -dear Finkelstein. On my part I shall, of course, exercise a similar -discretion after his Imperial Majesty has given me my instructions.’ - -As I expected, the bait took. Curiosity is the besetting weakness of -a secret service officer, and the Berlin Director was no exception -to the rule. Putting on his most confidential manner, he at once -replied-- - -‘My dear V----, if you and I do not trust each other, whom can we -trust? Rest assured that my confidence in you has no reserves. I -have spoken the bare truth in saying that the Kaiser has given me no -indication of his object in sending for you. But the fact that he -has ordered me to take these precautions to conceal the fact of your -arrival in Berlin tells me plainly that there is a person whom he -wishes to keep in ignorance; and that person can only be----’ - -‘The Chancellor?’ I threw in, as my companion hesitated. - -Finkelstein nodded. - -‘You consider, perhaps, that it is against the Chancellor that I am -to be employed?’ I went on. - -‘It looks like it,’ was the cautious answer. - -‘And the reason why this task is not placed in your hands?’ - -‘Is because I am a native of Hanover, and the Kaiser regards me -rather as a public official than as a personal servant of his own -dynasty,’ said Finkelstein. - -‘In other words, he regards you as a creature of the Chancellor’s,’ I -commented bluntly. - -The Director made a pleasing and ingenious attempt to blush. - -‘I can only affirm to you, on my sacred word of honour, that his -Majesty has no cause to trust me any less than if I were a Prussian,’ -he declared. ‘And I shall take it as a personal kindness if you will -endeavour to convince the Kaiser of my loyalty.’ - -‘I will take care that he knows your sentiments,’ I answered, with an -ambiguity which Finkelstein fortunately did not remark. - -By this time I had completed my transformation. A glance at the -cheval glass showed me a stiff, well-set-up Prussian official, -exhaling the very atmosphere of Junkerdom and sauerkraut. I gave the -signal to depart, and we were quickly driving up the Unter den Linden -on our way to the Imperial Palace. - -‘Announce to his Majesty--the Herr Director Finkelstein and the Herr -Inspector Vehm,’ my companion said to the doorkeeper. - -A servant, who had evidently received special instructions, stepped -forward. - -‘The Herr Inspector is to be taken to his Majesty at once,’ he said -firmly. - -Finkelstein bit his lip as he unwillingly turned to re-enter his -carriage. I followed the lackey into the private cabinet of the -monarch who had just found himself the centre of an international -cyclone. - -[Illustration: “A glance at the cheval glass showed me a stiff, well -set-up Prussian official.”] - -Wilhelm II. received me cordially. It was not the first time we had -met. About the time of his ascending the throne I had been the means -of inflicting on him a defeat which a smaller man would have found -it hard to forgive. Fortunately, the German Kaiser was of metal -sterling enough to recognise merit even in an enemy, and to realise -that my fidelity to my then employer was the best guarantee that I -should be equally faithful to himself, if it fell to my lot to serve -him. - -‘What has Finkelstein told you?’ was the Emperor’s first question, -after he had graciously invited me to sit down. - -‘Only that he was able to tell me nothing, sire.’ - -The Emperor gave me a suspicious glance. - -‘He appeared to regret that your Majesty had not given him your -confidence,’ I added, choosing my words warily. ‘He assured me that -you might rely on his entire devotion, as much so as if he were a -native of your hereditary States.’ - -‘And what do you say as to that?’ demanded the Kaiser, with a -piercing look. - -‘I think that your Majesty cannot be too careful whom you trust.’ - -Wilhelm II. allowed himself to smile gravely. - -‘I see, Monsieur V----, that you are a prudent man. If Herr -Finkelstein wishes to convince me of his loyalty to the -Hohenzollerns, he cannot begin better than by renouncing the pension -which he continues to draw secretly from the Duke of ----.’ His -Majesty pronounced the name by which a well-known dispossessed -sovereign goes in his exile. - -Familiar as I long have been with instances of perfidy in others, I -could not restrain an exclamation of astonishment at this revelation -of Finkelstein’s double dealing. The Kaiser continued-- - -‘After that you will not be surprised if I caution you particularly -against letting Herr Finkelstein know anything of the object of the -inquiry I wish you to undertake.’ - -I bowed respectfully, and waited with some impatience to learn the -true nature of my mission. - -‘I could not receive you here without taking some one into the -secret of your employment,’ the Kaiser went on to explain; ‘and I -chose Finkelstein in order to give the affair as much as possible -the aspect of a private and domestic matter. In reality the task I -have to set you is one of the most grave in which you have ever been -engaged.’ - -The Kaiser took one of the Berlin papers of the day before, which was -lying on the desk in front of him, and pointed to a column in which -was set out in conspicuous type the telegram which had convulsed -Europe and Africa, and had already caused Lord Salisbury to issue -orders for the mobilisation of his Flying Squadron. - -‘I have sent for you, in two words, to find out for me the authorship -of this telegram,’ the Kaiser said. - -[Illustration: “‘I have sent for you, in two words, to find out for -me the authorship of this telegram,’ the Kaiser said.”] - -Notwithstanding my long training in the most tortuous paths of -secret intrigue, I was fairly taken aback by this announcement. - -‘That telegram!’ I could only exclaim. ‘The one which your Majesty -addressed to President Kruger!’ - -‘_I never sent it_,’ Wilhelm II. declared gravely. ‘It is a forgery -pure and simple.’ - -For a moment I sat still in my chair, almost unable to think. - -‘But what----? But who----?’ I articulated, struggling with my -bewilderment. - -‘That is what you have got to find out for me,’ was the answer. ‘Let -me tell you all I know. The first intimation I had of the existence -of such a thing was the sight of it in the Press. I sent instantly -for the Chancellor, who came here wearing a reproachful expression, -and evidently prepared to complain bitterly of my having taken such a -step without previously informing him. When I told him that the whole -thing was an impudent fabrication, he could scarcely believe his -ears. In fact, for some time I believe he was inclined to consider my -repudiation of it as a mere official denial.’ - -I ventured to raise my eyes to his Majesty’s as I observed-- - -‘Your Majesty has taken no steps to make your repudiation public?’ - -The Kaiser gave an angry frown. - -‘That is the serious part of the affair,’ he answered. ‘Kruger, in -his eagerness to proclaim to the world that I was on his side, had -sent copies of this infamous production to every newspaper in the two -hemispheres before it reached my eyes. At the moment when I first saw -it, it had already been read and commented upon all round the globe. -The British newspapers were already threatening war, and my own -people had been excited to a pitch of enthusiasm such as no other act -of mine has ever called forth. You see the position I was placed in. -If I were now to disavow this forgery, my disavowal would be received -everywhere with the same scepticism as was felt even by my own -Chancellor. The British would triumph over me, and my own subjects -would never forgive me for what they would regard as a surrender to -British threats.’ - -I sat silent. I realised the full difficulty of the Kaiser’s -position. He was committed in spite of himself to the act of some -impostor, whose real motives were yet to be discovered, but who had -already succeeded in bringing the two greatest Powers of Europe to -the verge of war. - -‘Before I can undo the mischief which has been done,’ the Emperor -proceeded, ‘I must first of all ascertain from what quarter this -forgery emanated. When I have obtained that information, backed by -clear and convincing proofs, it may be possible for me to satisfy -the British Government that they and I have been the victims of a -conspiracy. If you can succeed in furnishing me with those proofs, it -shall be the best day’s work you ever did in your life.’ - -I listened carefully to these words, scrutinising them for any trace -of a double meaning. It was impossible for me to dismiss entirely -from my mind that suspicion which the story told by Wilhelm II. was -naturally calculated to excite. I asked myself whether the Kaiser was -really in earnest, or whether he was not inviting me, in a delicate -fashion, to extricate him from the consequences of his own rashness, -by putting together some fictitious account of the origin of the -telegram, which might impose on Lord Salisbury. - -It was clearly necessary, however, for me to appear to be convinced. - -‘May I ask if your Majesty’s suspicions point in any particular -direction?’ I asked, trying to feel my way cautiously. ‘The President -of the Boers is perhaps----’ - -The Kaiser interrupted me. - -‘I do not think Kruger would dare to provoke me by such a trick. -He would know that he would be the first to suffer when it was -found out. No, I am convinced that we must look nearer home for the -traitor.’ - -Something in the Emperor’s tone struck me as significant. - -‘If you could give me any indication of the person----’ I ventured to -throw out. - -His Majesty looked at me fixedly as he answered-- - -‘Does it not occur to you, Monsieur V----, that there is in my Empire -a powerful family, the heads of which seem at one time to have -cherished the notion that the Hohenzollerns could not reign without -them, a family which aspired to play the same part in modern Germany -which was played by the Mayors of the Palace in the Empire of the -Merovingians?’ - -‘You allude, sire, without doubt, to the Bismarcks?’ - -‘My grandfather was forced into war with the French by a forged -telegram. There would be nothing surprising in an attempt from the -same quarter to force me into a war with England.’ - -I had no answer to make to such reasoning. Daring as such a manœuvre -might appear, it was absurd, in the face of historical facts, to -pronounce it improbable. - -After a minute spent in considering the situation, I turned to the -question of how the fraud might have been carried out. - -It was quite clear to me that such a message could not have gone -over the ordinary wires. The despatches of Emperors are not, as a -rule, handed in over the counter of a post-office, like a telegram -from a husband announcing that he is prevented from dining at home. I -asked the Kaiser to explain to me the system pursued with regard to -Imperial messages. - -‘That is a matter about which you will be able to learn more from -the Chancellor than from me,’ was the answer. ‘Foreign despatches go -through the Chancellery, and there is a staff of telegraphists there -to deal with them. The wire goes direct to the Central Telegraph -Office, I believe, from which it would, of course, find its way to -the Cable Company.’ - -‘Then this fabrication must have been sent from the Chancellery in -the first instance?’ I inquired. ‘It could not have been received at -the Central Office from an outside source?’ - -‘Impossible. They would not dare to transmit a message in my name -which had not reached them through one of the authorised channels.’ - -This was the reply I had expected. But I did not fail to mark the -admission that there was more than one channel through which the -forgery might have come. I was quick to ask-- - -‘Is there not some other source from which this telegram may have -reached them besides the Chancellery? Your Majesty, no doubt, has a -private wire from the Palace.’ - -The Kaiser looked a little put out. - -‘That is so, of course,’ he conceded. ‘But that wire is used only for -my personal messages, and those of the Imperial family.’ - -‘Still, a message received over this wire, and couched in your name, -would be accepted at the Central Office, would it not?’ I persisted. - -‘Undoubtedly. But the Palace operator, a man who works under the -eye of my secretary, would not dare to play me such a trick, which, -he would be aware, must be detected immediately. Take my advice, -Monsieur V----, waste no time over side paths, but go direct to the -Chancellor, and commence your perquisitions among his staff.’ - -I bowed respectfully, as though accepting this plan of campaign. But, -as I withdrew from the Emperor’s cabinet, the doubt pressed more -strongly than ever upon my mind whether I was not being asked to play -a part. I half expected to find everything prepared for me at the -Chancellery, prearranged clues leading to the detection of a culprit -who would recite a confession which had been put into his mouth -beforehand. - -I was perfectly willing to perform my part in the comedy in a manner -satisfactory to my employer, but all the same I meant to keep my eyes -open, and not to let myself be the victim of a deception intended for -English consumption. - -In this mood I presented myself before the Chancellor. As soon as the -Imperial autograph introducing me had met his eye, his Excellency -threw aside, or pretended to throw aside, all reserve. - -‘I am delighted to find the Emperor has placed this business in your -hands, Monsieur V----,’ he said obligingly. ‘Your reputation is well -known to me, and I am convinced that you will be perfectly discreet. -The Emperor is, of course, thoroughly taken aback by the results -of his unfortunate impulse, and wishes to relieve himself of the -responsibility he has incurred. In that I am quite willing to help -him, but not at my own expense, you understand.’ - -I murmured something about the Bismarcks. His Excellency gave a smile -of contempt. - -‘All that is absurd,’ he rapped out. ‘The Emperor is quite foolish -about that family, which possesses no more influence to-day than any -Pomeranian squire. No, if his Majesty wants a victim he ought to be -content with one of his own staff. I refuse to allow the Imperial -Chancellery to be discredited in the eyes of Europe.’ - -This reception, so unlike what I had anticipated, made me begin -to think that my inquiry would have to be serious. After a little -further conversation with the Chancellor I decided to go to work -regularly, beginning by tracing the Imperial telegram back from the -Central Office. - -The Chancellor readily furnished me with the necessary authority -to produce to the Director of the Telegraph Service, to whom I had -merely to explain that I had been instructed to verify the exact -wording of the now famous despatch. - -It is unnecessary for me to detail my interview with this -functionary, whose share in the business was purely formal. Suffice -it that within a quarter of an hour after entering his office, I came -out with the all-important information that the congratulation to Mr. -Kruger had come direct from the Imperial Palace, over the Kaiser’s -private wire. - -By this time it was clear to me that either Wilhelm II. was playing -a very complicated game indeed with me, or he really was the victim -of one of the most audacious coups in history. My interest in the -investigation was strongly roused, as I made my way to the Palace for -the second time that day, bent upon a meeting with the telegraphist -by whose agency, it now appeared, the war-making despatch had come -over the wires. - -My recent audience in the Imperial cabinet had invested me with -authority in the eyes of the household, and I had no difficulty in -getting a footman to conduct me to the operator’s room, which was -situated at the far end of the corridor which I had previously -passed through on my way to the Kaiser. - -The room being empty on my arrival, I dismissed the footman in search -of the operator, who, he informed me, would most probably be found -with the private secretary to the Emperor. - -The moment I found myself alone I stepped up to the apparatus. I am -an expert telegraphist, and the machine speedily clicked off the -following despatch-- - -‘_To the German Ambassador, London.--See Lord Salisbury privately, at -once, and inform him British Government entirely deceived as to my -sentiments. Proofs will be sent to you shortly._--WILHELM, Kaiser.’ - -I had hardly taken my fingers off the instrument when the door opened -and the operator walked in. - -Herr Zeiss--I heard this name at the Central Office--appeared to -me to be a simple-minded man, more likely to be the victim of a -conspiracy than himself a conspirator. I thought it my best plan to -assume an air of omniscience at the outset. - -‘How is this, sir!’ I demanded with some sternness. ‘Do your -instructions permit you to leave this instrument unguarded for any -person who pleases to send his own messages over the Emperor’s -private wire?’ - -The telegraphist stared at me with a mixture of surprise and alarm. - -‘I don’t know who has authorised you, Herr Inspector----’ he began, -when I cut him short. - -‘Am I to go to his Majesty, and ask him if you have permission to -leave this room when you please, without taking any precautions -against the unauthorised use of the wire?’ - -Herr Zeiss quickly changed his tone. - -‘That is not a thing of which I am ever guilty,’ he protested. - -‘You have been guilty of it just now,’ I retorted. - -‘I have not been away two minutes. No one could have taken advantage -of my absence.’ - -‘Nevertheless, advantage has been taken of your absence.’ - -‘I don’t believe it!’ - -‘Ask the Central Office to repeat the message you have just sent -them, then.’ - -Casting a frightened look at me, the man complied. I have seldom seen -an expression of deeper astonishment and terror on a man’s face than -that which marked the unfortunate operator’s as my despatch came back -to him, word after word, ending with the Imperial signature. - -‘My God!’ he cried out. ‘Who has done this? I shall be ruined!’ - -‘Whether you are ruined or not depends entirely on yourself,’ I -said sharply. ‘It is in my power to save you, but only upon one -condition.’ - -[Illustration: “‘My God!’ he cried out. ‘Who has done this? I shall -be ruined.’”] - -Herr Zeiss turned on me a gaze of mute appeal. - -‘You must tell me the exact truth,’ I proceeded, ‘and you must tell -me everything. How often have you left this room without taking -precautions against the misuse of the wire in your absence during the -last two days?’ - -Zeiss considered for a moment. Then his face brightened up. - -‘Not once, I can assure you positively of that, Herr Inspector.’ - -This answer, given so confidently, came as a severe check to me. I -looked at the man sternly, as I responded, with assumed confidence-- - -‘And I am positive that you are mistaken. An unauthorised use _has_ -been made of this wire, and I am determined to know by whom.’ - -The operator’s face fell once more. He appeared to me to be honestly -at a loss. - -‘Come,’ I put in, ‘think again. Begin by recalling any occasions on -which you have been called away hurriedly, and have perhaps omitted -to lock the door.’ - -‘But there has been no such occasion. I swear to you that I have not -once left this room without taking ample precautions.’ - -I fancied I discerned a touch of hesitation, rather in the operator’s -tone than in his actual words. - -‘Speak more plainly,’ I said. ‘What do you mean by precautions?’ - -‘Either the door was locked, or else----’ This time the hesitation -was palpable. - -‘Or else what?’ - -‘It was left in the charge of a trustworthy person.’ - -‘And that trustworthy person, who was he?’ I found it hard to -suppress all signs of excitement as I put this question. - -‘The gentleman who will shortly be my brother-in-law.’ - -‘Ah! Perhaps this gentleman is an employee in the same department as -yourself?’ - -‘Not at all,’ Zeiss protested earnestly. ‘He is a teacher in the -Military College. He knows nothing of telegraphy; in fact, he has -sometimes asked me questions on the subject which have convinced me -that he is quite a fool where electricity is concerned.’ - -‘Indeed! And the name of this foolish person, if you please?’ - -‘Herr Severinski.’ - -‘A Pole!’ I exclaimed. - -‘No, a Russian. He was exiled to Siberia on account of his political -opinions, but escaped. He teaches Russian in the college.’ - -‘How did he come to be left in charge of this room?’ - -‘He called here the day before yesterday, in the evening, to speak -to me about his marriage with my sister. They have been engaged for -some time, you must know. While he was here I received a note from -my sister herself, pressing me to come and speak to her at once -outside the Palace. I went, leaving my brother-in-law to wait here -during my absence. My sister, I found, merely wished to urge me not -to object to any proposal made by her betrothed. On my return I found -Severinski yawning and apparently bored to death in my absence. I -asked him, and he assured me no one had come near the room while I -was away.’ - -I could scarcely resist smiling as the whole intrigue, so simple, and -yet so consummately successful, lay bared to my perception. My whole -anxiety now was to keep the worthy but stupid Zeiss ignorant of the -transaction in which he had been an unwitting accomplice. - -I brought him away from the Palace with me, so as to leave him no -opportunity of warning Severinski, and we proceeded together to -the Russian’s quarters. I flatter myself that the professor of the -Military College was not a little disconcerted when he saw his dupe -followed into the room by an Inspector of the Berlin Police. - -I explained my position in such a manner as to let Severinski see -that I knew everything, without enlightening the other man. - -‘The day before yesterday Herr Zeiss left you alone in his room in -the Palace. You took the opportunity to send a telegram, the terms -of which are known to me, over the Emperor’s private wire. For this -offence you and he are liable to severe punishment. What I now have -to propose to you is to make a confession which will have the effect -of exonerating every one except yourself. If you do this, I think I -can promise you that you shall suffer no penalty beyond, of course, -the loss of your post in the Military College.’ - -Severinski gave me a glance of intelligence. - -‘You do not require me to denounce anybody else?’ he inquired -significantly. - -‘I do not require you to confess what is obvious to every one,’ I -returned with equal significance. - -Poor Zeiss followed this exchange with an air of bewilderment. It -was evident that the discovery of the other’s guilt had caused a -shock to his confiding nature, and he was still trying to reconcile -the Russian’s prompt surrender to me with his previous stupidity on -questions of electrical science, when I summarily dismissed him from -further share in the interview. - -As soon as we were by ourselves Severinski spoke out boldly enough. - -‘I am quite willing to give you a statement that I sent the telegram. -But I am not going to tell you anything more. You must know that I -am an Anarchist.’ - -I waved my hand scornfully. - -‘If I consent to your suppressing the truth, Professor Severinski, it -does not follow that I am willing to listen to absurd fictions. Be -good enough to write out and sign a circumstantial account of your -own part in this clumsy plot, and I will undertake that you shall not -pass to-night in prison.’ - -The Russian had the sense to do what he was told without further -parley. I got from him more than I expected. He consented to put in -writing that it was after his betrothal to Fraulein Zeiss that he -had been solicited to make use of his connection with the Kaiser’s -private telegraphist, and he stated the amount of the bribe, a -very heavy one, paid him for his services in sending the Imperial -congratulations to the President of the Transvaal. We became so -friendly over the discussion that Severinski, who was bursting with -vanity over his success, wanted me at last to let him tell me too -much. I was obliged to order him to be silent. - -‘If you tell me that you are an agent of a certain great Power, I -must repeat what you say to the Kaiser. Then one of two things will -happen. Either your Government will avow your action, in which case -you will be hanged as a spy, or it will disavow you, in which case -you will pass the rest of your life in prison as a criminal lunatic.’ - -This menace had all the effect which I could have desired, and I was -satisfied that the Russian would now hold his tongue. - -Bidding him a cordial farewell--for I confess the fellow’s audacity -had inspired me with some admiration--I hastened back to the Palace, -to lay the results of my investigations before Wilhelm II. - -‘Your Majesty has been victimised by a secret agent whose employers -are interested in bringing about a feeling of ill-will, if not -an actual war, between Germany and Great Britain. The day before -yesterday this agent, whose name is Severinski, and who is employed -to teach Russian’--Wilhelm II. started--‘in the Berlin Military -College, visited your private telegraphist in the room at the end -of this corridor. He had previously contrived that the telegraphist -should be called away during his visit, and he took advantage of this -absence to send the message which has caused so much trouble.’ - -The Kaiser made no reply until he had finished reading the proofs I -laid before him. - -‘And you did not ask this Severinski by whom he was set on?’ demanded -his Majesty, giving me a keen glance. - -‘I did not know whether you would wish me to do so,’ I answered -respectfully. - -‘You were right, a thousand times right,’ exclaimed the Emperor. ‘As -long as they are in doubt whether I know it is they who have played -me this trick, I have the advantage of them, and they will keep -silence for their own sakes.’ He paused in deep consideration for a -minute, then he looked up quickly. ‘All this time I must not forget -the English. Tell me, Monsieur V----, are you personally known to -Lord Salisbury?’ - -‘I have that honour, sire. On one occasion----’ - -‘Enough! There is not a moment to lose. You will leave Berlin by -the first train, and proceed straight to the Ambassador’s house in -London. He will take you round to the Prime Minister, and you will -offer him the proofs which you have just offered me, explaining -at the same time that the excited state of public feeling in both -countries makes it impossible for me to take any open action in the -matter.’ - -I bowed and moved towards the door. - -‘I will wire to the Ambassador to expect you,’ called out the Kaiser. - -‘Pardon me, your Majesty has done so already.’ - -‘How?’ - -‘I also passed five minutes alone in the room of Herr Zeiss,’ I -explained. - -In the years which have elapsed since this celebrated episode, -Wilhelm II. has left no means untried to convince the British people -of his friendly sentiments towards them. It is as a service to his -Imperial Majesty, though without authority from him, that I now -venture to lift the veil from the most astounding transaction in the -annals of even Muscovite diplomacy. - - - - -II - -THE BLOWING UP OF THE _MAINE_ - - -Although the revelations which have been made already in the British -House of Commons have thrown some light on the international -intrigues which complicated the progress of the Cuban War, the tragic -event which caused the United States to draw the sword against Spain -has remained a profound mystery to the present hour. - -The truth concerning the destruction of the United States warship -_Maine_, in the roadstead of Havana, is known fully to only two -persons now alive. One of these two has taken the vow of perpetual -silence in the monastery of La Trappe, and his name is already -forgotten by the world. - -I shall cause some surprise, perhaps, when I venture to assert that -had I left my hotel ten minutes earlier on a certain memorable night -in the year 1898, the Spanish flag might still be flying over the -citadel of Havana. - -The extraordinary adventure which I am going to relate had its -starting-point in Paris, which is, to a large extent, the -clearing-house of international politics--the diplomatic exchange -where the representatives of the Powers meet, and sound each other’s -minds. For this reason the highest post in the diplomatic service -of every country is still the Paris Embassy, although France itself -scarcely ranks to-day as a Power of the first magnitude. - -It is Paris, as every one is aware, which was the scene of the long -negotiation between the representatives of the Cuban insurgents -and the Government of Madrid on the question of the terms to be -granted by Spain to her discontented colony. In this negotiation it -is equally well known that the Cuban delegates received the moral -support of the United States; but it is not generally known that the -Spanish Government acted throughout in consultation with most of the -European Powers. - -I was looking on at the negotiation without any very great interest, -sharing, as I did, in the general impression that Spain would give -way before long, when I was surprised one morning by receiving a -visit from a very remarkable character. - -Ludwig Kehler was a Bavarian, who had begun life as a candidate for -the priesthood. A disgraceful affair, the particulars of which I -had never learned, had caused his dismissal from the seminary, and, -after drifting about the world for a time, and mixing in very shady -company, he suddenly appeared in Berlin in the character of a police -agent. - -The exact nature of the services which he rendered to the police -was a mystery, but I had formed the theory that he was employed as -a spy on the German Catholics, whose attachment to the House of -Hohenzollern has always been suspected in Berlin. - -The presence of this man in Paris was in itself an unusual event. It -did not occur to me to connect it with the Spanish-American question, -and that for a very simple reason. Germany is the one country in -Europe which has never possessed a foot of soil in the New World. -Spain, Portugal, England, France, and even Holland and Denmark have -planted their flags across the Atlantic, but the German Michael has -been content to remain at home while his neighbours were colonising -the globe. - -I received Kehler coldly. My acquaintance with him was a purely -professional one, and he was a man whom I profoundly distrusted. - -As soon as I could do so, without positive rudeness, I invited him to -explain the object of his visit. - -‘It is of a confidential nature,’ prefaced the Bavarian. ‘May I -assure myself that our conversation will remain a secret between us -two?’ - -I bowed gravely. - -‘That is always understood, where I am concerned. A man who desires -to be trusted must begin by establishing a reputation for secrecy.’ - -Kehler contented himself with this assurance, dry as it was. - -‘I thank you, Monsieur V----. Your reputation is so well established -that I had no intention except to ask whether you were willing to -receive the proposals I have come to make?’ - -‘Proceed, Herr Kehler, if you will be so good.’ - -‘You have learnt, no doubt, that the Spanish Government has made up -its mind to concede the terms demanded on behalf of the Cubans by the -United States?’ - -Although I was not aware that things had reached this point, I did -not allow Kehler to see that he had given me any information. - -‘By this act,’ he continued, ‘the Americans have, in fact, declared -that no European Power has any right to enter their hemisphere -without their permission.’ - -‘All that is well known, Herr Kehler.’ - -‘The question then arises whether the European Powers will allow -themselves to be driven out, one by one, or whether, by a bold -combination, they will reduce the United States to some respect for -the law of nations.’ - -‘Such a combination would be inopportune at this moment, because the -British would stand aloof.’ - -‘Because they look upon the struggle as one between Spaniard and -Cuban,’ Kehler rejoined quickly. ‘But let us suppose there to be a -war, in which the United States was engaged against Spain?’ - -‘You have just said there will be no such war.’ - -‘A war is always possible, provided those interested in bringing it -about are not too scrupulous.’ - -This sinister language at length convinced me that the Bavarian had -not come to see me for nothing. I decided to draw him out. - -‘Provided such a war actually commenced, I agree that some -combination on behalf of Spain might be possible,’ I murmured, -as though reviewing the situation in my mind. ‘But where is the -Government sufficiently in earnest to undertake so terrible a -responsibility?’ - -‘It is that Government,’ Kehler responded, ‘which sees its subjects -departing in greater numbers every year, but which looks around in -vain for some unoccupied region towards which to direct the stream of -emigration.’ - -‘You mean Germany?’ - -‘We look around us,’ he continued, scarcely noticing my interruption, -‘and we see all the continents staked out in advance by other Powers: -Asia by England and Russia, Africa by England and France, North -America by England and the United States, Australia by England -alone. There remains only South America, in the possession of weak -Latin races, unable to make use of their advantages, but who are -protected in their decay by the bullies of Washington.’ - -‘A war in which the United States found itself fully occupied would -be a fine opportunity for the German Michael to plant his standard in -Brazil or the Argentine, I understand.’ - -Kehler looked at me earnestly. - -‘The man who undertook the task of making such a war inevitable, -without compromising exalted personages, would be no loser,’ he -remarked significantly. - -I looked back at the Bavarian before demanding-- - -‘Have you any definite scheme to put before me?’ - -‘Until I know that you accept,’ he demurred. - -‘I do not know that you are accredited,’ I reminded him. - -‘What authority do you require?’ - -‘The Imperial autograph simply.’ - -‘Impossible.’ - -‘I am accustomed to be trusted by my employers,’ I returned -decidedly. ‘I cannot act under any other conditions.’ - -‘That is final?’ - -‘It is final.’ - -‘Then I am afraid I can only ask you to forget that I have occupied -so much of your time.’ - -I allowed Kehler to rise and take his departure without making -the least sign. The moment he was out of hearing I sprang to the -telephone and rang up the agent of the Sugar Trust. - -Herr Kehler’s refusal to produce the guarantee for which I asked -convinced me that he contemplated some action of a character -doubtful, to say the least, if not criminal. - -It would have been useless for me to communicate my suspicions to the -American Minister in Paris. The diplomacy of the United States, blunt -and self-reliant, takes little account of the subterranean intrigue -which pervades European politics. But the Government of Washington -was not the only factor concerned. As Europe is beginning to learn, -the Union is a federation, not so much of those geographical -divisions which are painted in different colours on the map, and -called States, but of those vast organisations of capital which -control the American electoral system, and fill the Senate with their -delegates. Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois--these are -merely names for school children; the Silver Ring, the Steel Trust, -the Cotton Trust, the Pork Trust--such are the true American Powers. - -During the whole of the Cuban negotiation the Sugar and Tobacco -Trusts had been represented in Paris by agents whose object it was to -avert an annexation of Cuba by the United States, an act which would, -of course, mean the free admission of Cuban sugar and tobacco into -the markets. Adonijah B. Stearine, the Sugar Agent, was a shrewd man, -and I had no doubt I should find him a ready listener to what I had -to say. - -Within an hour of Kehler’s departure, Mr. Stearine was seated in my -office. I had to pick my words carefully not to break the promise of -secrecy into which I had been beguiled. - -‘I have just seen a secret agent who wanted me to help him in some -trick to force on a war between the States and Spain.’ - -Stearine rolled his eyes and whistled thoughtfully. - -‘Who sent him?’ - -‘I can’t say. He refused to disclose his principal, and so I would -have nothing to do with him.’ - -The Sugar Agent pursed up his lips, and frowned. - -‘I guess this is a dodge of Bugg’s,’ he muttered. - -‘What Bugg?’ - -‘You don’t say you haven’t heard of Bugg--Milk W. Bugg, the Pork -Trust’s man over here? I reckon Bugg is the smartest man in Chicago, -and Chicago is the smartest town in the States, and the States is the -smartest country on earth; so there you are.’ - -‘The man who came to me is a German,’ I hinted. - -‘Bugg’s smartness,’ was the comment. - -‘He wanted me to think he came from Berlin.’ - -‘Bugg is real smart,’ breathed Mr. Stearine with admiration. - -It was evident that the agent of the Sugar Trust was unable to see -past the figure of his rival, which filled up his mental horizon. I -did not consider it worth while to argue the point. - -‘The question is, Do you want this to be stopped?’ I said. - -Stearine looked at me with something like surprise. - -‘Think you can?’ he questioned briefly. - -‘I know the man who is at work. I can shadow him and find out what he -is doing.’ - -‘You will have to be almighty quick about it,’ retorted the other. -‘When did this man get away!’ - -‘Only an hour ago,’ - -Mr. Stearine gazed at me with a disconcerting scrutiny. Then he -remarked slowly and emphatically-- - -‘If this is Bugg’s game, and you have given him an hour’s start, I -calculate he will be opening a store in Havana this day six months.’ - -The Pork Trust, it was clear, had everything to gain by a war by -which the Sugar Trust had everything to lose. But, in spite of Mr. -Stearine’s confident assurances, I continued to have my own opinion -about the power behind Herr Kehler. - -‘Do you want me to act?’ I demanded briefly. - -‘I want you to take a hand--yes.’ The Sugar Agent took out his -pocket-book, and counted out bills to the amount of ten thousand -dollars. ‘You can play up to that,’ he added, ‘and then you can let -me know how the game stands. I guess I shall buy Pork Consols.’ - -With this discouraging observation, Stearine left. - -It did not take me long to decide on my plans. As it was not likely -that Kehler was apprehensive of being watched, it would be an easy -task to trace him, and I at once gave orders to my staff to that -effect, with the result that I learned in a few hours that the -Bavarian had put up at the Hotel des Deux Aigles, and was leaving by -the Sud Express for Madrid. - -I now decided on one of the boldest and most effective strokes in -my repertory. I went openly to the station, took my own ticket, and -entered the compartment of the sleeping-car in which Kehler had -booked his own place. - -The real astonishment of the Bavarian at seeing me I met with an -affectation of moderate surprise on my own part. - -‘So you are going with me?’ I observed. - -‘With you!’ Kehler exclaimed. - -‘It appears so. No doubt you have been instructed?’ - -Kehler denied it energetically. - -‘But you refused to participate in a certain design,’ he reminded me. - -‘I laid down certain conditions, which you declined to fulfil, but -which have since been complied with by your principal.’ - -The Bavarian was thunderstruck. I relied upon his having reported his -failure to whomever it was that had sent him to me; and there was -nothing impossible in the suggestion that I had in consequence been -approached directly. - -‘You have credentials, I suppose?’ he asked. - -I nodded carelessly. - -‘You will convince me, perhaps?’ he persisted. - -‘Are you authorised to convince me?’ was my retort. - -‘You know it--no.’ - -I shrugged my shoulders and remained silent. - -So commenced the most extraordinary journey I have ever taken, a -journey which was destined to end only at Havana. Across France -and Spain and the Atlantic Ocean we travelled side by side, each -unwilling to lose sight of the other; I, resolved to find out and -if possible thwart the designs of my companion; Kehler, unable to -determine whether I was an opponent, a rival, or a spy set over him -by those on whose behalf he was engaged. - -On the frontier, at Hendaye, a despatch was handed in to me through -the carriage window. It was from Stearine, and contained these words, -whose terrible significance I was designed to learn later-- - -‘_United States warship_ Maine _arrived harbour Havana._’ - -The agent of the Sugar Trust had been too careful to say more. But it -was clear that he regarded this event as a move in the game played by -the great exporting Trusts. - -From the moment of our arrival in Madrid I was no longer able to -keep a close watch on Kehler, though by a sort of tacit agreement -we stayed at the same hotel. I found out that he was paying visits -to the Provincials of the Jesuit and Franciscan Orders, and had -been admitted as a visitor to one or two convents, and for a time I -was tempted to relax my suspicions, and to think that the Bavarian -was engaged in some Catholic espionage. These doubts were suddenly -dissipated by my meeting him one day in the courtyard of the hotel -attired in the habit of a priest--the dress of which he had been -deprived on account of his youthful misconduct. - -I could not doubt that this dress was a mere disguise, and that -it had been assumed for a political purpose. I went up to him and -whispered-- - -‘Do we still recognise each other, or do you prefer that we meet as -strangers?’ - -‘As fellow-travellers simply, I should prefer,’ he responded. - -The next day he had disappeared from the hotel. I set the agencies -at my command to work, and learned without much difficulty that -passages had been reserved for the false priest and a Sister of Mercy -travelling under his protection, on board a Spanish steamer sailing -from Cadiz to Havana. - -Needless to add, I was on board the same steamer when she quitted her -moorings and breasted the waves of the open sea. During the voyage I -had many opportunities of watching Kehler and his companion, who were -constantly together, holding long private conversations in retired -corners of the vessel. The nun, who was presented to me as Sister -Marie-Joseph, was a pale, delicate-looking girl of about twenty, -with that abstracted look in her eyes which betokens a mind wavering -between earnestness and hallucination. - -Dimly, and through clouds of uncertainty, I began to perceive -that Kehler had ransacked the convents of Madrid for a suitable -instrument, and that he was hard at work hypnotising the unfortunate -girl’s mind, so as to prepare it for any suggestion he might have to -make. - -Before we reached Cuba I contrived to speak to the Sister apart. I -found her reserved and distrustful of a heretic, as she had evidently -been told to consider me. On my satisfying her that I had been -brought up a Catholic, she became slightly more communicative, and -revealed a disposition singularly sincere and devoted, but almost -morbid in its detestation of Protestantism. She betrayed a feeling -of horror at the idea of American domination in the Catholic island -of Cuba, and it was in vain that I represented to her the generous -tolerance accorded to our religion in the United States. - -I did not dare to ask her the subject of her conferences with Kehler. -To have hinted at the Bavarian’s true character would have been -simply to forfeit her confidence in myself. I decided to reserve my -efforts in this direction until our arrival in Havana, where I did -not doubt that I should be able to find some responsible ecclesiastic -who would undertake the investigation of Kehler’s antecedents. - -In the meantime I could only wait and watch. I was painfully -impressed by the steady growth of the false priest’s influence -over his victim, who seemed at last to respond to his least word -or gesture. I had before me the spectacle of a possible Teresa -or Elizabeth being gradually transformed into a Ravaillac by the -dexterous touches of a rascally police agent. - -As soon as we entered the harbour Kehler and his companion got ready -to disembark. I noticed that at this moment they were separated, the -Sister going ashore by herself with a large basket trunk, while her -protector followed at some distance behind. - -They met again at the hotel, to which I had accompanied the man. -By this time I had forced a certain degree of acquaintance on the -couple, though I was unable to interrupt the intimacy of their -private intercourse. I arranged to secure a room next to that of the -Sister, and I observed with some surprise that Herr Kehler was lodged -in another wing of the building. - -By a coincidence we found the hotel full of naval officers from the -_Maine_, who had chosen it for their headquarters while on shore. -Instead of disconcerting Kehler, this circumstance appeared to give -him every satisfaction. - -He went out of his way to show civility to the Americans, and rapidly -became intimate with several of them. Sister Marie-Joseph, on the -other hand, held sullenly aloof, scarcely able to repress some signs -of the abhorrence which the sight of the heretics inspired. - -The visit of the _Maine_ was understood to be a pacific one. It was -a demonstration to the world that the relations between the United -States and Spain continued to be those of perfect friendship, and -that the former Power was inspired by peaceful motives in seeking to -bring about an understanding between the belligerent Cubans and the -mother-country. - -Nevertheless it was an imprudent act to send a man-of-war, flying -the Stars and Stripes, into the harbour of a place swarming with -fanatical Spaniards, furious at the interference of another Power -between them and their revolted subjects. It was, in fact, a -provocation, and it was not surprising that the astute agent of the -Sugar Trust had seen in this proceeding the work of those commercial -powers whose interest lay in the direction of a rupture. - -Faithful to my preconceived intention, I took an early opportunity of -waiting upon a high Church functionary in the city, to warn him of -the true character of the Bavarian. - -The reception I met with was a cold one, however. Monsignor X---- -allowed me to see that he considered me an officious person. - -‘May I ask what is your interest in all this?’ he demanded, as soon -as I had made my statement. - -‘I represent the Sugar Trust,’ I told him. - -‘The Sugar Trust?’ - -‘The manufacturers of sugar in the United States, who fear the -competition of cane sugar, and are therefore opposed to the -annexation of Cuba, which would involve free trade with the island,’ -I explained. - -[Illustration: “‘We shall find out whether he is a priest,’ was the -retort.”] - -‘And you suggest that this Father Kehler----?’ - -‘Herr Kehler,’ I corrected. ‘This man is no more a priest than I am. -He is believed to be the agent of a Chicago Trust, which desires to -see Cuba brought within the Union.’ - -‘We shall find out whether he is a priest,’ was the retort. ‘Before -he can say Mass in this diocese he will have to apply for permission, -and to show his ordination papers.’ - -‘But if he does not wish to say Mass? If he merely confines himself -to directing the Sister whom he has conducted here?’ - -‘In that case we cannot interfere. We have no more proof that she is -a Sister than that he is a priest?’ - -I gave Monsignor X---- an indignant look, which he bore with coolness. - -‘Besides, what is it that you apprehend?’ he asked. ‘One cannot deal -with imaginary dangers.’ - -‘I am sure that these two persons are bent on some desperate -enterprise--that their presence in Havana bodes no good to the cause -of peace,’ was all I could find to say. - -The ecclesiastic made a scornful gesture. - -‘It appears to me that this is a matter which concerns the police,’ -he said, in a tone which signified that the interview was at an end. - -I returned to my quarters, realising to the full the difficulty -of any effective action. To go to the police would be merely to -invite a repetition of the snub which I had just received from the -ecclesiastical authority. I could only rely on my own resources. - -I sent a wire to Stearine: ‘_War agent here as priest, accompanied -by nun_,’ and waited. It was just possible that Stearine might have -connections through which those who had power in the Church at Havana -might be influenced, in which case I had no doubt that Monsignor -X---- would very quickly become interested in the doings of ‘Father’ -Kehler. - -I can hardly tell what it was precisely that I expected to happen. -I had some idea of an assassination, possibly of the captain of the -_Maine_, or perhaps of the American Consul, by Sister Marie-Joseph. - -Day by day I perceived the unhappy girl becoming more and more -wrought up to the pitch of enthusiasm necessary for the perpetration -of some hideous deed, like that of Charlotte Corday, or Judith. -Curiously enough, the poor Sister showed an inclination for my -society, perhaps because I was a familiar face. She would sit beside -me in the drawing-room of the hotel and talk about her convent, in -which she had been educated and passed most of her life. - -[Illustration: “She would talk about her convent.”] - -I learned that she was of a noble family, rendered poor by the -ravages committed in the course of the Cuban insurrection, a fact -which may have helped to exasperate her spirit. But I sought in vain -to draw her into any confidences on the subject of her mission to -Havana. The moment I touched on that topic she became dumb, and made -an excuse to leave me. - -During the next few days I observed the intimacy between Kehler -and the American officers becoming closer. The German could speak -English fluently, and this circumstance naturally recommended him as -a companion in a place where Spanish and French are almost the only -languages known to the inhabitants. There was a young lieutenant, -or sub-lieutenant, in particular, who was constantly in Kehler’s -company, viewing the sights of the town, or smoking with him on the -hotel verandah. Suspecting that my man had some object in cultivating -this lieutenant, I endeavoured to make his acquaintance myself, only -to find my advances rebuffed in a manner which showed me plainly that -Kehler had been at work disparaging me beforehand. - -One day as I was standing on the verandah I noticed the pair come out -of the hotel together, and turn in the direction of the harbour. I -followed at a discreet distance, and saw the officer conduct Kehler -into a boat, manned by sailors from the _Maine_, in which they pulled -off to the ship. I stood watching, and at the end of about an hour I -saw them coming back, the face of the false priest wearing a serious -expression. - -I took advantage of my acquaintance with him to meet the pair as they -landed, and accost them carelessly. - -‘You have been to have a look over the ship?’ I threw out. - -Kehler tried to pass on with a careless nod, but the lieutenant, less -discreet, drew himself up with a severe glance at me. - -‘Father Kehler has been good enough to visit a poor sailor who is -lying sick on board,’ he said, in a tone evidently meant to rebuke my -impertinence. - -I bowed with assumed respect. But as they went on their way I -experienced a sensation of alarm. The pretext which had imposed on -the officer was transparent enough as far as I was concerned. I -realised that Kehler was steadily pursuing some well-thought-out -design, and that he had contrived this visit to the man-of-war with -some dark purpose which it was my business to discover. - -I determined at length, since Kehler’s friend was so strongly -prejudiced, to seek out some other officer, preferably the commander, -and take him into my full confidence. Unhappily events marched too -swiftly for me. That very evening it was already too late. - -[Illustration: “‘Father Kehler has been good enough to visit a poor -sailor who is lying sick on board,’ he said, in a tone evidently -meant to rebuke my impertinence.”] - -Passing through the entrance hall on my way upstairs to dress for -dinner, I was struck by the sight of the basket-trunk belonging to -Sister Marie-Joseph standing strapped-up, ready to go away. At the -foot of the staircase I encountered the Sister herself, evidently -prepared for departure. - -She appeared pleased to have the opportunity of bidding me farewell. - -‘I shall not forget you where I am going,’ she said with a mournful -smile, as she extended her hand. - -‘May one inquire where that will be?’ I ventured to ask. - -She shook her head. - -‘It is an affair of duty. I am going a very long way, and you will -never see me again.’ - -‘And Father Kehler,’ I forced myself to say, ‘does he accompany you?’ - -A momentary expression of repugnance, almost of loathing, flashed out -on her pale face. - -‘No, no! The padre has done his part in conducting me so far, and -finding me the situation of which I was in search. I have parted with -him now, and we have nothing more to do with one another.’ - -This answer relieved my mind of a burden. I came hastily to the -conclusion that Kehler, finding himself able to carry out his -projects without assistance, had decided to dispense with an -embarrassing ally, and I was glad to think that this poor girl would -be delivered from his evil influence. - -What blindness are we capable of towards those very things which seem -the clearest to our after-recollections! - -I took the precaution to ascertain at the bureau that Kehler was -still staying on in the hotel, and I came down to dinner with a light -heart. - -A number of the American officers were dining in the hotel that -night. There appeared to be a sort of entertainment going forward, in -which some Spanish officers from the garrison were fraternising with -them. - -Kehler, deprived of the company of his lieutenant, sat at a small -table by himself, and I noticed that he was drinking heavily, while -his flushed face and inflamed eyes showed him to be labouring with an -excitement which I ascribed to the influence of the wine. - -I sat down at another table, and busied myself with efforts to -disentangle the threads of the intrigue which was being woven around -me. I cast a thought or two after the poor girl, with whom I had been -so strangely associated. - -Absorbed in these thoughts, I did not mark the evening advancing, -when I was gradually aroused by the breaking up of the military -party. The lieutenant, who had shown so strong a dislike for me, -rose from his seat and came my way, taking a Spanish officer by the -arm. - -As they approached, I perceived from his gait that the American had -been affected by the healths he had been drinking. I saw him point me -out to his companion as they approached, and he muttered something in -the other’s ear, which caused the Spaniard to turn on me a glance of -grave disgust. - -Stung by this insufferable insolence, I sprang to my feet, and placed -myself in front of the lieutenant. - -‘Have you anything to say to me, sir?’ I said sternly. - -‘Nothing. I do not talk with spies,’ was the coarse retort. - -‘But you take them on board the ship it is your duty to guard,’ I -returned fiercely, carried out of myself. - -The lieutenant drew back, amazed. - -‘I have taken a worthy priest to console a dying man--one of his own -faith,’ he stammered out. - -‘A German police agent, disguised as a priest, I suppose you mean. -The spy Kehler?’ - -He began to tremble violently. ‘But the Sister! The nurse!’ - -‘Sister Marie-Joseph! What do you mean?’ - -‘She is on board now, nursing O’Callaghan.’ - -It was my turn to utter an oath of consternation. - -‘Come with me. Take me on board instantly, or take me to your -commander.’ - -‘We will go on board,’ said the sobered lieutenant. - -Glancing round as I followed him out I saw that Kehler had -disappeared. Quickening our steps by a common instinct, the -lieutenant and I almost ran down to the water’s edge. - -‘Thank God!’ burst from his lips as we came in sight of the majestic -vessel lying peacefully at her anchors in the calm waters of the bay, -her spars and turrets outlined against the clear, starlit sky, and -only a few twinkling lights betraying the presence of the two hundred -men who slept below her decks. The same instant there was a spout of -fire, a cloud of wreck and dust mounted to heaven, and a thunderous -boom stunned our ears, and sent the waters of the bay dashing up at -our feet. - -The _Maine_ had broken like a bubble. I saw all in a flash--in some -dark way that will never now be revealed Sister Marie-Joseph had -blown up the _Maine_. Kehler had succeeded--I had failed. - -It has not been easy for me to write the story of what I regard as -the greatest failure of my career. My mistake was the initial one -of refusing to purchase Kehler’s confidences, by the expedient of -pledging myself to assist his enterprise. - -Immediately the intelligence of the disaster reached Europe Stearine -sent me a cable peremptorily enjoining silence. That injunction I -consider has now lost its force through three circumstances, the -lapse of time, the death in action of Lieutenant ----, and the living -suicide of the arch-criminal, haunted by the horror of his own deed, -in the deathlike cloisters of La Trappe. - - - - -III - -THE MYSTERY OF CAPTAIN DREYFUS - - -Every one must feel that the last word has not been said on that -extraordinary transaction which convulsed France, and shocked Europe, -during the close of the nineteenth century, under the name of the -Dreyfus Case. - -It is true that no effort has been spared by the Government of the -Republic to put an end to an agitation which threatened to develop -into a civil war. A general amnesty has been proclaimed; the courts -of law have been forbidden to entertain any proceedings involving the -guilt or innocence of Captain Dreyfus, his accusers or his partisans, -and the French press has been appealed to, in the name of patriotism, -to close its columns to all further discussion of the dangerous topic. - -Such an attitude, adopted in order to save France from disruption, is -not without a certain dignity; but it is at the same time terribly -unjust. It is as if France had repeated to the victim of the Devil’s -Isle the memorable words--‘It is better that one man should die for -the people.’ - -The one person in Europe who is completely ignorant of the true -motives underlying this grim tragedy is without doubt Dreyfus -himself. That taciturn, commonplace figure, suddenly elevated -into the position of criminal, martyr, and hero, was merely the -shuttlecock driven through the air by unseen hands. Even if he was -guilty of writing the celebrated bordereau--a question which the -Court of Rennes decided in the affirmative--he must have done it by -the order of others, given for reasons which he did not comprehend. - -It will be remembered that before and during the second trial of -Dreyfus, the strongest efforts were put forth on his behalf by three -foreign Powers--those composing the Triple Alliance. The German, -Austrian, and Italian military attachés, breaking through the -etiquette of their position, disclaimed, each on his personal word of -honour, any dealings with the alleged spy. - -Not only so, but I myself sent for the Paris correspondent of a -London newspaper of high standing, and authorised him to inform his -readers that the German Emperor himself was prepared personally to -exculpate the accused from the charge of selling information to -Germany. - -This offer, made privately to the French President, was declined for -the same reasons which prompted the Government to hush up the whole -affair. But every thoughtful man will realise that it would not have -been made unless there had been more at stake than the freedom of an -obscure captain. - -My own connection with the _Affaire Dreyfus_ dates from the time of -the first trial and sentence, when the theatrical spectacle of the -degradation of the unfortunate officer was the theme of universal -comment. At this juncture I received a visit from Colonel ----, an -officer high in the Emperor’s confidence, and at that time attached -to the German Embassy in Paris. - -‘I have come to you,’ he announced, as soon as we found ourselves -alone, ‘by command of his Imperial Majesty the Kaiser.’ - -I bowed respectfully as I replied-- - -‘I am deeply honoured by this fresh proof of his Majesty’s -confidence.’ - -The Colonel regarded me for a moment with some curiosity. - -‘You are a sort of spy, are you not?’ he inquired. - -I refused to take offence at this blunt question, so natural on the -part of a soldier. - -‘Each of us has his own part to play,’ I explained suavely. ‘The -soldier fights with the enemy in the open field; the man of my -profession has to encounter the foes who burrow underground.’ - -Colonel ---- appeared satisfied. - -‘The Kaiser trusts you; that is enough for me,’ he declared. ‘You -will not dare to betray this confidence?’ - -This time I rose to my feet, stern and contemptuous. - -‘You have not come here to insult me, I suppose, Colonel? If you are -the bearer of instructions from the Kaiser, be good enough to deliver -them without comment; if not, I will attend to my other business.’ - -The German’s face betrayed his astonishment at this rebuke. He -hastened to mutter an apology, which I received in silence. - -‘His Majesty wishes you to investigate this _Affaire Dreyfus_, on his -behalf. There is some secret motive for the notoriety which they are -conferring on this unlucky spy’--the Colonel gave me an apprehensive -glance as he pronounced this word--‘and the Kaiser is determined -to find out what it is. It appears that we are being made a sort -of stalking-horse in the business; it is pretended that Dreyfus -was an agent of ours, which is utterly untrue.’ The German smiled -sardonically as he added: ‘Our information is supplied to us from -higher sources than a simple captain of artillery, and we can get as -much as we choose to pay for.’ - -‘Is it not likely that Dreyfus may be the scapegoat of -others--perhaps those higher sources to which you refer?’ - -The Colonel shook his head. - -‘That does not explain the persistence with which they are trying to -connect the affair with Germany. I have information that the heads of -the French Army are representing that France is in actual danger. The -bitterness with which Dreyfus is assailed is due, they pretend, to a -sense of the national peril.’ - -‘And all that is quite untrue, I understand?’ - -‘So untrue that I have reason to know that Wilhelm II. has a -particular desire to conciliate the French----’ The Colonel stopped -abruptly as if he had been on the point of saying too much. - -‘Very good. Then I am to find out for his Majesty as much as I can -about this affair, and particularly why it is sought to represent -Dreyfus as an agent of Germany?’ - -Colonel ---- nodded. - -It was not an easy task to set me; nevertheless, I had some hope of -success. It so happened that I had formerly had transactions of a -confidential nature with General Garnier, one of the foremost, if -not the foremost, figure among the persecutors of Dreyfus. I had -the right to approach this General as a friend, and I had reasons -for believing that he might be willing to open his mouth for a -sufficient consideration. - -Shortly after Colonel ----’s departure, therefore, I strolled round -to the General’s private residence, off the Avenue Clichy. Garnier -was not at home, but I left a message with the concierge that the -dealer in old coins, who had formerly sold him some Roman specimens, -had just obtained others which he was anxious to submit for -inspection. - -As I anticipated, this message had the desired result of bringing -General Garnier to see me the same night. He came, not to my public -bureau, but to a little apartment in the Quartier Latin which I rent -for the purpose of interviews with clients who do not wish their -acquaintance with me to be known. - -It was evident that my summons had annoyed, perhaps frightened, him. - -‘Now, Monsieur V----, what does this mean?’ he blustered, as I closed -the door behind him. - -‘It means, Monsieur le Général, that I have a question to ask you, -but that I do not expect you to answer it for nothing.’ - -Garnier was visibly relieved to discover that I had not sent for him -to extort blackmail. But his reply was not encouraging. - -‘I fear that you have given yourself trouble uselessly. It is not my -intention to sell any information of a kind which cannot be given -openly.’ - -I knew the man I was dealing with too well to take this answer as -final. - -‘Without doubt you are right to remind me that a man like yourself -ought to be approached with a great deal of circumspection,’ I -returned, with a mixture of politeness and irony. - -Garnier’s face flushed. - -‘I mean what I have said,’ he affirmed. ‘You must not suppose that -you are dealing to-day with Colonel Garnier. In my position one -has responsibilities to which there attaches itself a sentiment of -honour, you understand, M. V----?’ - -My experience has not taught me that men become more scrupulous by -being promoted from the rank of Colonel to that of General, but only -that they become more greedy. I replied-- - -‘I understand of course that one does not buy old coins at the same -price from a general officer as from a field officer.’ - -Garnier’s face assumed a look of indecision. - -‘For whom are you acting, this time?’ he demanded. - -‘General, if any one had asked me formerly from where I had procured -my Roman coins, what do you suppose my answer would have been?’ - -Garnier tugged thoughtfully at his moustache, as he frowned over a -refusal which was, at the same time, a proof that he could trust me. - -[Illustration: “‘As to that--impossible!’ he exclaimed with vigour. -‘That is our secret--ours, you understand.’”] - -‘Suppose you explain to me what information you are in search of?’ he -said, throwing himself into a chair. - -I thought the battle was won, as I responded-- - -‘It concerns the Dreyfus Case.’ - -To my surprise, Garnier bounded out of the seat into which he had -just dropped. - -‘As to that--impossible!’ he exclaimed with vigour. ‘That is our -secret--_ours_, you understand.’ - -I listened to this declaration with secret dismay. It revealed to -me that the fate of Dreyfus was in some manner connected with the -interest of the heads of the French Army, in short, with Garnier’s -own; and from his tone I suspected that I was questioning the -arch-plotter. - -There was still the chance that he might be willing to part with the -secret if he could be assured that it would not be used against him. - -‘Suppose I required this information on behalf of a friendly monarch, -who is himself a soldier, and who might be willing to pledge his word -that it should not be made use of to your disadvantage?’ - -Garnier gazed at me as though he would have read the name of this -monarch in my eyes. - -‘Impossible,’ he repeated, in a tone of real regret; ‘_twice -impossible!_’ And, as though anxious to convince me that his refusal -was not unfriendly, he added--‘It is not a question of a Boulanger -this time.’ - -Perceiving that I could not press him further without showing my own -hand, I reluctantly allowed Garnier to depart. He had in reality told -me more than he suspected. - -In the first place, he had convinced me that the Kaiser’s suspicions -were not idle, by his reception of my hint that I was acting for -a foreign Power. If the ferocious sentence on Dreyfus had been -inspired by spite against an unpopular officer, or by a desire to -find a scapegoat for bigger traitors; or if it had merely been an -episode in the secret duel between the Church and the Freemasons, as -the champions of Dreyfus were inclined to believe, there would have -been no meaning in that regretful ‘Twice impossible!’ If Garnier had -refused to sell his secret to a foreign Power, I knew him well enough -to feel assured that it must be because that Power was in some way -interested to defeat Garnier’s conspiracy. - -But the real clue had been placed in my hands by those concluding -words--‘It is not a question of a Boulanger this time.’ - -Such a phrase constituted a riddle which few men in Europe were -better able than myself to decipher. - -Boulanger was an adventurer, lifted on a wave of popular favour, -who had seemed likely at one moment to overturn the republic and -replace it by a military dictatorship with himself at the head. He -had failed because he was a mere adventurer, who represented no -principle, and who lacked that personal prestige with the Army which -is only acquired by successful leadership in war. - -Nevertheless his career had revealed the weakness of the Republic, -and proved that all that was necessary to bring about its downfall -was an alliance between the military caste and some pretender with -more substantial claims than those conferred by the shouts of the -Paris mob. - -Every one who knows anything of France knows that the soldiers have -long chafed under the ascendency of the lawyers, which is a necessary -consequence of Republican institutions. But Garnier’s words, if I -interpreted them rightly, showed that the lesson of Boulanger’s -failure had been laid to heart, and that this time the military -conspiracy which undoubtedly existed had found a really formidable -figurehead. In short, it was a question not of a military dictator, -but of a monarch; not of a Boulanger, but of a Bourbon or a Bonaparte. - -I found myself on the brink of a discovery of first-rate importance. -For the success of such a military revolution as that indicated -only two things seemed necessary, a candidate and an occasion. If -my diagnosis were sound, a candidate had been found in Philippe -d’Orléans, the representative of the ancient monarchy, or Victor -Napoleon, the heir of the Bonapartes. The occasion was to be -furnished, perhaps, by the long-delayed war of _la revanche_! - -As soon as I had reduced my thoughts to some sort of order I decided -that my next step must be to ascertain which of the two pretenders, -who seemed pointed out for the leading _rôle_ in such a conspiracy, -was the chosen one. The Duke of Orleans was at this time in England, -while the home of Prince Napoleon, as every one knows, is in the -neighbourhood of Brussels. - -I despatched two of my most trusted subordinates, one to Belgium, -and the other to England, with instructions to keep a close watch on -the movements of both princes, and to let me know if there were any -signs of unusual activity which would indicate that some stroke was -in preparation. - -In Paris I kept up a similar watch on the headquarters of the -Royalist and Bonapartist parties. The Royalists are formidable, -thanks to the influence of society; but the Bonapartist cause is -represented by a small and dwindling clique of journalists and -demagogues, who exhaust themselves in the effort to revive the -Napoleonic legend, by their parrot-like repetition of the words -_Marengo_ and _Austerlitz_. - -I did not imagine that this noisy faction would be intrusted with -any important secret; and I was soon satisfied that if the chiefs -of the Army were really contemplating a restoration, Bourbon or -Bonapartist, they had kept their design entirely to themselves. - -The first reports which I received from my agents abroad were -discouraging. The Bourbon Pretender, who is without reticence, and -seeks every opportunity of advertising his personality, appeared to -be quite passive for the moment. - -Prince Victor Napoleon, a man of a very different character, who -withdraws himself as much as possible from public notice, conscious, -perhaps, that he has inherited some of his father’s unpopularity, was -also leading his usual quiet life, and no evidence was forthcoming -of any secret intelligence between him and the group of generals who -controlled the French army. - -Things were in this position, and I was beginning to feel -dissatisfied with the slow progress I was making, when I was suddenly -called to the telephone one evening by my agent in Brussels, who had -at last some important news for me. - -‘Prince Victor is going to England,’ he announced, after we had -exchanged the password. - -‘To _England_!’ Was it possible that the two rivals were about to -meet? I asked myself. ‘When does he depart?’ - -‘Perhaps to-morrow. His secretary has been to the Belgian Foreign -Office to procure passports.’ - -‘There are no passports required in England,’ I returned, my -suspicions instantly roused. ‘You have been deceived. Have you seen -the passport?’ - -‘No. It was from the servants that I learned the Prince was going to -England.’ - -‘It is a blind, rest assured. Keep the strictest watch, and do not -allow him to leave Brussels without you. I shall come by the next -train.’ - -I rang off the communication, and hastened to make the necessary -preparations for a journey of which I could not foresee the end. - -On alighting in the Belgian capital I was met by my faithful -henchman, who informed me with sparkling eyes that he had succeeded, -by means of a bribe, in ascertaining from a clerk in the Foreign -Office that a passport had been granted to the Comte de Saint Pol and -secretary, travelling to Berlin. - -If anything had been needed to convince me that the journey of Prince -Napoleon had a serious purpose, these concealments would have done -so. I was now confident that I was on the right track, and I did not -grudge the fatigue involved in a journey across Europe. - -I ordered Fouqué, as my man was named, to resume his watch on the -Prince’s abode, while I waited at the station from which the Berlin -express takes its departure. It was understood that we were both -to proceed by the same train as the Comte de Saint Pol and his -companion. - -No hitch occurred; the Prince, accompanied by his secretary and -my agent, duly arrived to take their seats in the train, and the -four of us alighted together in the capital of Germany. I had spent -the interval in considering my plan of action. I was so far from -foreseeing the true cause of Prince Napoleon’s mysterious journey, -that I expected to find him closeted the next day with the German -Emperor, imparting the confidence which Garnier had refused to me. -The event proved very different. - -As soon as the two travellers had taken up their quarters in a hotel, -whither, it is needless to say, we accompanied them, the secretary -was sent out on an errand by himself. Fouqué, of course, followed, -and came back in about an hour with the startling information that -the secretary had been to the Russian Embassy. - -The meaning of this proceeding flashed upon me at once. The real -destination of the Prince was not Berlin, but Petersburg. He was -merely passing a few hours in Berlin in order to confuse the trail, -and he had sent his passport to the Embassy to be _viséd_ for Russia. - -In order to make sure that my surmise was correct, I decided to -make use of my implied authority to act on behalf of the German -Government. I ordered Fouqué to force his way bodily into the Count’s -apartment, announce himself as an agent of the Berlin police, and -demand to see the stranger’s passport. The ruse was completely -successful, and I learned that the yellow seal of the Russian Eagle -had been affixed to the paper. - -My own task had now become difficult and dangerous. Although I -maintain friendly relations with the Russian police, with whom I -have often collaborated, I knew they were not likely to tolerate my -intrusion into their territory as the spy of a foreign Power. In -dealing with half-reclaimed savages like the Slaves, one never knows -what form their revenge will take, and Siberia is not a country in -which I have ever had any inclination to reside. - -The plan which presented itself to my mind was an audacious one, -but in such situations audacity is safer than faint-heartedness. I -despatched Fouqué to the headquarters of the Berlin police with a -denunciation against Prince Napoleon’s secretary for the crime of -_lèse-majesté_. - -_Lèse-majesté_ is the one offence which is never treated lightly in -German official quarters. Fouqué’s information was eagerly taken -down, and a police officer promptly arrived at the hotel armed with a -warrant for the arrest of the traveller. - -M. Rémillard, the secretary, protested in vain that he was a -stranger, who had only that hour arrived in Berlin, and was leaving -Germany the next day; and that he had never been guilty of the least -disrespect towards Wilhelm II. - -‘You declared that the Emperor was a babbler,’ he was informed. - -‘Ah, but I meant the Emperor of Russia,’ retorted the Frenchman -smartly. - -‘What, is he a babbler, too?’ exclaimed the policeman--an answer -which, I believe, has since become celebrated. - -But his ingenuity could not save the unlucky secretary from arrest, -and the Comte de Saint Pol found himself obliged to proceed on his -journey alone. It remained for me to complete the execution of my -design, by substituting myself in the place of M. Rémillard. - -This project, which would have been beyond the powers of an ordinary -police agent, was rendered possible in my case by my extensive -knowledge of underground politics, and the reputation which I have -striven to deserve of a man whose faith can be depended on. - -I dismissed Fouqué, whose further presence would have embarrassed me, -and took my seat in the _coupé_ reserved for the Comte de Saint Pol -in the Petersburg express. - -In answer to the remonstrance with which my intrusion was received, I -explained that I was acting under orders. - -‘Your travelling companion has been arrested, Monsieur le Comte, but -perhaps I may be allowed to supply his place.’ - -‘Am I under arrest, too?’ Prince Victor demanded with some -indignation. - -‘Not at all,’ I answered, ‘but your movements are of some interest -to the German Government, or rather the Emperor, who has honoured me -with his personal instructions.’ - -‘What have my affairs to do with his Imperial Majesty?’ inquired the -Prince anxiously. - -‘Perhaps nothing, perhaps a great deal. You will, at least allow, -_Monsieur le Comte_, that your passage through Germany appears to be -attended with some mystery.’ - -‘In short----?’ - -‘In short, the Emperor will be glad to be honoured by your -confidence, _Monseigneur_.’ - -The Prince started at this title, and began narrowly scrutinising my -face, while he evidently considered in his own mind what account to -give of himself. - -‘It may assist you, perhaps,’ I went on to say, ‘if I tell you that I -already know nearly all that you can tell me. I am M. V----.’ - -At this name a change passed over Prince Napoleon’s face. A silent -struggle seemed to be taking place in his breast. Presently he raised -his eyes to mine. - -[Illustration: “‘Am I under arrest too?’ Prince Pierre demanded with -some indignation.”] - -‘Tell me, M. V----, are you capable of forgetting for a couple of -hours that you are the Emperor’s confidential agent, and favouring me -with your disinterested advice?’ - -‘I believe so, always provided that your Highness does not ask me to -betray the confidences I have received from others.’ - -The Prince accepted this stipulation with frankness. - -‘In all probability you are in a position to tell me more about the -reasons for this journey than I know myself. I am going, as a matter -of fact, in search of information.’ - -I concealed as much as possible the shock of surprise which this -confession caused me. Up to that moment I had naturally imagined -that the Prince was on his way to consult the Tsar, and obtain -his approval, as the ally of France, of whatever designs were in -progress. I now realised suddenly that I had overlooked a factor in -the situation whose importance might be greater than Prince Victor’s -own. - -I need scarcely say that I refer to his brother Louis. - -In enumerating the pretenders whose ambition threatens the Republic, -I had naturally omitted this prince, whose claims seemed to be -overshadowed by those of his elder brother. I now recalled his -popularity as a young man of the most charming manners, and the -prestige which he derives from his rank in the Russian Army and the -personal friendship of the Tsar. - -What was more possible than that Garnier and his comrades, passing -over the unattractive elder, should have chosen as the figurehead -of their usurpation this romantic character, who would be doubly -dependent on them, because he would be doubly a usurper? - -These reflections passed through my mind swiftly enough for me to -answer without any perceptible pause-- - -‘You are paying a visit to your brother?’ - -Prince Victor nodded, as though that were a matter of course. It -was easy to see that he felt it a relief to be able to discuss the -situation fully and frankly with a man of experience and resource, -one who moreover had no reason for taking his brother’s side. - -Briefly, his story came to this:-- - -‘Some years ago, after the death of our father, my brother had a long -consultation with me about the prospects of our family. He asserted -that he was more popular in France than I was, and suggested that -the chance of a Bonaparte restoration would be improved if I would -consent to abdicate in his favour. This I naturally refused to do, -but he pressed me, and got other members of the family to do the -same, and at last I gave way so far as to say that if there were -a substantial prospect of success, and it really depended on my -resigning my rights in my brother’s favour, I would do it. - -‘When I said that, of course, I thought it would be a question of a -popular plebiscite, like our uncle received, and that I should be -bound by the voice of the majority. But ever since then I have seen -feelers put out from time to time in the Paris papers, suggesting -that I did not wish to insist on my rights as the heir of the great -Napoleon. And now within the last few days I have received a letter -from my brother, informing me that a restoration is at last possible, -and calling on me to fulfil my pledge, and publicly abdicate my -claims.’ - -I listened to this remarkable disclosure with the keenest interest. -It confirmed my suspicions on almost every point, though I was still -far from feeling that I had obtained a complete solution to the -problem set me by Wilhelm II. - -My companion let it be seen plainly that he was not very well pleased -with the prospect of being supplanted by his younger brother. I took -this feeling into account in the advice which I offered. - -‘The only thing you have told me that is new to me, is the fact that -Prince Louis is the person favoured by the conspirators,’ I said. ‘I -knew there was some such plot on foot, but, like every one else, I -took it for granted that you were the only possible candidate for the -empire.’ My companion breathed indignantly. - -‘As for the success of the movement, that is highly problematical. -You will not feel very satisfied if you execute this solemn act, only -to see your brother rise for a moment on the shoulders of the mob, -and then vanish like Boulanger, leaving your House more feeble than -at present.’ - -‘Then what do you advise me to say to my brother?’ he asked eagerly. - -‘I think your course is perfectly clear. You are entitled to demand -the fullest information, in the first place. If that satisfies you -that your brother’s success is assured, that no action on your part -can retard it, then you will act gracefully by conceding a signature -which will not deprive you of anything, and will give you substantial -claims on his gratitude. But if you see that you are being asked -to efface yourself without sufficient grounds, you have only to -declare that you are not convinced, and to issue a manifesto to your -supporters in France, reminding them that you are still the head of -the House of Bonaparte.’ - -My companion received this suggestion with every sign of -satisfaction. During the remainder of the journey I lost no -opportunity of playing on the same string, and making him feel that -I was, as it were, his ally, engaging in defeating a plot which was -much more against him than against the Republic. - -When we reached the Russian frontier, I had no difficulty in inducing -the Prince to pass me through the barrier as the secretary of the -Comte de Saint Pol, and I thus entered Russia in perfect security, in -a character which would have amazed the Third Section. - -On our arrival in Petersburg I asked Prince Napoleon if he intended -to go to his brother’s address. He answered proudly-- - -‘I am still the head of my House, I believe. It would be more -suitable for me to let my brother know of my arrival in order that he -may wait upon me.’ - -I willingly charged myself with the delivery of the summons. - -The announcement that I came from Brussels secured my instant -admission to Prince Louis’s presence. - -‘I have the honour to act as secretary to his Imperial Highness, -Prince Victor Napoleon,’ I explained. - -‘Ah! In that case you bring me a letter from him, no doubt?’ - -‘I bring your Highness a message simply. The Prince desires to see -you.’ - -‘But I cannot leave Petersburg--surely my brother knows that!’ - -‘He knows it so well that he is in Petersburg.’ - -Prince Louis sprang to his feet, thunderstruck. - -‘Victor is here!--already!’ he exclaimed in confusion. - -For answer I named the hotel at which we had put up, explaining -at the same time that the Prince wished to preserve his incognito -strictly. - -Prince Louis prepared to accompany me to the hotel in the carriage -which had brought me to his house. As we drove along, he inquired-- - -‘Are you in my brother’s confidence?’ - -‘I believe I enjoy that honour,’ was my reply. ‘At least I am -acquainted with the business which has brought him here.’ - -‘Perhaps you can tell me something of my brother’s views?’ he said, -feeling his way. - -‘I think his Highness expects to receive full information before he -takes a step which will be irrevocable.’ - -‘Ah!’ - -‘He thinks, perhaps, that you may have been deceived by exaggerated -promises, and that he has the right to forbid any premature attempt -whose failure would damage the Bonapartist cause.’ - -Prince Louis gnawed his moustache with some impatience. - -‘My brother must not be unreasonable,’ he murmured. ‘One is never -certain of success in these attempts.’ - -‘If you will allow me to advise you, you will give him the fullest -opportunity of judging of your prospects. It would be a serious thing -for everybody if he were provoked into any public demonstration -against you.’ - -The younger Prince changed colour. - -‘Is it so serious as that?’ he exclaimed. And during the remainder of -the drive he continued wrapped in thought, only the working of his -brow betraying the anxiety within. - -The greeting between the brothers was cordial, if not affectionate. I -took it for granted that I was to be a party to the conference, and -as each brother believed that I was secretly friendly to him, neither -suggested that I should retire. - -As soon as we were seated round the table, on which I had laid -out some paper, pens, and ink, Prince Victor formally opened the -discussion. - -He spoke with a good deal of dignity and some eloquence. He treated -it as a matter beyond dispute that he was the sole depository of the -authority of the great Napoleon, entitled to the absolute obedience -of every member of his House. He disclaimed any personal ambition, -and referred to his former pledge, which he described as a promise -to abdicate if he were convinced that such a step on his part was -really likely to result in the restoration of the empire. - -He then laid it down that he retained the sole right to decide if -and when the time for this step had arrived, and hinted that it was -his duty, as well as his right, to interfere actively to check any -designs of which he disapproved. He concluded by professing a sincere -and hearty interest in his brother’s fortunes, and inviting Prince -Louis to confide in him fully, as in his best friend. - -This statesmanlike deliverance appeared to inspire the younger Prince -with genuine respect. He appeared to be a good deal embarrassed in -the beginning of his reply. It was a difficult task to tell his elder -brother that he had been rejected in favour of Louis himself. - -After acknowledging in the most ample manner his brother’s claims on -his obedience and gratitude, Prince Louis proceeded-- - -‘The state of France shows clearly that our House has no chance of -success by constitutional means. The Republic can only be subverted -by the action of the Army, which embodies the spirit of the nation -more truly than the collection of provincial advocates and financiers -which calls itself the Chamber of Deputies. The Army will be guided -by its chiefs, and, therefore, it is the Staff which holds our fate -in its hands. The generals very naturally feel a preference for a -soldier. It is now nearly six months since I was first approached in -the greatest secrecy by General Garnier.’ - -I had the utmost difficulty in not betraying my emotion at the sound -of this name, so inseparably connected with the Dreyfus Case. - -‘Garnier conveyed to me that he and his brother generals had decided -that the time was ripe for a revolution, in which they anticipated -receiving the support of the Church and the _noblesse_. He said -they were determined to avoid a second catastrophe like that of -the mountebank Boulanger, and therefore they meant to abolish the -Republic by a military pronunciamento, and declare France a monarchy -under their protection. And, in short, he offered me the crown in the -name of the French Army.’ - -‘You reminded him of my existence, perhaps?’ put in the elder brother -with some bitterness. - -‘I refused to entertain the offer until it had been made to, and -refused by, you,’ Louis protested earnestly. ‘Garnier replied that -in no event would his brother generals agree to your nomination, and -that, if I declined, the offer would be made to the Duke of Orleans, -who commanded the support of the clerical faction. It was a question -of Bonaparte or Bourbon, and I relied on our compact that in such a -case you would relinquish your rights in my favour.’ - -Prince Victor turned to me as though he wished me to express his -sentiments. I accepted the task. - -‘It would have been better if you had taken Prince Napoleon into -your confidence before giving any definite answer,’ I said. ‘General -Garnier might have paid your elder brother the compliment of -explaining the reasons for setting him aside.’ - -‘I did not consider the project sufficiently mature at that time,’ -was the answer. ‘I thought it better to wait till the affair assumed -a tangible shape.’ - -‘And this stage has now been reached?’ I inquired. - -‘It has. My brother will understand that a pretext was necessary for -the action of the Army, and that pretext could only be the danger -of war. For a long time we were troubled with the difficulty that -neither in Germany nor in England was there any disposition to attack -France, and our treaty with Russia laid it down in the most explicit -manner that the Tsar would only come to our assistance in the event -of our being attacked. - -‘But at last, thanks to the vigilance of Garnier and the other -chiefs of the Staff, it has been discovered that Germany is secretly -preparing for a stealthy spring; she is covering France with her -spies, and, but for the timely arrest of this Dreyfus----’ - -I could not resist a subdued exclamation of triumph as the utterance -of this name completed the chain of discovery. The whole intrigue -engineered by the artful and unscrupulous French generals lay -displayed to my eye, as on a map. I listened like one in a dream as -Prince Louis continued explaining to his brother the peril of the -French nation, the justification for the Army’s taking command of the -State, and the consequent certainty of a Bonaparte restoration. - -Victor listened silently, unable to think of any objection, and -seeing his own chance of ever reigning as Emperor of the French -slipping from him. It was I who put the decisive question. - -‘You have, I suppose, taken the Tsar into your confidence, and -convinced him of the reality of the danger?’ - -‘We have obtained the promise of his support,’ Louis answered. - -‘Good. In that case you will not refuse your brother the reasonable -proofs which it is his right to demand, that you have not been -deceived.’ - -‘What proofs do you expect?’ - -‘I respectfully advise Prince Napoleon to request an interview with -the Tsar.’ - -This advice was received with very different feelings by the two -brothers. Prince Louis cast on me a look of surprise and annoyance; -his elder brother’s eyes glistened with pleasure at a suggestion -whose value was at once apparent to him. - -‘You cannot object to my following my secretary’s advice’, said -Prince Victor, after a moment’s pause. ‘The interests of my House are -at stake; and before I resign the prospect of a throne I have a right -to be thoroughly satisfied. The Tsar is your friend, and, therefore, -you should be pleased to accept his mediation.’ - -Prince Louis yielded, not very graciously, to these representations, -and undertook to arrange the conference. He then withdrew, leaving us -to discuss the situation. - -It is unnecessary for me to relate what passed between Prince -Napoleon and myself. I succeeded in fixing him in the opinion that -he had been treated ungenerously, and that he owed it to himself to -thwart a dishonest and doubtful conspiracy, calculated to bring the -name of Bonaparte into odium. - -The following day, about the same hour, we were received by the -titular autocrat of All the Russias. - -The only persons present, besides the two brothers, were myself -and the celebrated Pobiedonostzeff, who up till quite recently has -exercised a mastery over the mind of his nominal sovereign that has -been compared to that of Richelieu over the feeble Louis XIII. - -It was at once evident that the decision of Nicholas II. would be -largely determined by the advice which he received from his spiritual -and political mentor. In effect, the conference resolved itself into -a duel between the formidable Russian statesman and myself; he, -animated by a hatred of freedom, which led him to sympathise with the -design against the Republic; I, influenced by a sense of justice, and -a desire to do my duty by the German Emperor. - -Having briefly acknowledged the favour of the Tsar in receiving him, -Prince Napoleon left the statement of his case in my hands. - -I began by briefly referring to the understanding between the two -brothers, and the present situation of affairs. - -‘What Prince Napoleon desires,’ I went on, addressing myself to -Pobiedonostzeff, ‘is to understand whether he is being asked -to abdicate on sufficient grounds. Is he dealing with a mere -hole-and-corner conspiracy, which may end in a fiasco; or is it true -that his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia is committed to the -approval and support of his brother’s enterprise?’ - -The Tsar glanced from my face to that of his Minister, as I -concluded, with an expression which convinced me that his Majesty -knew very little about the affair, in which he had no doubt blindly -accepted the guidance of Pobiedonostzeff. - -The Procurator of the Holy Synod had evidently come prepared with an -ambiguous reply. - -‘His Majesty is a friend of France, and, as such, he naturally views -with concern the weakness of the Republic, a weakness inseparable -from Governments which rest on the authority of the mob. The Emperor -is at the same time a friend of the House of Bonaparte, though, of -course, he has no wish to interfere in favour of any particular -candidate for the French throne rather than another. - -‘He is pledged by treaty to come to the assistance of France in the -case of an unprovoked attack by the Three Powers, or by the English. -It follows that where the danger of such an attack exists, his -Majesty is ready to encourage any prudent measure in the interests of -France, such as this appears to be.’ - -Prince Louis smiled, well pleased at this skilful answer. His brother -gave me an expectant glance. - -‘Am I to understand, then--or, rather, is Prince Napoleon to -understand--that it is the threatening attitude of Germany which has -weighed with his Imperial Majesty?’ - -‘You may say the treacherous intrigues of Germany. The Germans have -been careful to avoid any open provocation.’ - -‘His Majesty has received satisfactory proofs, no doubt, that such -intrigues exist?’ - -‘Undoubtedly. General Garnier, on behalf of the Staff of the French -Army, has laid before the Emperor’s advisers documents which prove -up to the hilt that Germany is merely waiting for the psychological -moment to spring upon France, disarm her, and erase her from the list -of the Great Powers.’ - -‘Would it not have been more in accordance with precedent if these -documents had been submitted to you by the President of the French -Republic through the medium of the French Ambassador?’ - -I was glad to notice the Tsar turn a questioning look on his Minister -as I delivered this thrust, for which Pobiedonostzeff was evidently -not prepared. - -‘I do not understand your objection,’ he said, in some surprise. -‘Prince Napoleon is surely not interested on behalf of the Republican -Government.’ - -‘The interest of Prince Napoleon is to know the truth,’ I responded -sternly. ‘Conspirators are not always scrupulous about the means they -employ. General Garnier is not a man who can be pronounced incapable -of manufacturing evidence in favour of his schemes.’ - -The Procurator’s face flushed. - -‘You venture to insinuate that General Garnier is a forger!’ he cried -wrathfully. - -‘Listen, M. Pobiedonostzeff. In the time of the late Tsar I was -employed by the Russian Government, before it concluded the treaty -of alliance with France, to obtain secret and precise information -concerning the military strength of that country. I have never -revealed the name of the officer from whom I purchased that -information. Shall I do so now?’ - -The Russian Minister gazed at me in consternation, and his master -appeared equally surprised. Glancing at a slip of paper which lay -before him, Pobiedonostzeff asked-- - -‘Who are you, then? Your name cannot be Rémillard.’ - -‘It is V----,’ I answered. - -The Procurator threw himself back in his seat, astonished. - -‘Your police have not shown their usual astuteness, I am afraid,’ I -observed, smiling. - -The Tsar now interposed in a tone of more authority than I had -ventured to hope from his not very strong face. - -‘Do you suggest, M. V----, that the whole Staff of the French Army -are engaged in a conspiracy to forge documents?’ - -‘Something of the kind, I am afraid, sire.’ - -‘But this notorious case, which has excited the attention of the -whole of Europe--the _Affaire Dreyfus_?’ - -‘I am in a position to assure your Majesty that Captain Dreyfus -had no more to do with Germany than M. Pobiedonostzeff here.’ - -[Illustration: “The Tsar now interposed in a tone of more authority -than I had ventured to hope for. ‘Do you suggest, M. V----, that the -whole staff of the French army are engaged in a conspiracy to forge -documents?’”] - -The Procurator of the Holy Synod raised his head. - -‘You are very confident, it seems to me, M. V----,’ he sneered. ‘May -I ask if you have been retained by the party which is seeking to -reopen the case of Dreyfus?’ - -‘No, M. le Procureur, my knowledge has been acquired from an opposite -quarter.’ - -‘From General Garnier himself, perhaps?’ - -‘No, _not this time_,’ I retorted, with biting significance. ‘My -information was derived from his Imperial Majesty, Wilhelm II.’ - -Never shall I forget the changes which passed rapidly across the -faces of three of my listeners as I made this statement. Prince -Victor Napoleon alone received unmoved an announcement for which he -was already prepared. - -‘It is not a month,’ I added calmly, ‘since the German Emperor -charged me with a commission to find out two things: the reason for -the theatrical publicity given to the trial of an obscure captain -in the French Army, and the object of the persistent attempt to -represent him as a spy of Germany.’ I paused for a moment and turned -to Nicholas II. before concluding. ‘That commission I have now -accomplished. I am now in a position to inform the German Emperor -that the purpose of this shameful comedy is to impose on the French -people the belief that they are in danger of an invasion, from which -they can only be delivered by a Bonaparte restoration under the -patronage of your Majesty.’ - -The face of the young Tsar went red and white by turn. - -‘I swear by Saint Nicholas that they shall eat their forgeries!’ he -said. - -And I have reason to know that it was the pressing and peremptory -request of the Russian Emperor that at last secured the second trial, -and the final pardon and release of the unhappy sufferer. - - - - -IV - -WHAT WAS BEHIND THE TSAR’S PEACE RESCRIPT - - -Perhaps the most sensational event in recent history was the -publication by the young and newly crowned Tsar of All the Russias -of a rescript calling upon the great military Powers of the world to -disband their armies and dismantle their fleets, and inaugurate an -era of universal peace. - -This extraordinary invitation produced a flutter in all the -diplomatic dovecotes, for European statesmen have learned by this -time that Russia does nothing in vain. Everywhere the same question -was asked: ‘What is behind this rescript?’ - -It is scarcely necessary to add that, with the exception of a few -sentimental fanatics in England and the United States, no one was -inclined to put faith in a demonstration which was actually the -prelude to a raid on the ancient liberties of Finland, in order to -swell the armies of the Imperial peacemaker, and to a combined attack -by all the great Christian Powers upon the only unarmed Empire in the -world. - -Nobody was deceived, but every one was disconcerted for the moment, -and I was disconcerted like the rest. I was more. I was irresistibly -drawn on to attempt the solution of a mystery which fascinated me -like a difficult chess problem set before an expert in the game. - -I could not afford, of course, to set about such an investigation -merely for my own amusement. After waiting a decent time on the -chance that I might be sent for by one of the Governments most -interested in unravelling the schemes of the great Eurasian Power, I -took the unusual step of going unasked to proffer my assistance to -the Ambassador of a Power to which I have rendered important services. - -To my surprise and chagrin I found myself repelled on the threshold, -the Ambassador in question, a diplomatist of great experience, -declaring that there was nothing to discover. - -‘I share your disbelief in the peaceful intentions of the Russian -Council of State,’ his Excellency was good enough to say to me. ‘But -this is a matter with which they have really had nothing to do. This -rescript is the outcome of the Tsar’s own individuality. He is a -philanthropic young man, carried away by the enthusiasm natural to -his age, and his advisers have had to give way to him. That is all; -and it only remains to see whether his idea is practicable.’ - -The explanation was a plausible one, and all the more so because by -this time the character of the new ruler of Russia was fairly well -known to those whose business it is to reckon up the personalities of -sovereigns and statesmen. Still I was not convinced. - -‘That is exactly the explanation which I should offer to the Foreign -Offices of Europe, if I were M. Witte,’ I ventured to observe. - -The Ambassador smiled with good humour. - -‘The explanation does not rest on the word of M. Witte, I assure -you,’ he answered. ‘Every one who knows anything about Nicholas II. -knows that he is a simple-minded, honest young man, quite incapable -of playing a part in a comedy. As a matter of fact there is nothing -in this rescript which he has not been saying in private conversation -with his family and friends any time this last two or three years. -The German Emperor heard all about it long ago. Now at last he has -put his views formally before the world in a state paper. These -proposals may not be practicable, but there can be no doubt that they -are perfectly sincere.’ - -‘I do not doubt the Tsar’s sincerity,’ I returned. ‘But knowing what -I know of Russia, I want to understand why the Council of State have -allowed the Tsar to have his own way.’ - -This time the Ambassador’s smile was less indulgent. - -‘Really, M. V----, I think you are pushing your suspicions too far. -Your profession has biassed your mind, and caused you to see mystery -where it does not exist. You remind me of those politicians whom -Bismarck used to say that he could always deceive by being perfectly -frank.’ - -I smiled in my turn, a little grimly, as I responded-- - -‘It appears to me, your Excellency, that the counsellors of the Tsar -have just taken a leaf out of Bismarck’s book.’ - -Baffled in this direction, I was casting about me for another client, -when my secretary came in to me one morning with a despatch marked -urgent, calling me to proceed immediately to Constantinople, where my -services were required by Muzaffir Effendi, the eunuch highest in the -confidence of Abdul Hamid. - -I snatched at the opening with the assurance of triumph. Of all -states Turkey was the one most deeply concerned in the foreign policy -of Russia. Of all possible clients the most desirable was the ruler -whose secret hoards had dazzled the imagination of every secret -service agent in the world for a quarter of a century. - -What the business might be on which Muzaffir wanted me I neither -knew nor greatly cared. I took my seat in the train that was to bear -me towards the Balkan Peninsula, firmly resolved that his business -should give way to mine. - -On my way across Central Europe I found the papers already full of -the touching story of the benevolent young despot and his triumph -over the worldly wisdom of his counsellors. I could not blame the -journalists for being taken in by a story which had imposed on one -of the most hard-headed diplomatists in Paris; I could only marvel -at the astuteness and daring of the Muscovite statesmen who had -contrived to turn the personal idiosyncrasies of their sovereign to -use in their Machiavellian politics. - -On reaching the shores of the Bosphorus I found, as I had -anticipated, that I was wanted to disentangle a miserable intrigue -of the harem, the kind of work more suited to a private detective -than to a man in my unique position. Under any other circumstances I -should have declined the task without more ado; as it was, I turned -Muzaffir’s difficulty into my opportunity. - -‘Listen to me,’ I said to the trembling eunuch, as soon as he had -finished confiding his tale to me, ‘I can save you, and I will save -you, but only on one condition. And that is, that you procure me a -private and confidential audience of the Sultan, and that you use -your influence with him to make him grant the request I have to -make.’ - -Muzaffir, who, like all his tribe, was a miser, seemed overjoyed at -this cheap method of rewarding me. Of course, he wished to know the -object I had in view. - -‘I am going to ask the Sultan to employ me on a secret political -mission outside the Turkish Empire, a mission from which you have -nothing to fear. Your business is to persuade the Sultan to trust -me--let that be enough.’ - -Twist and wriggle as he would, the eunuch found he could get nothing -more out of me. He gave in, and his influence over the mind of Abdul -Hamid being unbounded, I quickly found myself face to face with the -lean, dark, gaunt-eyed Asiatic who styles himself Commander of the -Faithful and Shadow of God on earth. - -Abdul Hamid proved to be in a more suspicious mood than my friend in -Paris. As soon as I mentioned the Peace Rescript he interrupted me. - -‘I am not going to disarm. I know what the Christian Powers are -by this time. They always begin to talk about peace when they are -secretly preparing to attack somebody.’ - -‘I am afraid your Majesty is right. The question is, what is the real -design underlying this particular piece of hypocrisy?’ - -‘I know that, too,’ was the unexpected reply. ‘The Russians have -decided to turn their attention to China. There they can do all that -they want with a hundred thousand men. So it is to their interest to -get rid of the burden of a great army which will not be wanted for a -generation.’ - -This was an ingenious idea, but it did not satisfy me, any more than -the semi-official one had done. I ventured to object-- - -‘If that were all, sire, there would be no occasion for this -melodramatic appeal to the other Powers. There is nothing to hinder -Russia from reducing her armaments by one-half to-morrow. No one -dreams of attacking her. Her army is kept up for offence, not for -defence. She is the one Power that could afford to set the example -of disbanding, and such an example would carry more weight than any -number of professions on paper, however well meant.’ - -The Sultan appeared struck by this reasoning. - -‘Then what do you say is the object behind this rescript?’ he -demanded. - -‘I do not know. But I undertake to find out if your Majesty will -furnish me with the necessary means.’ - -Abdul Hamid gave me a distrustful glance. - -‘It is an expensive thing to buy information from the Council of -State,’ he grumbled. - -‘You are right, sire. And the higher one goes, the more expensive it -becomes. It is clear that this move has been engineered by persons -who are able to manage the Tsar himself, and such persons are not -likely to sell their own game for much less than a million roubles.’ - -Abdul Hamid quivered at the mention of this sum as though I had -demanded one of the eyes out of his head. - -‘Why should I go to this expense?’ he objected. ‘I have already told -you that I am not going to disarm.’ - -‘The question is whether you are willing to see Germany and Austria -disarm, leaving you to face Russia single-handed. Surely it is worth -a hundred thousand pounds to Turkey to prevent her allies from -falling into such a trap.’ - -The Sultan still hesitated. - -‘How do I know that I shall get anything in return, if I trust you -with this money?’ he asked suspiciously. - -‘Your Majesty must judge me by what I have done already. Two -days ago you had never heard my name. Now I am here alone with -you, with a loaded revolver in my pocket’--the Sultan started -violently--‘discussing the secrets of your foreign policy. Does that -look as though I were a fool?’ - -The Commander of the Faithful sat silent, attentively regarding me -for some minutes. Finally he dismissed me, promising to consider my -proposal. - -[Illustration: “‘Your Majesty must judge me by what I have done -already. Two days you had never heard my name. Now I am here, alone -with you, with a loaded revolver in my pocket.’ The Sultan started -violently.”] - -I withdrew, confident that Abdul would consult his all-powerful -favourite, and that Muzaffir would see that I got my way. - -A week later I was back in Paris, with an autograph letter from the -Sultan to his Ambassador in Russia, and a draft on the Ottoman Bank -which I took the precaution to exchange for a letter of credit from a -private Parisian banking firm to the Ephrussis of Petersburg. - -My intention was to go to Russia in the character of a French -financial agent, the representative of a syndicate of Paris bankers, -on the look-out for profitable concessions from the Government of the -Tsar. In this way I hoped to be able to approach influential persons -without exciting suspicion, and to ascertain their corruptibility -before exposing my secret object. - -In order to play this part it was not necessary for me to indulge -in any actual deceit. As a matter of fact the demand for foreign -capital to develop Russian properties is a steadily increasing -one, and I had no difficulty in meeting with financiers willing to -constitute me their agent, to inquire into the character of some of -the undertakings submitted to them. - -The only person I proposed to take into my confidence was the Turkish -Ambassador in Petersburg, on whom I relied for information as to the -personal influences at work in the Russian Court. - -It was to the Ambassador, therefore, that I paid my first visit on -arriving in the northern capital. His Excellency received me at -first with some reserve, which was quickly dissipated by a perusal of -the Sultan’s missive. - -‘You have come to learn the truth about this rescript,’ he remarked. -‘It is certainly a new departure. You disbelieve in the sincerity of -the Tsar, I suppose?’ - -‘Not in the sincerity of the Tsar, but in the sincerity of those who -make his benevolent sentiments the cloak of their own secret policy,’ -I corrected. - -The Ambassador nodded approvingly. - -‘You have put your finger on the weak spot,’ he responded. ‘The -danger in dealing with this rescript is that the other Powers may -take it seriously owing to their trust in the personal character of -Nicholas. In reality Nicholas is merely an instrument in the hands of -three persons, without whose advice he does nothing, and two of those -three are themselves creatures of the Council of State.’ - -‘And the three persons are?’ - -‘They are his mother, the Dowager Empress Dagmar; Pobiedonostzeff, -the Procurator of the Holy Synod; and the Grand Duke ----, the Tsar’s -constant companion and bosom friend.’ - -At the sound of such names as these I was almost appalled at the -outset. The character of the Dowager Empress, as much as her rank, -rendered her unapproachable. M. Pobiedonostzeff, although a bigot, -was not likely to be a traitor. The Grand Duke was an unknown -quantity, as far as I was concerned, but it did not seem very -probable that a personage in his position would prove accessible to a -bribe. - -It never does to despair too soon. I put the question which long -experience of the dark side of human nature has rendered habitual -with me-- - -‘Has the Grand Duke any vices?’ - -‘He gambles a good deal in the Yacht Club.’ - -I drew a breath of satisfaction. Of all men the gambler is the -easiest to corrupt, because to him alone money is everything, and -because there comes a time to every gambler when money is not to be -had. - -‘Who are his gambling companions?’ was my next question. - -The Ambassador named several Russian nobles of high rank, among whom -the leading spirit seemed to be a Prince Boris Mendelieff. I was -going on with my inquiries when his Excellency checked me. - -‘I have told you enough, it seems to me, to enable you to go on by -yourself. In the meantime I am the Ambassador of the Sultan, not -his secret service agent, and I wish to know nothing that might -compromise me.’ - -I respected his scruples, though they were such as some Russian -diplomatists would scarcely have understood, and proceeded to form -my own plans for making the acquaintance of Prince Mendelieff. - -Fortunately the Russians are as unsuspicious in private life as they -are suspicious in politics. My skill as a bridge-player, a game in -which I have no living superior, proved a ready passport into the -gaming circles of Petersburg, and it was not long before I found -myself sitting at the same card-table with the intimate of the Grand -Duke. - -I was lucky enough to lose a considerable sum to him, which I paid -with a good grace, and he could not do less than invite me to his -house. I accepted the invitation with an eagerness which must have -struck him as rather ill-bred, and we drove there together. Over a -bottle of champagne I became confidential. I avowed myself to be -a money-lender, as well as a concession-hunter, and hinted that I -should be prepared to pay handsomely for introductions to clients of -high station. - -Mendelieff took the bait like a hungry pike. He was the first -to mention the name of the Grand Duke, doubtless knowing that -his Imperial Highness would be only too pleased to meet such an -accommodating person as I appeared to be. A bargain was struck, and -Mendelieff promised to let me know as soon as he had arranged for my -reception by his august patron. - -The meeting took place in the Prince’s own house. Cards were -produced, the stakes were exceedingly high, and rather against my -wish I won steadily, while the losses of the Grand Duke were severe -enough to disturb his good humour. Mendelieff artfully seized the -right moment to present me as a friend in need, and to take off the -rest of the party, leaving us together. - -The Grand Duke lost no time in putting me to the proof. - -‘You are a banker, are you not, M. de Sarthe?’--De Sarthe was the -name under which I had crossed the frontier. - -‘At least, I represent some important financial houses,’ I replied. - -‘Oh, spare me that kind of thing,’ his Imperial Highness returned -impatiently, ‘let us take the usual comedy for granted, and tell me -frankly how much you are prepared to lend me.’ - -‘I do not know how much you want, sir, but I have any sum up to a -million roubles at your service.’ - -The Grand Duke’s eyes sparkled. - -‘M. de Sarthe, you are a friend indeed!’ he exclaimed. ‘But what are -your terms for this advance?’ - -‘As far as your pocket is concerned, nothing. I do not even ask that -this loan shall ever be repaid.’ - -He stared at me for a moment in astonishment. Then all at once his -expression changed, and his voice dropped to a whisper. - -‘Ah! I understand. This is some affair of the secret service. You are -offering me a bribe, I suppose.’ - -‘I do not come from the Third Section, if that is what your Highness -means. I am, as I have said, a financier, and my only object is to -make money.’ - -‘I see. You wish me to influence the Government on your behalf?’ - -‘Not exactly that, sir. I am in search of information--information -which will enable me to operate successfully on the Paris Bourse.’ - -The Grand Duke looked rather relieved. It was evident that he did not -consider this very serious. - -‘And what is the information you want?’ he asked. - -‘It is very simple. I want to know the real bearing of the recent -Peace Rescript of the Tsar. Let me explain,’ I went on quickly, -raising my hand as I saw he was about to speak. ‘I know the surface -explanation of the matter, but I do not believe it. I do not believe -that this rescript would ever have seen the light unless the Council -of State had some purpose of their own to serve by it, and I want to -know what that purpose is. It is not to lessen the burden of their -own armaments; they could do that, if they chose, to-morrow. This is -an appeal to the other Powers to disarm, and I want to know why it -has been made.’ - -The Grand Duke listened to this speech in silence, biting his lips -with an air of indecision from which I augured a good result. - -‘You seem to know a good deal, M. de Sarthe,’ he said sullenly. -‘Surely you must know that I am not in the secrets of our Foreign -Office.’ - -‘I believe that, of course, if you say so, sir. But I believe as -well that the Tsar did not draw up this document without your -encouragement, and that in encouraging the Tsar, you acted as the -instrument of the Council of State. I am entitled to suppose that you -were not a blind instrument, but that you knew pretty well why the -Council were so ready to fall in with the enthusiastic impulses of -Nicholas II.’ - -It was a bold thrust, but it went home. The Grand Duke gave me a -startled look, and relapsed into a long spell of silent pondering. -Finally he said-- - -‘And supposing I were to tell you something that you considered it -worth a million roubles to hear, what guarantee have I that you would -not betray my secret? What proof have I even now that you are not a -spy set on by my enemies in the Council of State?’ - -‘I will give your Highness that proof on condition that, if it is -satisfactory, you will accept my proposal.’ - -‘I consent.’ - -‘Then all I need do is to invite you to make your communication, -not to me but to the Ambassador of the Sublime Porte, whom you will -hardly suspect of being in the confidence of M. Pobiedonostzeff.’ - -With these words I rose to my feet. Stupefied for a moment, the Grand -Duke recovered himself in time to make a detaining gesture. - -‘Do not go, monsieur. What you have said completely satisfies me. It -appears that I am required to betray my country.’ - -‘That depends,’ I returned smoothly. ‘If the Council of State is -plotting to betray the Tsar, as I understand it is, I should have -thought it consistent with the honour of a Russian prince of the -blood to take part in defeating their unworthy schemes.’ - -This was evidently a new view to his Imperial Highness, and I could -see by the expression of his face that it was telling powerfully. - -‘Well,’ he said at length, ‘it seems to me that you have my word. -When do you propose to pay me this money?’ - -‘Now, this moment, if your Highness pleases.’ - -‘Count it out, then,’ was the brief injunction. - -[Illustration: “It was a singular scene, as I stood there laying -down pile after pile of greasy ten-thousand-rouble notes on a richly -inlaid table.”] - -I obeyed. It was a singular scene as I stood there laying down pile -after pile of greasy ten thousand rouble notes on a richly inlaid -table, while one of the highest personages in the proudest Court of -Europe or Asia stood beside me, his tall figure glistening with gold -ornaments and jewelled decorations, and his dark Slavonian features -flushed with excitement and greed. As the last note left my fingers, -he bent down and breathed in my ear-- - -‘_Take the Siberian railway, and use your eyes._’ - -I am ready to admit that my first feeling, after hearing those few -words which had cost me a hundred thousand roubles each, was one of -sickening disappointment. But a very little consideration served -to show me that the Grand Duke had told me enough to place success -within my reach, and that the information which he thus put it in -my power to acquire by my own observation was calculated to be of -greater value than any mere statement made at second-hand. - -Somewhere along the vast, just completed track which connects the -Baltic with the Pacific lay the key to the true purpose of that -famous rescript which had imposed on all the statesmen of the world, -and only vigilance and circumspection were required to find it. - -Never was there a journey more fraught with peril than that which I -now undertook. I had to disappear from civilisation for an unknown -length of time, and plunge into a region shrouded in mysterious -dread, the land of prison and exile; the gloomy realm which forms the -background to the showy life of the capital beside the Neva, like a -dark subterranean dungeon hidden beneath a glittering palace. - -From Siberia few enemies of the Russian Government ever return. My -safety depended on my keeping up the character of a financial agent, -on the look-out for sources of wealth requiring French capital -for their development. In that character I was sure of a cordial -reception, and it served as a convenient cloak for some curiosity -about the country I was passing through. - -Not daring to intrust my secret to a companion, I was obliged to go -without sleep from the moment of leaving the Ural mountains behind. -The utmost indulgence I could allow myself was such a light doze -as left the attention ready to leap into activity at the least -provocation. At every stopping place I got out and made a careful -examination of the neighbourhood. The one thing I had to fear was the -night. In the Cimmerian darkness of a northern winter I might have -been carried past an army without perceiving it. - -The train by which I travelled was a long one, and it was increased -before we entered Asia by the addition of an open car like a -cattle-truck, containing peasants whom I took to be prisoners. I had -to be careful not to show myself too inquisitive, but I noticed at -the various stations along the track that they were all young men -of about the same age, and that they got in and out in obedience to -orders given by officials who were armed, and whom I imagined to be -warders or police. - -I did not consider it safe to hold much conversation with my fellow -passengers. It was probable that more than one spy was among them. -I had an uneasy sensation of being watched by invisible eyes, and I -knew that if I once aroused real suspicion by my behaviour, my doom -was sealed. - -So the days and nights passed, and the train crept on its way across -the silence of the frozen continent. I strained my eyes in vain -across the blinding waste, and strained my ears through the night. No -sight or sound rewarded me, save the solitary huts of the railway-men -and the monotonous tinkle of sleigh-bells. - -According to my reckoning we had got nearly half way from the Ural to -the Amur when the longest stage of all was reached. We ran from the -sunset of one day to nearly noon of the next, only halting to take in -water and fuel. Then at last the train entered a town of considerable -importance, apparently a sort of depôt of the line, there being many -side-rails on which trucks were standing as though waiting till they -should be required. - -As soon as the train stopped, I got out as usual with the other -passengers, to stretch my legs and look about me. The long journey -and the lack of proper rest had so exhausted me that it was some time -before I realised that there was an unusual lack of bustle about this -particular halt. - -When at last the fact of this strange stillness was borne in upon my -consciousness, I roused myself to observation. At once I perceived -that the alighting passengers were fewer in number than before. It -was the troop I had mistaken for prisoners who were missing. I looked -at the end of the train for their car. It was no longer there. - -We had silently slipped the wagon in the course of the night! - -This discovery acted on my tired brain like magic. In an instant I -was again the alert, cautious investigator whose decisions were as -swift as his intuitions were unerring. Without hesitating I returned -to my carriage, removed my luggage with the aid of a porter, and -ordered a sleigh to drive me to the hotel. - -The guard of the train came up to me, as I was making these -preparations, and asked me if I were not going on. - -‘Not by your train,’ I replied blandly. ‘I shall break my journey -here, and look about me. By what I can see this place seems likely to -be an important commercial centre, such as I have come in search of.’ - -‘Your Excellency is mistaken,’ the man answered roughly. ‘This place -is nothing at all--only a dumping place for spare wagons. To-morrow -we shall come to a really important town, where much business is -done.’ - -I gave the fellow my most supercilious stare. Then, pulling out a -note for fifty roubles, I handed it to him, saying haughtily-- - -‘I am obliged to you for your trouble. Good day.’ - -He drew back astonished and abashed, and I made my way out of the -station, without once turning to see if I were followed. - -Directly I reached the hotel I threw myself on a bed, and slept -soundly for twenty-four hours. - -I awoke refreshed and vigorous, and ready to carry out my task with -coolness and resolution. Knowing myself to be in a land where every -second man was a spy, I thought it idle to attempt any concealment of -my actions. I was there as an explorer, and I determined to explore -boldly. If the agents of the Government took it on themselves to stop -me, I knew well enough how to deal with them. - -My first step was to ask the landlord of the hotel to recommend me a -guide. The man whom he presented to me was a typical _mouchard_, with -‘spy’ written on every line of his countenance. This was just what I -expected. I engaged him at a liberal salary, and ordered him to fit -out an expedition for a journey of some days into the interior. - -‘Where do you want to go?’ the man asked. - -‘Where I please,’ I replied sharply. ‘Keep your curiosity to -yourself, or take another master. I want a guide, not a partner.’ - -This rebuke had the desired effect. The police agent, for such of -course he was, was obliged to come with me on my own terms. Doubtless -he reported me to his bureau as a headstrong man who could not be -controlled by any means save open force. - -At the same time I lost no opportunity of impressing the authorities -with my assumed character. The Prefect of the town called on me, -and I explained to him that Siberia was regarded in Paris as one of -the richest mineral regions of the earth, and that I was merely the -pioneer of a swarm of prospectors who would be invading it before -long. I made his mouth water as I talked of shares and syndicates, -and conveyed to him that by a judicious use of his opportunities he -might become one of the millionaires of the future. - -To the westward of the town, in the direction from which the train -had brought me, there was visible a range of low hills, a conspicuous -landmark in the desolate plain. It was towards these hills that I -ordered my guide to conduct me, as soon as the preparations for the -march were completed. - -The rascal was cunning enough to hide his reluctance, and we set -out. But after we had gone a day’s journey I noticed that our march -was steadily veering away from the line of the railway, and taking a -northerly direction. I said nothing, determined to counteract these -tactics at the right moment. At the end of the third day, after a -slow progress compared with the speed of the train, we pitched our -camp at the foot of the range, about forty miles, as near as I could -judge, from the point where it was pierced by the railway. - -The next morning the caravan wound its way to the summit of the -ridge, and I looked down on a broad valley, watered by a river, and -broken up by small spurs jutting out from the main watershed. As the -guide was about to plunge down, so as to cross the stream, I checked -him abruptly. - -‘We are not going that way. I shall turn southward now, and keep -along the summit of the ridge till we come to the railway.’ - -The man’s face turned as black as a thunder-cloud. - -‘You cannot go that way,’ he snorted. - -‘Why?’ - -He hesitated. - -‘Because it is impassable. The horses will break down.’ - -‘We will go on till they do,’ I answered sternly. ‘And let this be -your last attempt to disobey me. At the next I send you back, and go -on without you.’ - -The man slunk forward, muttering curses, which I affected not to -hear. But I had not yet frightened him sufficiently. At the next halt -one of the drivers came to me and reported that a horse had gone lame. - -‘Bring it here,’ I commanded. - -He went away, and returned leading the animal. - -‘Go,’ I said sternly. ‘Take the horse back with you, and take rations -for three days. Do not let me see you again.’ - -The driver looked thoroughly crestfallen. He slouched back to his -comrades without another word. - -I waited till half an hour had passed, then I rose and walked over to -the camp-fire, round which my followers were seated, the driver among -them. - -‘How is it that you are still here?’ I demanded. - -‘The horse is all right again,’ was the surly answer. - -‘So much the worse for you.’ I took out my revolver in one hand, and -my watch in the other. ‘In ten minutes from now I aim this revolver -at you, and fire,’ I remarked. ‘It kills at two hundred metres. I -should advise you to get out of range.’ - -I do not think I have ever seen a man get through his preparations -in less time than then. Long before the allotted time was up, he was -well out of reach, galloping down the slope of the hill. - -In every expedition through a wild country there comes a moment which -decides who is to be master. That moment past, I had no fear of -further trouble. I was now able to unbend with the guide; I informed -him that I expected to find gold, and promised him a rich reward if I -succeeded with his aid. - -But a disappointment was in store for me. Although we marched -carefully along the summit of the hills, and I scrutinised every yard -of the valley below with a powerful field-glass, I detected no trace -of anything calling for investigation; in fact, I discerned no signs -of human life. By the time I had worked down to the railway I began -to fear that I was on a false scent. - -It was in the night, after we had pitched our camp close beside the -line, that the true solution occurred to me. I rose and secretly -crept out of my tent, eluding the solitary watchman, and made my -way along the track of the rails. After groping and stumbling over -the roughly laid road for three or four miles, I suddenly made a -discovery. The line divided, sending off a branch rail, which curved -away to the south. - -I knew now what had become of the missing gang of prisoners, or -rather--for by this time I saw more clearly--of military recruits. - -I also knew why I had missed my way. The guide had led me to the -north of the line, and what I had come so far to find lay to the -south. - -The next day I issued orders to continue the march to the southward, -crossing the railway. The face of the guide, when he received -this direction, sufficiently showed that I was getting warm, as -the children say, at last. He made no open remonstrance, but in -the course of the day I noticed that another man and horse had -disappeared. - -I paid no attention to this proof of treachery. It came too late to -affect me. By noon of the first day after quitting the main line -for the south, I was already in possession of the carefully guarded -secret of the Council of State. - -There at my feet, along the widening valley, lay a double line of -rails, gleaming blue in the sunlight, and all across the level space -at regular intervals stretched low banks and ditches--the lines of a -vast encampment, capable of accommodating half a million men. Still -further on I had a glimpse of the white sparkle of tents and piles of -fresh-hewn timber, and I even fancied I could catch the faint hum of -voices and the thud of hammers as the hidden army toiled away at its -barracks and entrenchments. - -[Illustration: “There at my feet, along the widening valley, lay -a double line of rails, and all across the level space stretched -low banks and ditches--the lines of a vast encampment, capable of -accommodating half a million men.”] - -The meaning of the Peace Rescript was manifest at last, and the -meaning was formidable indeed. While appearing to disarm in concert -with the rest of Europe, Russia’s intention was secretly to withdraw -her enormous forces to this unsuspected retreat, from whence, at -the decisive moment, they would issue like a creation of magic, to -overwhelm the defenceless continent. - -I had made my discovery; it was still a question whether I was to -return with it in safety. - -Before I had made up my mind whether to push my observations further, -I was alarmed to see a sotnia of Cossacks approaching, led by a -Russian officer. My little camp was quickly surrounded, and the -officer presented himself before me. - -It required all my nerve to deal with the emergency. The first -words of the officer showed me that he considered me a spy, and was -prepared to hang me out of hand. I affected the utmost astonishment -and indignation, and produced the papers which showed me to be a -Frenchman travelling on behalf of various financial syndicates in -Paris. The officer thrust them aside contemptuously. - -‘All this is nothing to me,’ he declared. ‘You should not have come -within reach of our camp. Even if I do not hang you, you will never -be allowed to return to Europe, of that you may be assured.’ - -‘I will take my chance of that, captain,’ I answered coolly. ‘Living -in this out-of-the-way region, you perhaps have not heard that France -and Russia are in military alliance, and, besides, that the Tsar has -declared his intention to disarm, so that your preparations here have -ceased to be of the slightest consequence to anybody.’ - -The officer was fairly staggered. He had heard, of course, of the -French alliance, and no doubt some rumour as to the recent rescript -had penetrated to the secret camp, but without its scope being very -well understood. - -‘I know that it is my duty to arrest you, at the very least,’ he -persisted. - -‘As to that, you will do as you please. It will sound well in -Paris that every prospector who ventures into Siberia with a view -of developing the resources of the country exposes himself to the -treatment of a spy. M. Witte will find it takes some persuasion to -secure another French loan.’ - -It is needless to give further details of a conversation in which the -ignorance of the Russian gave me a very great advantage over him. I -am vain enough to plume myself on having made use of the treacherous -rescript to out-manœuvre its authors. In saying that, of course, I -do not refer to Nicholas II., who perhaps did not even know of the -existence of the hidden camp. - -In the end the Cossack officer decided to escort me back to the -town where I had left the train, and hand me over to the civil -authorities, a decision which was assisted by the usual methods of -persuasion in the East. My friend the Prefect, already predisposed -in my favour, required a somewhat heavier bribe, and finally I made -assurance doubly sure by resuming my journey eastward, and leaving -Russian territory by way of the Chinese frontier. - -It was from the first telegraph station in the Celestial Empire that -I sent the cipher despatch to Constantinople which was destined to -render abortive the much-talked-of Conference at the Hague: - -‘_Russia preparing enormous concealed camp in Siberia, beside -railway, to hide forces when nominally disbanded. I have seen it._’ - -Abdul Hamid was too shrewd to take any open part in opposing the -Russian proposals, but when I saw the firm stand made against them by -the German representatives, I knew that he had not thrown my telegram -into the waste-paper basket. - -It only remains to add that the Russian Government, realising that -its secret had been betrayed, stealthily set to work to efface every -sign of the concealed camp; and that, if my latest information be -correct, the mysterious valley is again given over to silence and to -solitude. - - - - -V - -WHO REALLY KILLED KING HUMBERT OF ITALY? - - -Guy de Maupassant once remarked to me that it was necessary to -preserve the Anarchists in order to make modern history interesting. - -The rulers of the world seem to be of the same opinion. Over and -over again scientists and men of common sense have told them that -the Anarchist is simply a diseased mind, requiring to be dealt with -like other brain-sick creatures. But statesmen and police alike have -persisted in treating the Anarchist as a serious politician, with -results which are, unfortunately, too well known. - -It is true that, after the death of Elizabeth of Austria, the -chivalrous King of Italy, Humbert, summoned a conference of -diplomatists and police directors in Venice to consider methods for -dealing with the Anarchists. But he would have done better to call in -Professor Lombroso. I myself would undertake to guarantee the life of -every ruler in Europe and America, for the sum of £20,000 a year, -provided I were allowed to incarcerate in an asylum every man whom I -could prove to be a sufferer from homicidal mania. - -As it was, I foreboded that the only result of King Humbert’s gallant -action would be to point him out to these creatures as their next -victim. Yet I must now so far confess myself mistaken as to declare -that the death of the late King of Italy does not really lie at the -door of Anarchism. - -It was another European sovereign, more alive to the realities of -the situation than Humbert, who secretly commissioned me to make -an investigation into the organisation of the Anarchist sect and -the trend of its operations. I must not disclose the name of this -monarch; to do so would be to point him out to the vengeance of the -assassins. - -As soon as I had received his commission I laid aside all my other -work and prepared to disappear for an indefinite period. - -My first step was to transform myself into a workman, or rather a -loafer, for an industrious workman is seldom found among the ‘active’ -Anarchists. I secured a few jobs in Paris as a house-painter’s -labourer--that is to say, I did the scraping and cleaning before the -skilled workman applied the fresh coats of paint. I took care to show -no zeal in my employment, and in the intervals of work I hung about -the brasseries and grumbled at the smallness of my earnings. - -By these tactics I quickly earned the reputation of a good comrade, -and a true-hearted Republican. The Socialists of the quarter I had -chosen to work in quickly recognised me as a likely convert, and I -allowed them to enrol me in one of the most advanced societies. - -All these measures were mere preliminaries to the final one of -blossoming forth as a declared Anarchist. It is from the ranks -of Socialism that Anarchism draws its recruits. Though the two -theories are utterly opposed, they express the same discontent with -civilisation. An Anarchist is little more than a Socialist who has -gone out of his mind. - -By going over to the Anarchist group from the arms of their rivals, I -ensured myself a welcome which would never have been given to me had -I attempted to force myself upon them at the outset. - -Among the Anarchists it was necessary to adopt rather different -tactics. I had now to play the part of a dangerous lunatic, only -awaiting direction from some superior mind to commit an act of -violence. - -Paris itself is not an important Anarchist centre. The French police -are too quick witted for their capital to be a comfortable residence -for these desperadoes. The three great centres, as most people know, -are Zürich, London, and Jersey City, U.S.A. - -Zürich is the Russian headquarters, and is rather a place for -Nihilists than international Anarchists. I therefore decided to cross -over to London, in the hope of coming into touch with the leading -minds of the sect. - -In London I found myself received without the least suspicion. My -carefully prepared record stood me in good stead. I was introduced by -my Parisian comrades as a promising convert from Socialism, and no -one inquired further. - -I found the London Anarchists torn by internal dissensions which left -them no time to think of attacking kings and queens. The first man -I was asked to murder was Prince ----, the leader of the idealist -group, whose sole offence was his refusal to concur in the homicidal -programme of the active Anarchists. - -I refused to execute this mandate, on the plea that I had vowed to -put to death a crowned head, and could not afford to risk my life in -the pursuit of humbler prey. - -I may state here that the elaborate machinery of secret meetings, -oaths, ballots, and so on has no existence except in the imagination -of popular novelists. Their fantastic descriptions can only provoke -a smile on the part of any one who has been behind the scenes of -Anarchism. - -The Anarchists are a fluctuating community, here to-day and gone -to-morrow, among whom a few leading spirits who have learned to know -and trust each other by actual experience exercise an influence much -like that exercised by the Front Bench over a Parliamentary party -in England, an influence which varies with their own concord and -strength of character. - -When these leaders find a man whom they see to be a suitable -instrument, they bring their influence to bear on him to carry -out whatever object they may agree upon. In some cases perhaps a -pantomimic scene is arranged, such as we read of in romances, to -impress a weak mind. I can only say that I never saw anything of the -sort. - -A well-known Anarchist, whose name would be recognised immediately -were I to mention it, took me aside one night, and suggested to me -the removal of the Prince. I gave the answer I have mentioned, and -the proposal was instantly dropped. - -My refusal was followed, naturally enough, by an attempt on my own -life. Two days afterwards the editor of an Anarchist paper, who had -taken rather a fancy to me, came round to my lodgings before daybreak -and advised me to leave for America. He gave me no reason for this -advice, but he was very urgent with me, and insisted on writing me a -letter of introduction to a man living in Jersey City. I promised to -consider the matter, and he bade me farewell. - -On leaving my lodging an hour later to go and look for a job--the -customary pretence--I discovered immediately that I was being -followed. I need scarcely say that for me to baffle the clumsy -espionage of such blunderers would have been the easiest thing in -the world. But I wished to see how far they would go, and I allowed -my tracker to follow me all day. At night I went down to the Thames -Embankment. I placed myself on the edge of the river steps by -Cleopatra’s Needle, and waited. - -I am a good swimmer, and I did not think it likely that my enemy -would use a weapon if he thought he could get rid of me by the simple -method of pushing me into the water. A pistol would be too dangerous -for himself on account of the report. I had seen that he did not -carry a stick. He was probably armed with a knife, and he might try -and give me a thrust with it as he pushed me over; but a knife-thrust -in the back is not a very serious thing to a man who has been in the -habit of wearing a mail shirt for twenty years. - -I am ready to confess that my heart beat faster as I heard the -stealthy tread coming up behind me. To my surprise the would-be -assassin paused before he had got within striking distance, and -shuffled with his feet on the flags. Puzzled by these tactics I -glanced round and saw a young man, not more than twenty years of age, -whose face was white, and who was trembling in every limb. At once -I grasped the situation. The poor wretch’s heart had failed him, and -he was trying to put me on my guard against himself, in order that he -might have an excuse for not carrying out his task. - -I walked past him without a word, shook him off in the course of the -next hour, and took the last train to Liverpool. - -On my arrival in the States, I lost no time in seeking out the man -to whom my editor friend had furnished me with an introduction. To -the European reader it may be worth while to explain that Jersey City -practically joins on to New York, so that it is really a suburb of -the American metropolis. - -I was received with open arms by this man--an Italian named -Ferretti--and I became a member of the most influential Anarchist -club. Among those I sometimes played dominoes with there was a -long-haired dreamer named Bresci, a visitor from Paterson. All this -time I passed under the name of Lebrun. My American citizenship I -carefully concealed. - -I soon saw that some one had informed the American group of my being -bound by oath to kill a crowned head. On all hands I was treated with -the deference due to a prospective martyr. It was not long before -Ferretti himself began to sound me as to my willingness to make -Humbert of Italy my victim. - -[Illustration: “I walked past him without a word.”] - -I was careful not to discourage this suggestion as I had the one made -to me in London. I listened to all Ferretti had to say with apparent -acquiescence. - -‘Humbert has placed himself at the head of our enemies,’ he urged. -‘This Venice conference is a declaration of war. If we wish to -maintain our moral ascendency we must strike a blow which will -intimidate other rulers from proceeding against us.’ - -As soon as I could get away I went into New York and sent a code -telegram to my secretary in Paris for him to decipher and send on -to the King of Italy. It was in these terms: ‘_Anarchists in Jersey -City, U.S.A., are looking for man to send against you. Have ports -watched._’ - -Unfortunately the King paid no attention to this warning. He was a -fatalist, it seems. - -Ferretti returned to the charge before long. I kept him in play, -neither consenting nor refusing, my object being, of course, to -retain his confidence. I did not want another man to be despatched -instead of me without my knowledge. - -It was not long before others beside Ferretti began to try and -influence me in the same direction. It is difficult to trace the -first birth of suspicion in the mind, but a suspicion was born in -mine that these men had some motive which they had not yet disclosed -to me for urging me to this attempt. - -I tested them at last by making a counter-proposal. It was in the -club, late one night, and there were present, beside Ferretti, -another Italian who called himself ‘The Bear,’ a bearded German named -Peters, and a Swiss watchmaker, who was lame and used crutches. These -four seemed to have a common understanding. - -Peters had been acting as spokesman, and strongly denouncing the -proceedings at Venice, which he described as an abandonment of the -methods of civilisation--a curious complaint for an Anarchist to make. - -Ferretti applied the moral. - -‘Some one must be found to avenge us,’ he declared. ‘If Humbert is -suffered to live, our principles are doomed.’ - -‘I am not sure of that,’ I answered. ‘Humbert is not a politician. -He has been stirred up because Luccheni killed a woman, which, in my -opinion, was an unwise action. We ought to choose our victims more -carefully. It is absurd to pick off a man like Humbert, when there -are such enemies as ---- and ---- alive.’ - -My remarks were received in ominous silence. The other four exchanged -looks of disappointment. The Bear was the first to protest. - -‘It is the curse of Anarchism that every one wants to have his own -opinion. It seems to me that when men like ourselves, who have guided -the movement for years, are agreed on the right course of action, a -new comrade ought to accept our decision.’ - -I did not retort that the word Anarchist, if it meant anything, meant -one who had his own opinion and refused to be guided by the agreement -of others. There is nothing a fanatic resents so much as reason, -except ridicule. Instead, I affected to be surprised. - -‘Do you mean that you disapprove of the execution of ----?’ I -demanded, naming a man whose reputation for cruelty and bigotry was -world wide. - -‘The removal of Humbert ought to come first,’ was the answer. - -‘Do you say that deliberately? Have all our comrades made up their -minds, or is it merely your own opinion?’ - -‘It is the judgment of us four,’ said The Bear. ‘That ought to be -enough.’ - -‘We are willing to provide funds for any comrade who will undertake -the mission,’ added Peters. - -‘But not for any other mission, such as one against ----?’ I ventured -to object. - -‘We have not said that. We are ready to consider an application.’ - -The last answer came from the lame watchmaker, who had kept his eyes -fixed on me with a close scrutiny during the whole conversation. It -was evident that this man was more cautious than the other three, -and that he had begun to distrust me. Perhaps he thought I was a -boaster; perhaps his suspicions went deeper. - -‘Well, I am not under anybody’s orders,’ I said, rising to my feet. -‘Show me that I can serve the cause better by Humbert’s removal than -any one else’s, and I will take the mission.’ - -The four let me come away in silence. I had now no doubt whatever -that there was some very strong motive in the background behind all -this talk about the Venice conference, and I sent a fresh wire to -the threatened King--‘_American group absolutely determined on your -death, and offering bribes._’ - -This telegram was treated with the same indifference as its -predecessor. - -Ferretti was naturally more inclined to trust me than were the -others, thanks to my London friend’s recommendation. I was, -therefore, not surprised to receive a call from him the next day, and -to find that he was at last going to show his hand. - -‘It is right, is it not,’ he began, ‘that you are prepared to -undertake the removal of one of our enemies, provided you are -satisfied that you are doing good to the cause?’ - -‘That is all I ask,’ I responded; ‘Humbert or another, what does it -matter to me?’ - -[Illustration: “‘I am not under anybody’s orders,’ I said, rising to -my feet.”] - -‘You don’t consider that the fact that Humbert has taken a leading -part against us marks him out for destruction?’ - -‘No, I don’t; I don’t believe he is any worse than the others.’ - -‘Very well; admitting that, for the sake of argument; if I were to -prove to you that Humbert’s death would benefit the cause specially -in other ways, what would you say?’ - -‘If I believed that, I should most likely consent.’ - -‘Good! That is what I expected. Now you understand that what I am -going to tell you must be in the very greatest confidence.’ - -I nodded. - -‘The removal of Humbert will put funds at our disposal for other -work.’ - -At last I was on the trail. Carefully concealing my excitement -under an appearance of natural curiosity, I inquired: ‘How is that, -comrade?’ - -‘You must not ask too much. I have only got authority to tell you -that it is so. A sum of money will be ours as soon as Humbert is -dead.’ - -‘And you will not tell me how or why?’ - -Ferretti hesitated. - -‘It has been promised us--guaranteed to us, in fact--by one who has -reasons of his own for wanting to see Humbert out of the way.’ - -‘I don’t like the sound of that,’ I objected. ‘It sounds as though we -were being hired as private assassins.’ - -Ferretti’s face fell. - -‘I am afraid I cannot tell you anything more without consulting -others,’ he said slowly. ‘I will swear to you, if you like, that it -is not a case of private revenge. The person behind us has public -reasons for his conduct, though they are not the same as ours.’ - -This statement threw me into a brown study. What public reasons could -any one possibly have for the removal of the King of Italy? The -Garibaldians? No, they were not assassins--besides, they would not -have come to America to get a suitable instrument. There were plenty -nearer at hand. - -‘Listen to me,’ I said at length. ‘When I took a vow to rid the world -of a crowned head at the risk of my own life, I did not undertake to -become a blind tool in the hands of any one else. I owe no obedience -to you or our comrades. I say what I said last night--convince me -that I ought to kill Humbert, and I will. But it is no good if you -can’t trust me. Why should I trust you with my life, when you won’t -trust me with your reasons for wanting this King out of the way?’ - -Ferretti was staggered. - -‘I will tell the others what you say,’ he declared. ‘For my part, I -think your demand is reasonable.’ - -He left me, but did not come back. Days passed, and no further -overture was made to me. On the contrary, the lame Swiss began -to talk to me about the other victims I had pointed out, and to -encourage me to fix on one of them. - -I was able to guess what had happened. The four were looking for a -more docile tool. - -I sent off a third wire: - -‘_I have lost touch with the conspiracy. From this moment I no longer -answer for your life._’ - -This warning was not even shown to the doomed King. - -I now adopted a course which I had put off as long as possible, on -account of the risk involved. I secretly engaged a second lodging at -a distance, where I could disguise myself as I pleased, and began to -shadow the Anarchist leaders. - -It was a dangerous game to play, because such men were accustomed -to find themselves the subject of police surveillance, and would -probably be quick to detect anything of the sort. My only chance of -success lay in the fact that I already possessed so much knowledge of -their movements as to make the task of watching them a comparatively -easy one. - -I had come to the conclusion that the real head of the group was the -crippled Swiss. This man kept a small shop, chiefly for repairs, in -the heart of the Italian quarter. I made up as a Corsican, to account -for any imperfections of accent, and hung about the neighbourhood, -begging. - -Ferretti, Peters, and The Bear were frequent visitors, and the -simpleton Bresci called once or twice, but for some days I saw -nothing that I could fix upon as having a suspicious look. I -remembered, however, that the lame watchmaker had always been missing -from the gatherings at the club on Saturday nights, and I looked -forward to making some discovery when the end of the week arrived. - -I was not disappointed, though I had to wait so long that I almost -gave up hope. Just as the clock struck ten a tall, swarthy figure -brushed right by me, and slipped into the little shop. The moment -after, the lame man came out into the street, and began putting up -the shutters. - -It was necessary to act promptly. I stepped up to the Swiss and -whispered my assumed name in his ear. - -‘Lebrun! You!’ he ejaculated in astonishment. ‘I thought you were one -of the police.’ - -‘It is the other way about,’ I answered. ‘The police have been after -me; that is why I have had to disguise myself. But let us come -inside, I want to talk to you.’ - -As I expected, he tried to prevent me going in. - -‘No, not there. I have some one on business.’ - -‘Business of the cause?’ I demanded. - -‘Yes--no, private business.’ - -‘I will wait in the shop till he is gone,’ I returned, and pushed my -way through the door, the cripple following. - -The tall, dark figure started to its feet in evident alarm as we -entered. I saw a brown hand glide towards the bosom, an action which -told me that I was not dealing with a European. In the dim light -of the little shop I could not fix the stranger’s nationality more -precisely. He did not seem to be an Arab; he was above the grade -of a negro. If I had met him in Algiers I should have called him a -Sudanese, a convenient term for the unknown races of Africa. - -The situation was a complicated one. The watchmaker, it was evident, -did not more than half believe my account of myself; I could not tell -that the stranger really had any connection with the mystery I wanted -to unravel; and he must have been utterly confounded by my intrusion. - -‘Is your friend one of us? Does he know anything about the business -you put before me the other day?’ I asked of the Swiss in Italian. - -Before the Swiss could do more than give me a warning gesture, the -unknown had addressed him in the sort of Italian which forms the -common speech of seamen in the Levant. - -‘Is this the man you thought you could persuade to undertake the -work?’ - -The watchmaker was fairly cornered. - -‘Go inside and I will speak to you,’ he said to the swarthy -outlander; then he added, speaking in quick French to me--‘I must -have some explanation with you before I trust you again.’ - -‘That will not do for me,’ I returned, sticking to my Italian and -trying to render it intelligible to the unknown. ‘You have asked me -to do a dangerous work on behalf of the cause; very well, I am ready -to do it, but first I insist on knowing who is going to provide the -sinews of war. That is fair, it seems to me.’ - -This time the stranger’s tone became peremptory. - -‘Why do not you wish me to speak to this man?’ he asked. - -The shopkeeper scowled at both of us by turns. - -‘Because I don’t know that he is right,’ he muttered. - -‘How do I know that you are right?’ I retorted. ‘It appears you are -going to have a big price for this business, and you want me to shut -my eyes and not ask what becomes of the money.’ - -The Swiss wrung his hands in despair. I believe that he was quite -honest, and that he wished for the money in order to spread his -atrocious principles; while his distrust of me was only too well -founded. - -I addressed myself boldly to the unknown. - -‘I am your man, I believe. Tell me who you are, and why you want this -job carried out, and I will undertake it. As for the money, you may -hand that over to my comrade here, as long as I know how much it is.’ - -This last offer turned the balance. The Swiss himself proposed that -we should come into the back shop and talk things over in confidence. - -When we were all three seated together, it was the watchmaker who -gave me the long-sought explanation in a few words. - -‘This man is an Abyssinian. He has come here on behalf of the Emperor -Menelik.’ - -‘Menelik!’ I exclaimed in astonishment. ‘What has he got to do with -us?’ - -‘Nothing directly; but if you have read the papers you must know that -Humbert was the moving spirit in the Abyssinian war. He made peace -after Adowa, under pressure from the Crown Prince, who told him the -dynasty was in danger. But Menelik believes that the King is secretly -preparing for a fresh attack. He is in league with the British, who -are advancing from the Sudan. The Abyssinians want to clear the -Italians out of their country altogether, and they can never do that -while Humbert is alive. That is how it stands, isn’t it?’ - -This last question was addressed to Menelik’s agent. The Abyssinian -answered by a smile that showed his formidable white teeth. - -‘The King of Italy is the enemy of Abyssinia. The King of Italy must -die. If an Abyssinian tries to kill him, he will be suspected, and -stopped; therefore he must be killed by a European. The Negus has -sent me to find a European who will do this for money. I have been -in Italy and France, and there they told me that it was best for me -to apply to the followers of your religion, which teaches that all -kings ought to be killed. Is it not so? Therefore I come here, to the -headquarters of your sect. If one of you will accept the task, on -that day I pay him in the money of this country one thousand dollars. -On the day I hear that King Humbert is dead I pay you four thousand -dollars. Divide it how you like; that is nothing to me.’ - -Improbable as a fairy tale though all this sounded, I could not -resist the evidence of my own senses, which showed me the Abyssinian -envoy there in the flesh. I knew, of course, that assassination has -always been one of the recognised political methods of Asiatic and -African States, but this alliance between a half-civilised despot -and the extreme revolutionaries of Europe struck me as altogether -without precedent in the history of the world. Certainly my own -experience, fertile as it naturally had been in surprising incidents, -had never brought to light a more singular intrigue than this. - -My position now became an extremely difficult one. I had practically -agreed to accept the commission to assassinate the King of Italy, -but it was not that which troubled me. I foresaw that as soon as -Menelik’s agent realised that he had been played with by me he would -endeavour to find some other and more trustworthy tool. To denounce -him to the police of New York would have been perfectly idle; in -the first place he could buy the police, and in the second place no -American court would punish a ‘political’ conspiracy, unless, indeed, -it were against the United States. - -I contented myself for the moment with formally undertaking the -required murder. The Abyssinian arranged to bring the first -instalment of the blood money to the watchmaker’s house on the -following Saturday night, and we all three parted apparently on the -best of terms. - -The next day I sent off a long telegraphic despatch summarising -the whole situation. The proposal I made was that the Italian -Government should cable me authority and funds to enable me to have -the Abyssinian envoy privately kidnapped, and returned to his own -country, _viâ_ Massowah. - -They had the incredible folly to wire instead to their Minister in -Washington, instructing him to demand the arrest and expulsion of -Menelik’s agent. - -The net result of this ill-considered action was to flood the Italian -quarter of Jersey City for several days with sham detectives, to -cause a thousand or two dollars to pass into the pockets of the -local Tammany, and to compel me to hasten my departure for Europe -on my supposed mission, in order to rebut the suspicions of the -Anarchists--and, in fact, to escape their vengeance. - -The night before my departure there was a little supper at the club, -at which the four were present. No open reference was made to the -object of my journey. But after supper the half-witted Bresci, who -had been one of the party, asked leave to walk home with me. - -‘I wish I were going with you,’ he said suddenly. - -‘I wish I could put you in an asylum, where you would be taken care -of,’ was my thought in answer. I said aloud that I had reasons for -going alone. - -‘I know those reasons,’ the enthusiast declared. ‘Let me come with -you. I am not afraid.’ - -For a moment I hesitated. A king’s life was in the balance, though I -did not know it. - -I made the clever man’s common mistake--I underrated the strength of -the fool. - -‘Take my advice,’ I said to Bresci, ‘leave this work to men like me. -You are not suited for it: you would betray yourself directly.’ - -His face became overcast, and he relapsed into a sullen silence which -lasted till I parted from him at my own door. - -An hour before stepping on board the steamer that was to convey me -to Havre I sent off a final wire: ‘_Am leaving to-day for Europe, -pledged to kill King Humbert._’ - -This bitter shaft of contempt roused even the Italian police into -activity. On landing at the French port I was met by a detective sent -from Rome. - -I took him with me to a hotel, where we discussed the situation in a -private room. - -‘It seems to me that we are all right for the present,’ he urged. ‘As -long as they think you are going to carry out the work they are not -likely to send any one else.’ - -‘Do not be too sure,’ I answered. ‘There is a lame watchmaker over -there who does not quite trust me.’ - -‘What do you propose to do?’ asked the detective. - -‘To shoot King Humbert,’ I replied. - -The man gasped at me in sheer amazement. - -‘I am going to put you to a practical test,’ I explained. ‘I am -going to try and discharge a blank cartridge at the King. If you can -prevent my doing so, I shall hope that his life is safe.’ - -‘But what do you expect us to do? We cannot arrest you.’ - -‘No; that is my point. You know that I am going to kill your King, -and yet the law does not permit you to interfere till you see me put -my finger to the trigger of my revolver.’ - -‘We can stop you at the frontier.’ - -‘Try,’ I said drily. - -He tried. A week later I was in Rome. - -In reality I did not intend to go quite so far as I had threatened. -To do so would have been offensive to his Majesty. What I desired -was to put the police thoroughly on the alert. I hoped to stimulate -them into taking precautions which would be effective against a real -assassin. - -For I knew better than to think that Menelik’s envoy would go away -satisfied with having despatched me on the errand of death. I did -not believe the swarthy figure with the formidable white teeth would -leave New York till he had received some certain assurance of the -success of his murderous plans. - -Before leaving the United States I had arranged with my old -employers, Pinkerton’s, to have a watch kept on all outward-bound -vessels, so that I might receive the earliest information of any -move on the part of the Abyssinian. I had supplied them with a full -description of the man. - -Meanwhile the Italian police did their best, hampered as they were -by the King’s chivalrous disregard of danger, and his dislike of -surveillance. It is not an easy thing to guard a monarch against his -will. - -As soon as I had satisfied myself that my disguise as an Italian -workman was impenetrable, I went northward after the doomed King. -As my train rolled into the station at Turin, I caught a glimpse on -the platform of a white face with long draggled hair and a haunted -expression in the eyes--a face that I had last seen in a Jersey City -slum at midnight, more than a month ago. - -Long before the train stopped I had leapt out of my compartment in -hot pursuit; but Bresci had disappeared. - -I went instantly to the chief police-officer in Turin and gave -information. Detectives were despatched in all directions to search -the city; but it was too late. - -The following morning a telegram was put into my hands before I got -out of bed. It was from Pinkerton’s, and contained these words: ‘_Man -answering description has just booked passage to Liverpool._’ - -This despatch convinced me that the situation was desperate. Coupling -the news with the sight of the evening before, I could not doubt that -the Abyssinian agent expected to hear within the next few hours that -his dreadful end was achieved. - -I dressed in feverish haste and rushed round to the police-office, -only to learn that no arrest had been made, and Bresci was still at -large. - -‘Unless that man is apprehended within the next twenty-four hours, -King Humbert will have ceased to live,’ I told the astonished chief -of police. - -In this extremity I decided to proceed to Monza, see the King myself, -and implore him not to stir abroad until Bresci’s capture was -notified. That afternoon, as I entered the small town of Monza, I was -arrested on suspicion! - -It was in vain that I protested, warned, and threatened. My demand -to be carried before King Humbert was regarded as a proof of guilt. -My disclosure of my identity was suspected as a ruse. I was confined -in a cell while telegrams were being exchanged with my friend the -Italian detective, and with my secretary in Paris. - -Suddenly, as I tramped impatiently up and down within my narrow -bounds, I was aware of a terrible commotion outside. Men ran past the -door of my prison, curses and cries were heard, and there was a sound -of bayonets being fixed. Maddened by the nervous tension, I battered -with my manacled hands against the cell door. - -[Illustration: “‘You are free,’ he said briefly. ‘The right man has -been arrested, too late.’”] - -It was flung open from without, and an armed warder faced me. - -‘You are free,’ he said briefly. ‘The right man has been -arrested--too late.’ - -I sank down on the plank seat and burst into tears. - - - - -VI - -THE PERIL OF NORWAY - - -The readers of my previous revelations will have noticed that I have -constantly been engaged in thwarting the schemes of the cunning -rulers of Russia. This has been to me a labour of love. My father, as -I have said, was a native of Poland, and I have avenged his wrongs on -the Government which drove him forth to exile. - -I have already related how I exposed and defeated the insidious -design concealed under the Peace Rescript of Nicholas II. Hardly -had this audacious intrigue miscarried when Europe was startled to -hear that the Ministers of the Imperial peacemaker had overthrown -the ancient liberties of Finland, in order to swell the Finnish -contingent to the armies of the Tsar. - -This time I admit that I was deceived, like everybody else. The -brutal frankness of the proceeding disarmed suspicion. When Russia -openly declares herself a tyrant, it is difficult to believe she is -dissembling. - -But there was one man in Europe who saw that there was more in the -proceedings against Finland than met the eye. This was a monarch -whose genius and nobility of character would have placed him at the -head of living rulers had he been born to the command of a great -Power instead of a small and distracted State. I need scarcely say -that I refer to his Majesty, King Oscar of Sweden and Norway. - -It was with peculiar satisfaction that I received a confidential -summons from this King, whose fine qualities I had long admired, -and by whom I felt it a distinction to be trusted. I was far from -guessing the real nature of the business on which I was to be -employed. - -As the message did not come to me through the Scandinavian Minister -in Paris, but was a private autograph communication from King Oscar -himself, I was disposed to think his Majesty wanted me to adjust some -family affair. It is well known that the Bernadottes are not more -free from such anxieties than other royal houses. - -On my arrival at the beautiful capital of Sweden, I put up at the -Hotel Rydberg, entering myself as the Baron de Neuville, on tour. -The same evening I was called upon by one of the King’s intimate -friends, the Count Söderhielm, who took me across to the Palace, and -introduced me into King Oscar’s private cabinet. - -I noticed as we crossed the Place Gustavus Adolphus that the flag -was not hoisted on the Palace. His Majesty was supposed to be at -Drottningholm, from which place he had come secretly in a small -launch for the purpose of our interview. - -As soon as Count Söderhielm had presented me to his Majesty, he -retired to the antechamber, leaving us together. - -‘Perhaps you are wondering what I have sent for you to do?’ King -Oscar began. - -‘At least, I do not doubt that any service on which your Majesty -employs me will be an honourable one,’ I answered respectfully. - -The King smiled. - -‘I have not sent for you to pay me compliments,’ he said rebukingly. -‘Let me first ask if it is true that you are no friend to the Russian -Government?’ - -I looked at the King in some surprise. - -‘It is better for me to tell you, sire, that I do not allow my -private feelings to enter into my work. The Russian Government has -employed me before now, and may do so again; in which case I should -serve it as loyally as I hope to do your Majesty.’ - -The King did not seem ill-pleased by this frankness. - -‘I respect you for that answer,’ he said graciously. ‘I ought not to -have asked you for your personal confidence.’ - -‘I am a Pole by my father’s side, sire,’ I threw in. - -King Oscar thanked me for this hint by a nod. - -‘Let us come to business. You have taken note, I expect, of this -determination to Russianise Finland?’ - -I bowed, restraining my curiosity at this unexpected opening. - -‘You know that Finland is an ancient province of the Swedish Crown, -and that when it was united to Russia, after the fall of Napoleon, my -ancestor, the then Crown Prince Bernadotte, was authorised to take -Norway as a compensation?’ - -‘I do, sire.’ - -‘Perhaps you know also that the exchange has been a disastrous one -for Sweden. The Finns were contented and happy under our rule, while -the Norwegians have done nothing but quarrel with the Swedes for a -century.’ - -‘I have heard something of this,’ I responded. - -‘Now as long as Finland held the position of a semi-independent -State, over which the Tsar ruled as Grand Duke of Finland, it was -possible for us to regard her as a buffer between us and Russia. We -had every reason to hope that if the Russians wished to attack us, -they would have to subdue Finland first.’ - -‘I was hardly aware of that, sire.’ - -‘It is the fact. The Finnish civilisation is really Swedish, our -language is spoken there, and the Swedish element in the population -looks on Sweden as its real home. Very good. That being so, the -Russians have decided to conquer Finland in time of peace, under the -cloak of administrative measures.’ - -‘Your Majesty means that this attack on Finland is really an attack -on Sweden and Norway?’ - -‘It is the first step towards an attack on Sweden,’ King Oscar -answered, with significance. ‘The question of Norway is the matter -about which I have sent for you.’ - -I gazed at the King in astonishment. - -‘I am the King of Norway as well as of Sweden,’ his Majesty pursued, -‘and you must not think I favour one country more than the other. But -I might as well be King at the same time of France and Germany, for -any real harmony there is between the two countries. The Norwegians -are working for absolute separation; the Swedes will grant them -everything except the right to make war on Sweden; and yet they -cannot agree.’ - -‘You fear, sire, that the Norwegians will fight in order to secure -their independence.’ - -‘I fear it is rather the other way about,’ the King answered -sorrowfully. ‘They aim at independence in order to be able to fight. -You see me in the position of a father whose two children are ready -to rush at one another’s throats, and who cannot show kindness to -one without incurring the hatred of the other. This situation has -poisoned the peace of mind of every sovereign of Scandinavia for a -hundred years. It broke my grandfather’s heart.’ - -I listened to this sad confession with respectful sympathy. King -Oscar proceeded-- - -‘Let me tell you some more. Before the last Russo-Turkish war, the -geography of the Balkans had been made for a year the special study -of the Military School in Petersburg. Last month the geography of -Scandinavia was given a similar precedence. That is not all. A swarm -of Russian officers, disguised as woodcutters, have been coming over -the northern frontier, and making their way down through Sweden, -surveying the country as they go.’ - -‘Surely they can be arrested as spies!’ - -‘We dare not,’ was the response. ‘That would be forcing Russia’s -hand. We can only watch, and await developments.’ - -‘The Germans ought to know of this,’ I ventured to remark. - -‘The Germans are more afraid of Russia than we are,’ the King -answered. ‘Germany is no longer a first-class Power. There are in -fact only four Powers of the first magnitude to-day, Great Britain, -Russia, the United States, and China. The two English Powers together -could dictate to the world, but they are divided by the childish -American jealousy. China is still asleep. Consequently all the other -Powers of Europe are little more than vassals of the Tsar. France -has openly placed herself under his protection. Austria has become -Russia’s junior partner in the Balkans. The independence of Germany -is only nominal; the Emperor takes his time from Petersburg. No other -country counts.’ - -It was the first time that I had heard the situation summed up with -such pitiless plainness. - -‘You consider, then, that Russia is actually about to draw the -sword?’ I asked. - -‘No, she will leave us to do that. Russia has discovered that her -conquests advance better under the cloak of peace. She means to -take Norway under cover of a declaration in favour of Norwegian -independence.’ - -‘But the Norwegians--are they mad enough to become parties to that? -Do they want to exchange King Log for King Stork?’ - -‘Go and see,’ was King Oscar’s reply. - -I quitted his Majesty’s presence, and returned to my hotel, deeply -disturbed by what I had heard. I could not suppose that the most -sagacious sovereign in Europe was indulging in idle fears. Yet it -was hard to believe that the inhabitants of a free, self-governing -country would voluntarily exchange their condition for servitude to -the Asiatic despotism which had just laid Finland prostrate at their -door. - -Three days afterwards I arrived in Christiania. I had made careful -preparations for the task before me. I assumed the character of -a Russian spy, as the least likely to provoke suspicion of the -quarter from which I really came. And I had disguised my person as -effectively as I knew how, lest I should meet a real agent of the -Tsar’s Government, who might detect A---- V---- beneath the outward -semblance of Alexander Volkuski. - -The pains I had taken were well rewarded. In the hotel in which I put -up I found staying a man who passed as a Finnish officer, of Swedish -nationality, but whom I immediately recognised as Count Marloff, the -confidential right-hand man of M. de Witte himself. It is true the -Russian was disguised, and the disguise was a very good one, but -by an almost incredible oversight he had ventured to assume that a -disguise which had already done duty once might safely be used again. - -It was seven years before, in Teheran, that I had seen that reddish -wig and noted that peculiar limp, but if Count Marloff had offered -me his card I could not have been more sure of his identity. Such -mistakes may be pardonable in a mere detective, but they are fatal in -our profession. - -My tactics were soon decided on. I knew that the attention of -‘Colonel Sigersen’ would be quickly attracted to a Russian staying in -Christiania, and I have generally found the boldest game to be the -most successful. - -I seized the first opportunity of the Count’s being seated alone in -the smoking-room of the hotel, to go up to him boldly. - -‘How do you do, Count?’ I said in Russian. ‘Or perhaps you will wish -me to say “Colonel”?’ - -Marloff started, as well he might, and stared hard into my face. - -‘My name is Colonel Sigersen,’ he said forbiddingly. ‘Have I had the -pleasure of meeting you before?’ - -This was the opening I wanted. I drew back disdainfully. - -‘I must apologise,’ I said, with irony; ‘I have not had the honour of -meeting you, _Colonel Sigersen_. Pray do not think I wish to intrude -on you.’ - -Marloff saw his mistake. In the secret service of Russia nothing -is more common than for two different agents to be employed -independently of each other, and even as spies upon each other. When -that happens, if the two men are wise, they strike up a private -alliance, and compare notes at their employers’ expense. When they -keep each other at arm’s length, each has it in his power to cause -annoyance to the other. - -Marloff was now in the position of having refused my overture towards -friendship, without knowing who I was. This left me free to watch -him, without rendering any explanations. He was consequently furious -with himself. - -The fact is the man was a mere amateur, as one who drops into a -profession from above generally is. De Witte had taken him out of a -cavalry regiment, and made a diplomatist of him; but when it came to -secret service work he was a child in the hands of a man like myself. - -I saw the pretended Colonel get up and limp out of the room, no doubt -to send a cipher despatch to the Minister, complaining of my arrival. -I went to the manager of the hotel, introduced myself as a Russian -police agent on the track of a great rouble forgery, and wormed out -of him a mass of particulars with regard to Sigersen’s movements. - -I gathered that he had been in Christiania about a month, having -toured through Norway first as far north as Trondhjem. He had -made numerous friends in the Norwegian capital, including several -prominent members of the Storthing, as they call their parliament. -But his chosen intimate appeared to be a judge named ----, who was -regarded as a guiding spirit of the party most strongly hostile to -the Swedish connection. - -It was Judge ---- who had prompted the erection of a fortress on the -Swedish-Norwegian frontier, guarding the approach to Christiania. -The same warlike functionary had decided on the judicial bench that -no native of Sweden could exercise the rights of a citizen in Norway -until he had taken out letters of naturalisation. In short, this -judge had carefully taught his countrymen to treat the Swedes as -Englishmen were treated by the Boers in the days of the Transvaal -Republic. - -All this was nothing more than I had been prepared for by King Oscar. -The task now before me was to ascertain if possible what was the -nature of the understanding between Judge ---- and the agent of the -Russian Government. - -I asked the hotel manager-- - -‘How does Colonel Sigersen pay your bill?’ - -‘By cheque,’ was the ready answer. ‘By cheque on the Bergen and -Christiania Bank.’ - -‘Is it usual for foreign visitors to have a banking account open in -Christiania?’ I inquired, keeping up the part of a detective. - -The manager admitted it was not. Evidently, now I had drawn his -attention to the point, it struck him as suspicious. I left him, -feeling that I had secured an ally in my watch on Marloff, and made -my way to the offices of the bank. - -The director of this institution received me with every courtesy. -Bankers are too often victimised for them to regard the police with -any feeling but gratitude. The tale I brought was received with open -ears. - -‘I have reason to think that an account has been opened with you for -purposes of fraud. If I am right, the swindlers have endeavoured to -gain your confidence at the outset by a large credit. This credit has -been opened in the name of Colonel Sigersen, a pretended Finlander.’ - -The manager was visibly alarmed. - -‘A gentleman of that name has opened an account with us, certainly,’ -he answered cautiously. ‘But he brought the very best introductions. -In fact I could not have asked for better.’ - -‘Have you any objection to tell me the character of those -introductions?’ - -‘I don’t mind telling you that one was from a well-known citizen, a -man in a very responsible position.’ - -‘In short, Judge ----?’ - -The manager started. - -‘How did you know that?’ he demanded. - -‘I have been on Colonel Sigersen’s track for a long time,’ I answered -evasively. ‘I venture to think that if you make inquiries, you will -find that his Honour, Judge ---- knows very little about him really, -and nothing at all about his financial standing.’ - -‘I will communicate with his Honour, and let you know the result.’ - -‘Do so, by all means. In the meanwhile, perhaps, you may be willing -to tell me how this man’s credit is supplied?’ - -The manager hesitated. - -‘I hardly know whether I ought to betray his affairs until I have -something more to go upon.’ - -‘Perhaps you will let me ask you if Sigersen has yet made a large -payment in rouble notes?’ - -‘I can answer that--no.’ - -‘Then I think you may be safe for the present,’ I said. ‘When he -does, I advise you to pass them on to your Russian correspondents as -quickly as possible.’ - -This shot told. The manager became very uneasy. By degrees I worked -on his fears till he invited me to examine his ledger. I did so, and -found that Marloff had brought a heavy credit from a Petersburg bank, -and, what was more to my purpose, had drawn several heavy cheques to -the order of Judge ----. - -‘So far you seem to be on the safe side,’ I commented as I finished -my inspection. ‘But I have two pieces of advice to give you. On no -account let this man overdraw his ascertained credit, and do not -honour any cheques drawn against rouble notes till you hear from me -again.’ - -[Illustration: “‘Let me see your warrant,’ I said.”] - -The manager thanked me, and allowed me to depart. - -I had now to consider the best way in which to approach the judge, -who was not likely to prove easily gullible, as it was fairly certain -that Marloff and he were in each other’s confidence. - -But I had underrated the Russian’s resources. On re-entering my hotel -I was accosted by a man in the uniform of the Norwegian police, who -informed me that he held a warrant for my arrest. - -‘On what charge?’ I demanded, as soon as I had recovered from my -first surprise. - -‘On a charge of conspiracy against the Government of Norway,’ was the -answer. - -‘I arrived in Norway only yesterday,’ I exclaimed. - -‘All that you can tell to the judge,’ retorted the police officer. - -‘Let me see your warrant,’ I said. - -The man produced the paper, while the hotel manager, who had arrived -on the scene, looked on astonished, as he well might. - -The warrant bore the signature of Judge ----. - -‘Take me to the judge instantly, if you will be so good,’ I said. - -‘I am going to,’ the officer returned. - -He made no attempt to secure me, probably having had his -instructions. We walked together to the judge’s house; he appeared -to combine the functions of a judge and committing magistrate; and -I was conducted into a room evidently used for the examination of -prisoners. - -Judge ---- entered immediately, and we exchanged scrutinising -glances. The leader of the anti-Swedish party was a young man, still -on the right side of forty, with a very determined countenance, and -a look about which there was nothing furtive or embarrassed. It was -not an intellectual face. I put the man down as a strong-willed, -ambitious intriguer, with courage, but not very much disinterested -patriotism. - -‘What is the meaning of this preposterous arrest?’ I demanded, with -warmth. - -‘This is an affair of State; I will examine the accused in private,’ -the judge announced, not answering me directly. - -As soon as the room was cleared, he turned to me. - -‘Who are you?’ was his first question. - -‘I am a Russian,’ I answered. - -‘I know that. What is your business here?’ - -I breathed again. I now knew that Marloff had failed to guess my -identity. - -‘I have come here on the track of certain forgers,’ I began, and went -on to tell the story I had given to the hotel manager and the banker. - -Judge ---- listened incredulously. - -‘I do not believe a word you have said,’ he declared. ‘Show me your -papers.’ - -I produced the passport and credentials from the Russian police with -which I had been careful to provide myself. They were, of course, -forged. - -‘I will retain these and ascertain if they are genuine,’ the judge -observed. - -‘Your Honour means that you will submit them to the suspected man,’ I -returned boldly. - -‘How dare you say that? How dare you call’--he hesitated for a -second--‘Colonel Sigersen a suspected man? You know perfectly well -who he is.’ - -‘I know him to be the most skilful forger in Russia,’ I answered, not -quite untruthfully. - -Judge ---- glared at me as if he would like to have struck me. - -‘What nonsense! You know his real name.’ - -‘What difference does that make, your Honour?’ - -‘You know he is a man in high position, in the confidence of his -Government.’ - -‘I know he was, till recently. I have no doubt he is capable of -pretending he is still.’ - -The judge was plainly disconcerted by the line I was taking. He had -hoped, no doubt, that I should meet him half way. - -‘On your arrival here you recognised the Count, and greeted him. He -rebuffed you, as he had a perfect right to do, and denounced you to -me as a spy. It is too late for you to turn round and pretend that he -is a criminal. It is you who are on your defence, not he.’ - -‘Your Honour has been imposed upon. But it is of no consequence. Tell -me what I am charged with, and I will defend myself.’ - -‘You are a spy.’ - -‘In a sense that is true. I am a detective.’ - -‘By whom are you employed?’ - -‘Your Honour has my papers.’ - -The judge bit his lip. He clearly did not know how to proceed. I, of -course, could see that it was not his game to bring me to a public -trial. - -‘It seems to me, sir, that it is a mistake for us to quarrel,’ I -said after giving him a minute for reflection. ‘If I have annoyed -Count Marloff by recognising him, that is not an offence against the -law of Norway, I presume. On the other hand, if I am right in my -conjectures, or rather my _instructions_, the Count himself should be -the last man to provoke a public inquiry into his business here. Your -Honour knows the law better than I, but I should have thought there -might be something in the business transacted between you and the -Count which would not look well----’ - -He interrupted me. - -‘I want to know why you are here. If you are a friend, of course -there is no need to quarrel. If not’--he shrugged his shoulders. - -‘I came as a friend,’ I replied. ‘I came prepared to co-operate with -you, to assist you, in fact. But I must first know how you stand with -regard to Marloff. Is he your personal friend, or are the relations -between you exclusively political?’ - -‘I have no personal feeling for him,’ was the guarded answer. - -‘Very good. In that case your Honour shall see my real credentials. -I must tell you frankly that Count Marloff has ceased to enjoy the -implicit confidence of his and my Government.’ - -I put my hand into an inner pocket, and produced a slip of paper in -the forged handwriting of the Russian Foreign Minister. - -‘Does your Honour recognise that writing?’ I asked, with a confident -air. - -Judge ---- was completely deceived. He glanced at the few lines, -which were in French, with an air of the greatest respect. Then he -looked at me. - -‘I must apologise, Prince ----’ he began, when I raised a warning -finger. - -‘Hush! Not my real name, please.’ - -I took back the paper with an air as if my life depended on its -preservation, and restored it to my pocket. - -‘I am exceedingly sorry to have had to show you this,’ I said -gravely. ‘I have, in fact, exceeded my instructions, which were -simply to watch Count Marloff and report on the progress he was -making. His own violent action has forced me to go further than I -wished. I am sorry to say it confirms the suspicion entertained -in the Foreign Office that he is playing a double game. He is a -_protégé_ of M. de Witte’s, but M. de Witte is not infallible. - -‘Now I am afraid I must ask your Honour to take me into your -confidence. I trust you have not put yourself into Marloff’s power? I -know that he has paid you considerable sums.’ - -Judge ---- looked decidedly nervous. - -‘I have given him nothing in writing, I believe,’ he answered, -glancing at the same time at an iron safe let into the wall of the -room. - -‘So far, so good. It is writing that counts in these affairs. Have -you any objection to my seeing the memoranda you have made of your -conversations with him?’ - -The judge stared at me as if I had been a wizard. - -‘I don’t know what makes you think I have taken any memoranda,’ he -protested. - -‘Just as you please, sir,’ I said drily. ‘I should have been -gratified if you had so far confided in me as to let me glance inside -that safe. But you are right to be cautious.’ - -[Illustration: “He bent forward to listen, and as he did so I -launched my clenched fist at his right temple with my full force.”] - -His eyes turned once more in the direction of the safe, in spite -of himself. I saw a struggle going on in his mind. - -‘There is no necessity for you to decide hastily,’ I said in my -blandest tones. ‘I am as anxious as you are that you should have -every possible security. If you are so far satisfied as to release me -from arrest, we can sit down and talk over things quietly.’ - -This hint had the desired effect. The judge called in the policeman, -and informed him that his services were no longer required. - -As soon as I heard the outer door of the building clang to on the -departing officer, I drew nearer the judge, lowering my voice to a -confidential whisper, as I said-- - -‘Now you shall have the truth.’ - -He bent forward to listen, and as he did so I launched my clenched -fist at his right temple with my full force, and he dropped senseless -without so much as a sigh. - -The moment I was satisfied that he was unconscious I stepped to the -door and locked it. Then I rifled his pocket of his bunch of keys, -picked out the right one, and opened the safe, all without drawing -breath. - -The contents of the safe were chiefly official law papers, which I -did not waste time over. But in a narrow tray at the top I found -something that interested me more. - -It was nothing less than a draft treaty--a treaty to be made between -the Norwegian Ministry, acting without the knowledge of their King, -and the Imperial Government of Russia! - -I did not stay to read the document through. After a hasty look to -make sure I was leaving nothing else of importance behind, I locked -the safe, drew off its key from the bunch, and dropped the other keys -on the floor beside the stunned man, slipped quietly out of the room -and out of the house. - -Instead of returning to my hotel, I made my way down to the -harbour--I did not dare to risk trying to get a train. In the harbour -I hired a small fishing-boat with a sail, and put straight out to -sea. It was on the tossing waters of the Cattegat by moonlight that -I took in the provisions of the extraordinary compact between the -Norwegian conspirators and their Imperial ally. - -The document had been carefully drawn up, evidently with an eye to -the public opinion of Europe, which would naturally be scandalised -by an alliance between the great Slave despotism and a Teutonic -commonwealth. - -The treaty began by reciting that the Union between Sweden and Norway -had been forced on the Norwegians against their will, by the Swedes -aided by Russia’s authority. It went on to state that the Union had -failed to benefit either country, and that Russia had consented to -undo her past injury to Norway by helping her to annul the bond. - -Then followed the particulars of the aid to be rendered. Norway -pledged herself not to make any open move till the signal was given -from Petersburg, which was to be as soon as Finland had settled -down into the condition of a Russian province. In the meantime the -Norwegians were to strengthen themselves in every possible way, and -to keep up a steady pressure of agitation against Sweden. - -As soon as all was ready, the Norwegian Storthing was to meet in -secret session and proclaim Norway a free and independent Republic, -under the protection of the Tsar, and mass her troops on the -frontier. Two Russian Army Corps were to be ready in Finland, on the -pretext of manœuvres, and these were to be hurled across the frontier -to the north of the Gulf of Bothnia. At the same time the Russian -fleet was to cross the Baltic, occupy the island of Gothland, and -blockade Stockholm and the Swedish ports. - -All these measures were to be taken merely as precautions. If the -Swedes accepted the inevitable, the Russians were to retire again. If -the Swedes took up arms, war was to be declared, and Russia was to -annex Gothland to her Empire, the Norwegians receiving territory in -the north. - -And what was the price which the Tsar was to receive for this mighty -demonstration? It was not a nominal one. The Norwegian Republic bound -itself to grant to his Imperial Majesty a lease for twenty-five -years--that is to say, for ever--of a warm-water port on the Atlantic -Ocean, to be used as a depôt and coaling station for the Russian -Fleet. - -It was the dream of six generations of Muscovite statesmen realised -at last. Russia, with one foot on the Atlantic and another on the -Pacific, would dominate the Old World. - -All that night the fishing-boat carried me along in the track of -the Baltic steamers. At dawn I boarded an English packet going into -Gothenburg, and thirty-six hours later I stood again in King Oscar’s -cabinet, and placed the treaty in his hands. - -I watched the brave monarch read it through from beginning to end -without one manifestation of dismay or even of indignation. - -‘My poor subjects!’ was his sole remark as he raised his eyes at -the end. ‘They little know the fate they are preparing for their -children.’ - -I asked if his Majesty had any further instructions for me. To my -surprise he answered, ‘Yes.’ - -[Illustration: “I watched the brave monarch read it through from -beginning to end without one manifestation of dismay.”] - -‘There is only one quarter to which I can look for aid,’ he said, -‘and that is England. Germany is a broken reed. Go to England, take -this document with you, show it to the principal members of the -Government, telling them how it came into your hands, and ask them -if they wish to see a Russian Cherbourg within twelve hours of the -Scottish coast. If they remain indifferent, I can do nothing more.’ - -‘The English Press?’ I suggested doubtfully. - -‘The Norwegians have captured it, I fear,’ objected his Majesty. -‘Norway is the playground of the British tourist; and, besides, the -English consider themselves half Norwegian by race. No, popular -sentiment in Great Britain is on the side of Norway.’ - -‘Nevertheless, sire, if thoughtful Englishmen could be made to -realise that, for the sake of pique--for a mere whim--the Norwegians -were about to place the keys of the Atlantic in the hands of -Britain’s most formidable foe, they might make their influence felt.’ - -‘Do what you think best, M. V----,’ the King said wearily. ‘I am -getting an old man, and I wish for peace.’ - -I have ventured to take his Majesty at his word. - - - - -VII - -THE RUSE OF THE DOWAGER EMPRESS - - -Some two or three years back--that is, shortly before the great -Boxer rising in China--the careless Parisians were amused to hear of -the existence in their midst of an association styling itself the -_Company of the Joyous Peach Blossom_. - -This body professed to be a literary guild or brotherhood formed -for the purpose of studying the Chinese poets, and transplanting -some of the poetical flowers of the East into the garden of Western -literature. All this sounded a trifle fantastic, and Paris, -accustomed to the caprices of its youthful literary coteries, -shrugged its shoulders and asked with a smile whether the guild -possessed more than two members in all, or whether it were not a pure -myth, and the _Company of the Joyous Peach Blossom_ a device of some -budding poet, anxious to seek notoriety. - -The announcement of the guild’s existence struck me in a different -light. Having made a profound study for many years of secret -societies, past and present, I had grasped the fact that China is -the one land in which such societies are truly formidable, all the -most famous secret societies of Europe being mere trifles compared -with the terrible conspiracies which honeycomb the Heavenly Kingdom. - -I had learned, moreover, that the most powerful and reckless of these -Chinese societies assumed the most innocent and poetical names, -as, for example, the dreaded brotherhood of the _Waterlily_, which -deluged Southern China in blood forty years ago. - -Therefore, while the French police, usually so shrewd in dealing with -secret political organisations, did not deem the _Company of the -Joyous Peach Blossom_ worth a moment’s consideration, I set to work -to find out all I could about it. - -I was not long in discovering that the guild was more than the -eccentric imagination of a Quartier Latin poet. To begin with, I -found that similar societies, bearing names of an equally fantastic -nature, had simultaneously come into existence in London, Berlin, New -York, and Chicago, and that all these bodies were in correspondence -with one another. - -I found, further, that the members of the Parisian society were -in communication with a retired French diplomatist of singular -character, a man who had returned from a ten years’ sojourn in Pekin, -steeped to the lips in Chinese ideas, and a professed follower of -Khung the Master, or Confucius, as he is called in the West. - -I ascertained that the guild had its headquarters in the studio of -a rising artist of the Mystic school, that it held meetings from -time to time, of which minutes were kept, and in the record of its -proceedings there appeared references to certain Chinese spirits of -the underworld, and entries which, in veiled language, hinted at -rites having been practised of a nature which could only be described -as sorcery. - -I had no very definite object in acquiring this information, but I -was led on by a vague idea that it might be useful to me at some -future time. During the storm of indignation aroused in Europe by the -Boxer massacres, nothing more was heard of the _Company of the Joyous -Peach Blossom_, which seemed to have sunk out of existence. I had -ceased to think about it, when one day, shortly after the conclusion -of the peace negotiations, my secretary came in to ask me if I would -receive a gentleman whose card he handed to me. - -I took the card, and read on it the name of M. Caramel-Bignaud. -M. Bignaud was a young poet of distinction, whose verses, stamped -with a delicate aloofness of their own, had attracted the attention -of connoisseurs in the columns of _Gil Blas_. To me he possessed -an interest of a different kind, for I had last read his name as -president at the meetings of the _Company of the Joyous Peach -Blossom_. - -‘I will see this gentleman,’ I told my assistant. - -Partly surprised, partly gratified, by this proof that I had rightly -gauged the importance of the guild, I waited with keen curiosity to -hear what M. Bignaud had come to say to me. - -The poet entered and took the chair I pointed out to him without a -word. Then, leaning back negligently and fixing his dark, sleepy eyes -on mine, he began-- - -‘I have come to ask you, M. V----, if you are willing to undertake a -long journey--a very long journey--without receiving any information -as to the business which awaits you at the end.’ - -‘But that is easily answered,’ I said. ‘Provided I am sufficiently -well paid for my time and trouble, it makes no difference to me where -I go, or whether there is anything for me to do when I get there. -It must be always understood that I am at liberty to refuse this -business, if I choose, without assigning any reason, and that my -refusal will make no difference to my charge for the journey itself.’ - -‘Your conditions are perfectly satisfactory,’ M. Bignaud declared. -‘Whatever sum you require shall be paid to you in advance. How soon -will you be able to start?’ - -I reflected for an instant. - -‘If you wanted me to go to any place in Europe or America I should -have said immediately. As you are going to send me to China I must -have six hours to get ready.’ - -The poet’s sleepy gaze changed into one of astonishment. - -‘But have I said anything about China?’ he demanded, evidently in -some dismay. - -‘You have said nothing. I am accustomed to draw inferences in my -work, and there is no time to lose if I am to start as soon as I have -said.’ - -‘The affair is not so pressing,’ the poet remarked with a smile. -‘The hurry and flurry of the West are not known in that delightful -country. It will be quite soon enough if you start to-morrow, or the -day after.’ - -‘So much the better. Am I to go to Pekin or Sing-fu?’ - -‘To Sing-fu.’ M. Bignaud’s tone betrayed a mild surprise at my -guess. ‘It is unnecessary, I suppose, to observe that the mission is -confidential?’ - -That is the sort of remark which always irritates me. - -‘I am a confidential agent,’ I retorted curtly. ‘To whom am I to -report myself?’ - -M. Bignaud leant forward impressively. - -‘To the Dowager Empress!’ - -I received this announcement without manifesting any emotion. - -‘Am I to take any credentials?’ - -The president of the _Company of the Joyous Peach Blossom_ unbuttoned -his coat, and drew from the breast-pocket a small parcel wrapped in -yellow silk. Unwinding the silk, fold by fold, with reverent care, -he displayed to view a square tablet of translucent stone, of a -colour like that of an olive tree seen at a distance with the light -upon it. It was a piece of jade, a stone whose beauty is not yet -appreciated in Europe, but which the Chinese estimate far above onyx -or mother-o’-pearl or chalcedony. - -Taking the tablet from his hand, I perceived that it was engraved -with the figure of a dragon, whose extended claws each showed five -talons. - -‘This is an Imperial talisman,’ I observed. - -‘It is a passport,’ the other responded. ‘The sight of that tablet -will gain you admittance to the presence of her Imperial Majesty.’ He -sighed as he added: ‘You are to be envied, monsieur.’ - -‘That remains to be seen.’ I proceeded to fix the amount of my -remuneration and expenses, which M. Bignaud paid without demur. - -As he was rising to go he could not resist asking-- - -‘Have you any objection to tell me what it was that led you to guess -that your journey would be to China?’ - -‘It was more than a guess, monsieur, since I knew I had the honour to -receive the chief of the _Company of the Joyous Peach Blossom_.’ - -I almost regretted my openness when I saw the effect which this -confession produced on the poet. He turned pale, stammered once or -twice as though unable to speak, and finally turned his back without -a word, and rushed from the room. - -It would be tedious to recount the particulars of my journey across -a hemisphere to interview the extraordinary woman who had revived in -our own day the fabled majesty of Semiramis. - -I reflected that it was not a little singular that, in an age when -the women of the Western world were clamouring for opportunities -to play a greater part in life, this almond-eyed daughter of the -Manchus had cast ridicule upon their agitation by proving that it -was possible for a woman, born in the most conservative society of -the globe, to achieve the supreme direction of five hundred millions -of human beings, and to make sport of the statesmen of Europe and -America. - -[Illustration: “Finally he turned his back without a word, and rushed -from the room.”] - -To reach Pekin was an easy matter, but my difficulties began when I -embarked on the dangerous enterprise of travelling into the interior -of the empire, through provinces seething with hatred of the foreign -devil. In spite of the magic influence of my sacred tablet, I found -it prudent to disguise my Western extraction under the official -robes of a mandarin of the fourth class. Thus attired I travelled in -security and comfort, everywhere received with the honours due to a -high official honoured with a summons to the Court of Heaven. - -As I approached Sing-fu I left the disturbed area behind me. The -inhabitants of this inland region did not appear to have heard of -the troubles in Pekin or the arrival of the German Michael with his -mailed fist to exact redress for the murder of his Ambassador. They -understood merely that the Son of Heaven had come among them for -repose after the labour of chastising certain barbarian pirates who -had been infesting the sea-coast. - -It was given out by my attendants that I had come to report the -successful execution of his Majesty’s sentence on the ruffians; and -if I had really left the heads of the German Emperor, the Tsar of -Russia, and President Roosevelt grinning on spikes over the gates of -Pekin, my reception could not have been more cordial. - -I found the Chinese court encamped in a sort of military fashion, in -charming scenery, at the foot of a ridge of low hills, amid groves -of fruit trees watered by a delightful stream. The tents of ten -thousand guards and attendants clustered round the stately pavilions -of the great mandarins, adorned with flags emblematic of their rank; -and in the centre the great Imperial Dragon Standard floated over a -fairy-like palace whose lacquered wood and silken curtains concealed -the sacred person of the Mother of the Sun and Moon. - -The disgraced Emperor, whose fate was still a mystery to his -subjects, was closely imprisoned in one wing of the Imperial quarters. - -It was now that I realised the full significance of the jade tablet -sent to me by the hands of the student of Chinese literature. The -nearer I penetrated to my august client, the more awe this symbol -seemed to excite, till the attendants who guarded the antechamber -actually fell on their knees at the sight of it, and refused to rise -till I had replaced it in its silken veils. - -Impressed, in spite of myself, by this ceremonial homage to a mere -token, I felt a real sentiment of awe as I stood at last in the -presence of the being whom countless millions of men worship as -divine. - -Slight, dark-haired, and ivory-pale, the Emperor-maker received me -seated in a simple chair of bamboo. I was not required to perform -the _kowtow_, my audience being a strictly private one. I learned -afterwards, moreover, that a hurried decree of the Board of Rites had -raised my grandfather to the rank of a marquis, in order to qualify -me for a personal interview with her Majesty. - -The conversation was carried on in French, through an interpreter, -himself of such high rank that he could not have spoken to me -directly but for the recent ennobling of my ancestry. - -‘Her Imperial Majesty has deigned to express a hope that you are not -fatigued by your journey.’ - -‘It is impossible to be conscious of fatigue in her Majesty’s -presence,’ I returned with a deep bow. - -By the slight smile that parted the thin, terrible lips of the -Empress, I acquired the certainty that her Majesty perfectly -understood everything that was being said. - -No doubt the interpreter was equally aware of this circumstance, for -he assumed an expression of courtly dismay. - -‘I dare not let the Mother of the Emperor know that you have presumed -to offer her a compliment,’ he said rebukingly. ‘I will tell her -Majesty that you await her Imperial commands.’ - -After a short interchange in Chinese, he turned to me again. - -‘I am commanded to tell you that one of the barbarian chiefs who have -made a disturbance in the capital of the Empire has made a demand, as -the price of his departure, which is too insolent to be treated as -anything but a display of the ignorant vanity of a savage. The chief -I speak of exercises some authority among those of the Western devils -who call themselves Dutch or Teutons.’ - -‘You mean the German Emperor?’ I said incautiously. - -The interpreter put on a look of horror, as at some unheard-of -blasphemy. - -‘Hush, I implore you. You forget the Sacred Presence. There is only -one Emperor--he whom her Majesty permits to execute her will over -the black-haired people. The vain assumption of Imperial titles by -these foreign bandits is deeply offensive to the Court of Heaven. You -understand? All such upstarts exist merely by the tolerance of her -Majesty. We will speak of this person as the Viceroy of the German -Province.’ - -I could scarcely resist a smile as I bowed apologetically. I imagined -myself repeating this conversation to Wilhelm II., a ruler not -inclined to take too low an estimate of his own consequence. - -‘This rebellious Viceroy,’ the Chinese courtier proceeded, ‘has had -the unheard-of arrogance to require that a Prince of the Manchu -dynasty shall travel to his unknown province to express regret for -the death of its envoy at the Imperial Court.’ - -This announcement did not come to me as news. In passing through -Pekin I had learned that one of the conditions of peace was that a -Chinese Prince should go to Berlin to tender the Imperial apologies -to the Kaiser for the murder of the German Ambassador during the -Boxer rising. - -The interpreter went on-- - -‘You may be able to understand faintly how such a proposal must -strike the Imperial ears, by imagining the case of a negro king in -the heart of Africa requiring Queen Victoria to send one of her sons -to prostrate himself in his kraal, because some accident had happened -to one of his slaves in London.’ - -I listened in silence to this illustration, which showed me that -the Dowager Empress was pretty well acquainted with the political -distinctions prevailing among those whom she professed to regard as -savages beneath her notice. - -‘It is, of course, impossible,’ the courtly interpreter went on, ‘for -the Brother of the Sun and Moon to submit to this degradation, even -if it were safe to expose one of the Imperial House to the dangerous -magical arts of the West. It is rumoured that you have diabolical -contrivances called kodaks; now it is evident that if one of the Race -of Heaven were kodaked, the Sun himself might avenge such an insult -by refusing to shine upon the earth.’ - -He said all this with a perfectly serious air. But from the -expression on the face of the Empress I fancied her Majesty was a -little wearied of this fulsome strain. - -I ventured to bring him to the point. - -‘Will you tell me what her Imperial Majesty desires me to do?’ - -‘Her Majesty graciously condescends to confide in you. Her slaves who -reside among the Western viceroys have assured her that you respect -the precept of the great Khung--“The counsellor who betrays his -lord’s secret and the child who bites his mother, these are too base -to be pardoned.”’ - -‘Go on,’ I said, becoming slightly impatient. - -‘It being impossible to do what the German Viceroy asks, and her -Majesty being benevolently anxious to spare him the humiliation of a -refusal, there has been sought out a man of the people, a barber in -the Tartar city of Pekin, whose features Heaven has permitted to bear -a certain resemblance to those of his Imperial Highness, Prince Chung. - -‘This respectable person, whose intelligence is remarkable for his -station in life, has been provided with a dress sufficiently like -that worn by the Imperial Family to deceive the barbarians. He has -further received some lessons in etiquette and deportment during the -last few weeks. He will now proceed to the regions of the West, and -gratify the absurd pride of the Viceroy in the manner agreed upon.’ - -‘He will pass himself off as the Prince?’ - -‘It is necessary that he should do so, in order to soothe the -Viceroy. It is better that the Prince’s name should incur this -obloquy, than that the barbarian soldiery should continue their -ravages in the Heavenly Kingdom.’ - -The scheme sounded daring, and yet it seemed to have a very good -chance of success. To a European eye one Chinaman is very like -another. And there were not likely to be many people in Berlin -capable of distinguishing between the manners of a prince and a -barber, apart from their surroundings. - -‘I don’t see why the plan shouldn’t succeed,’ I said aloud. ‘Its very -boldness ought to carry it through.’ - -I observed a distinct look of satisfaction on the face of the -formidable Empress as I made this comment. The interpreter hastened -to respond-- - -‘Your words are those of a prudent man. Her Imperial Majesty offers -you the honour of accompanying the Prince’s substitute, nominally as -his courier, but really as his protector. You will be on the watch -against any chance of detection, and will warn him against imprudent -conduct.’ - -‘I accept her Majesty’s commission,’ was my answer. - -Before the courtier could go through the form of interpreting the -words, the Empress said something to him in Chinese, which caused him -to start like a man who can hardly believe what he has heard. - -Her Majesty made an impatient gesture at this piece of pantomime. -Instantly he turned towards me. - -‘Will your Excellency permit me to offer you my most respectful -congratulations? The Queen of Heaven has ordered you a cup of tea!’ - -I realised that I was as much exalted as if a mere barbarian empress -had bestowed on me an embrace. The tea was brought; a whisper from my -adviser warned me that I must merely touch the cup with my finger and -retire. - -The interpreter, whose name I learned was Wu Tang, accompanied me -from the presence to make the necessary preparations. Once away from -the dreaded eye of his Imperial mistress, he proved to be a very -agreeable, well-informed man, and I regretted that he was not coming -on the mission to Europe. - -He introduced me to the pretended Prince, who had already got quite -used to his part, and received me with all the airs of a Cousin of -the Sun and Moon, and Brother-in-Law of the whole Milky Way. - -Of our journey westward it is needless for me to write, since our -progress was fully reported in the barbarian press. The barber was -kodaked more than once, the apprehensions of the Chinese Court on -this head being fully justified. - -The principal incident which marked the progress of the Embassy must -also be fresh in the public mind--namely, the demand of the German -Court that the Prince should perform the _kowtow_, and his refusal. - -It was at this stage that I first felt myself to be doing something -to earn the lavish rewards of the Dowager Empress. Left to himself, I -believe the barber would have given way, and performed the degrading -obeisance, thereby lowering the honour of the Imperial House beyond -redemption. The wretched man was thoroughly frightened at finding -himself so far from home; and, in his ignorance of Western manners, -he really thought that the Kaiser might have him imprisoned and -beheaded if he provoked his Majesty. - -Fortunately we were on Swiss territory at the time, and by means of -my secret agency I was able to procure a written despatch from the -Chinese Ambassador at another Court, in the name of the Empress, -positively forbidding Prince Chung’s substitute to comply with the -offensive demand. - -The circumstances of our public audience in the Palace of Berlin -were sufficient to daunt any impostor. I confess to some slight -nervousness on my own part, though I was, of course, disguised beyond -the possibility of recognition, as I stood before the monarch who had -so often trusted me in his most confidential affairs, and listened to -the faltering speech of the false Prince. - -The Kaiser was attired in his most magnificent costume, wearing -the famous winged helmet on his head, and surrounded by a galaxy of -ministers and great officers, all arrayed in the utmost military -splendour. It was a sight calculated to strike terror into an -Oriental mind, and I admired the theatrical completeness of the -spectacle, almost regretting that it should be wasted on an obscure -underling. Had the real Prince been there he might have learned a -valuable lesson, and given some good advice to the Empress of China -on his return. - -On the evening after the ceremony the Prince’s substitute was -compelled to attend a banquet, given in order to mark the termination -of strife, and the restoration of good feeling between the two -empires. - -At this banquet I was unable to be present, my position being too low -for me to receive an invitation, and too high for me to appear as an -attendant on the Prince. What incident it was that occurred to rouse -the Kaiser’s suspicion, I have never been able to learn--the luckless -barber himself could not tell me. But late that night a wire reached -me from my office in Paris, to this effect-- - -‘_Urgent wire received from German Emperor requiring you immediately -in Berlin. What reply?_’ - -With the reception of that telegram a light burst upon my mind. A -doubt which I had tried in vain to stifle had vexed me all along as -to the sufficiency of the Empress’s motive for retaining my services, -at a high cost, to do practically nothing. - -Now at last it seemed to me that I understood. This extraordinary -woman had doubtless consulted her representatives in Europe as to the -dangers of detection, and they had informed her that I was Wilhelm -II.’s favourite confidential agent, who would almost certainly be -called in if any suspicion arose. Thereupon she had adopted the -artful device of retaining me on her own side in advance, placing me -in the extremely delicate position of being bound by loyalty to her -to hoodwink my other patron. - -What was I to do? A bare refusal or neglect to answer the Kaiser’s -summons would leave him free to employ another agent, whom I might -find it hard to outwit. On the other hand, I should violate my -lifelong rule, if I accepted a commission which I could not loyally -discharge. - -After much painful thought, I decided on what seemed to me the only -wise and honourable course. Disguised as I was, I went straight round -to the palace, and asked to see the Kaiser. - -‘Impossible!’ declared the private secretary on duty, to whom I was -first shown in. ‘His Majesty is retiring. Who are you?’ - -‘Go and tell the Emperor that the man whom he has just telegraphed to -Paris for is here.’ - -The secretary gave me an astonished look, as he well might, and left -the room. - -In a minute he was back with instructions to conduct me to the -Kaiser’s presence. - -I found his Majesty in his dressing-room alone. - -‘Monsieur V----! Is this really you?’ he exclaimed. - -‘My voice may be more familiar to you than my face, sire,’ I -responded. - -‘I am delighted. Sit down. I have a most extraordinary thing to -consult you about. This----’ - -I ventured to hold up my hand. For the first time in my life I -presumed to interrupt royalty. - -‘A thousand pardons, sire! I beg of you to let me speak first.’ - -‘Why, what does this mean, sir,’ Wilhelm II. inquired sternly. - -‘It means, sire, that I am compelled to presume on the many faithful -services I have rendered to your Majesty to ask you for a favour -which alone can extricate me from a position of cruel embarrassment.’ - -‘Proceed, sir.’ - -The Kaiser’s tone was still reserved, but I fancied I observed a -slight softening in the glance. - -‘I already know the business in which you desire my aid.’ - -[Illustration: “Wilhelm II. strode to me, seized me by the shoulder, -and thrust me out of the room.”] - -‘You know it!’ cried the Emperor, fairly confounded. - -‘It is my business to know things, and I know this. Now, let me put -it to your Majesty, what can you possibly gain by following up an -inquiry which can have no tangible result? I say no tangible result, -because there is simply no means by which you can arrive at the -proof of what you suspect. And, if it were otherwise, how could your -Majesty possibly turn the information to account? - -‘You could not entertain the idea of confessing to the world that you -had been duped. Consider, sire, what use the wits of the boulevards -would make of such a revelation! Imagine the pencil of Caran d’Ache -at work on the episode!’ - -I saw Wilhelm II. fidget uneasily, and I knew that my cause was -gained. - -‘On the other hand,’ I resumed, ‘suppose that you have harboured -a suspicion which is unjust. You run the risk of affronting a -submissive enemy--of insulting the fallen. And it would be too late -to repair the injury to your own prestige; the Paris mockers would -never abandon so good a joke.’ - -The Kaiser frowned and tugged at his moustache. It was evident that -he only sought an excuse to yield. - -‘Consider, sire, that what is merely a question of politics with you -is one of religion with the poor woman you have humiliated to-day. -Your end is gained; the Imperial House of China has humbled itself -in the dust before the Hohenzollerns. If a religious scruple has -caused this public act to be done by proxy, that is a secret known -only to a few persons who, for their own sakes, will never dare to -reveal it.’ - -By this time the Kaiser was as anxious to pass the matter over as he -had been just before to investigate it. - -‘If I consent to take your advice, and dismiss the suspicion I have -formed, will you in turn tell me two things?’ - -‘I have no doubt I shall, sire.’ - -‘Then, why are you in Berlin, and how is it you know so much?’ - -‘I am here, sire, in the train of his Imperial Highness, as the -confidential agent of the Dowager Empress of China.’ - -The Kaiser glared at me, biting his lip to repress the amused smile -that struggled forth nevertheless. - -‘M. V----, you are a wonderful man! I am not sure whether I ought to -arrest you or to pardon you freely; however, I will cry quits if you -will tell me who this fellow really is?’ - -‘He is, of course, sire, the brother of his Imperial Maj----’ - -Wilhelm II. strode to me, seized me by the shoulders, and thrust me -out of the room. - - - - -VIII - -THE ABDICATION OF FRANCIS-JOSEPH - - -I am now going to relate the story of what is, perhaps, the most -extraordinary mission on which I have ever been employed. It will, I -think, come as a surprise to many of the best-informed politicians on -the Continent, including the highly placed personages whose schemes I -was the means of detecting and defeating. - -It was during the war between the British and Boers in South Africa, -at a period which I do not care to specify more particularly, that I -had the honour to receive a request to proceed without loss of time -to Petersburg, and wait upon M. Witte. It is chiefly this Minister’s -unjust dismissal that has provoked me to make this disclosure. - -I was particularly gratified at being sent for by the great Russian -Minister, because his action was a demonstration of the high -confidence reposed in my loyalty. Although I was known to be a Pole -by descent, and the favourite and confidant of the German Emperor, -who had constantly employed me to combat Russian intrigues, yet M. -Witte felt no fear in intrusting me with the secrets of Russian -statecraft. - -The moment I arrived in Petersburg, I went without waiting to change -or refresh myself to wait on my client. Our interview took place, not -at the Ministry of Finance, where M. Witte would have been surrounded -by spies, but at a small private house in a suburb of the Russian -capital. - -The Finance Minister received me in a small study, the walls of which -were lined with works on political economy and kindred subjects. - -‘I have asked you to meet me here,’ the Minister explained, as soon -as I had seated myself, and lighted the cigar which he pressed upon -me, ‘because I don’t wish the fact that we are in communication to -be known to a single person in the Russian Empire. In particular, -it must be kept a strict secret from the Minister of War. It is -against him that you will be acting really, and I shall have to ask -you to pledge yourself that in case of your proceedings attracting -his attention, you will lead him to suppose that you have been -commissioned by some foreign Power.’ - -‘That will be easy,’ I replied. ‘Russia has plenty of watchful -enemies. Shall I say Great Britain?’ - -M. Witte shook his head thoughtfully. - -[Illustration: “‘Will you permit me to ask you,’ he said politely, -‘if you have ever done any business on behalf of the Emperor of -Austria-Hungary?’”] - -‘You would not be believed. No one will credit the British Government -with intelligence enough to acquire knowledge of its enemies’ -intentions. But that is a point which I can safely leave to your -discretion if the occasion should arise.’ - -I contented myself with bowing, and waited for the Minister to -proceed. - -‘Will you permit me to ask you,’ he said politely, ‘if you have ever -done any business on behalf of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary?’ - -‘I have been engaged by his Majesty on two occasions,’ I responded. -‘It was I who succeeded in suppressing the facts concerning the death -of the Crown Prince Rudolf, and in establishing the currency of the -version which has now been accepted as serious history. The truth,’ -I added, ‘will never be known to any one outside the innermost -circle of the Habsburg family; and I dare not tell it even to your -Excellency. The other occasion I am not at liberty to mention.’ - -‘Perhaps I can guess it, though,’ the Russian Minister returned with -a shrewd smile. ‘However, the important thing is that you are already -personally known to the Emperor. It follows from that fact that he -has learned to respect and trust you.’ - -I thanked M. Witte for this compliment by a low bow. At the same time -I was a little on my guard. - -‘You know so much of what goes on in Europe, M. V----,’ he resumed, -‘that perhaps it will be no news to you that Francis-Joseph has -decided to abdicate the Dual Crown.’ - -This announcement, in fact, came as a complete surprise to me. -Fortunately I had time to prepare to receive it calmly. - -‘I will not pretend that it is news,’ was my response. ‘But I am -always glad to have my own information confirmed. I shall be grateful -for anything you may tell me on the subject.’ - -‘I am not going to keep anything from you,’ said the Minister. ‘The -Emperor has made a private announcement of his intention to my own -master, the Tsar, asking for his good offices on behalf of his -proposed successor.’ - -‘The Archduke Ferdinand?’ I put in rashly. - -M. Witte drew himself up, and gave me a suspicious glance. - -‘You are too subtle, M. V----,’ he said coldly. ‘I have no doubt that -you know perfectly well that it is the young Archduke Karl whom the -Emperor has chosen to succeed him.’ - -I thought it better to be suspected of subtlety than nescience, and -apologised. - -‘I ought not to have spoken. I beg your Excellency to continue.’ - -‘What I am going to ask you to do may sound rather extraordinary. I -want you to go to Vienna, see his Majesty, of course without letting -him know that you have been in communication with me, and tell him -that you suspect the Russian Government is playing him false. Then -persuade him to employ you to find out what is in the wind.’ - -I stared at M. Witte in some bewilderment. Then I answered -cautiously-- - -‘Do I understand you, sir, to propose that I am really to enter the -service of the Emperor? Or am I to be your agent in the business?’ - -‘I want you to do both,’ was the answer. - -‘I am to deceive the Emperor, it appears?’ I said with rising -indignation. - -‘Not in the least. You will accept his commission to ascertain the -secret intentions and purposes of the Government of Russia, and you -will execute that commission exactly as if you and I had never held -this conversation.’ - -‘M. Witte, I must beg you to be plain with me. I never consent to act -in the dark. What is your true motive in making this strange proposal -to me?’ - -‘I think I have already told you,’ the Minister returned with perfect -coolness. ‘The man whom I am combating is Count Lamsdorff.’ - -‘Your colleague?’ - -‘Exactly. My colleague, the War Minister.’ - -‘Let me see if I clearly understand your Excellency. The Emperor -of Austria has given the Tsar private notice of his intention to -abdicate? The Tsar has promised to preserve a friendly attitude? -Nevertheless, the war party in the ministry, with or without the -Tsar’s connivance, are secretly preparing to take advantage of -the situation in some way? Your Excellency, knowing this, and -disapproving of their plans, desires to put the Austrian Emperor on -his guard, in order that the scheme may miscarry?’ - -M. Witte punctuated this speech with a series of nods. - -‘And why?’ I demanded bluntly, throwing myself back in my chair. - -The Russian statesman looked at me for a minute, as though trying to -make up his mind whether it would be of any use to offer me a false -excuse. I prepared to listen to something about the obligations of -international honour and good faith. - -‘Suppose I were to tell you that I am acting under the confidential -instructions of my own Emperor, who lacks the courage to put his veto -on the policy of the Grand Dukes?’ - -‘In that case your object can be attained much more simply. Procure -me a line in the handwriting of Nicholas II. to Francis-Joseph, and I -undertake to deliver it, and to burn it afterwards with my own hand.’ - -The Russian heaved a sigh of amused resignation. - -‘You are too deep for me, M. V----. Very well, then, I will tell -you.’ He bent forward and lowered his voice. ‘Russia is not ready to -strike. A war now would mean the bankruptcy of the Empire. The others -will not believe this, but I know it. I will not have my carefully -laid plans shattered by them, for the sake of a miserable province -like Galicia. - -‘I am a statesman, not a pettifogger. With my railways I am reaching -forward to clutch the great Empires of Asia. China is already within -my grasp; India is being drawn closer year by year. When a thousand -millions of men obey the sceptre of the Tsar, these petty European -States will fall like ripe plums into our lap.’ - -The Russian spoke with real emotion. If I still retained any faint -misgiving, it was not enough to restrain me from accepting the -service required of me. - -Within three days I found myself in the palace of Schönbrunn. - -Of all my clients Francis-Joseph is the most unapproachable. Modern -ideas of democratic equality find little encouragement in the -Austrian Court. After the friendly bonhomie of the German Kaiser, -and the tactful kindness of the King of England, the Austrian -sovereign’s manner affects one disagreeably: it is like touching a -lump of ice. Yet, according to his lights, the Emperor is gracious -and even cordial, especially to those who approach him in his private -hours. - -I found him in his favourite room overlooking the Park. His Majesty -did not invite me to be seated in his presence, an omission which -indicated no unfriendliness. - -‘I am pleased to receive you, monsieur,’ he said in a clear, stately -voice. ‘The services you have rendered me entitle you to ask for an -audience, and I have no doubt your reason for seeking it is a proper -one. Be good enough to state it.’ - -‘I have taken the liberty of asking for this audience in order that I -might offer your Majesty certain information about your forthcoming -abdication.’ - -The Emperor could not repress a slight start. Lifting his eyebrows, -he gazed at me steadily in the face. - -[Illustration: “The Emperor could not repress a slight start.”] - -‘I have communicated my _desire_ to abdicate,’ he said with a -significant intonation, ‘to six persons only. Two of them are brother -sovereigns; two are members of my own family; the other two are -the Chancellor of the Empire and the Prime Minister of Hungary. -Through which of them did you receive your information?’ - -‘Not one of the persons in your Majesty’s confidence has the -slightest idea that I have heard anything whatever on the subject. I -must respectfully beg your Majesty not to press me further.’ - -The aged Emperor was evidently much disturbed. - -‘If what you say is true--and I do not doubt your word--the -information must have reached you through an intermediary. That is to -say, my purpose is known to at least eight persons, in short, to the -whole world.’ - -I held my tongue. It is the art by which I have learned most of my -secrets. - -After a few minutes’ silent consideration, during which the frown on -his face steadily deepened, his Majesty looked at me again. - -‘What do you wish to tell me?’ - -‘I wish to put your Majesty on your guard.’ - -‘You have done that already, most effectually,’ he interrupted. - -‘I have come to beg you to distrust the assurances you have received, -no matter from what quarter, that your Majesty’s abdication will -pass off quietly. And if I should be so fortunate as to possess your -confidence, I would further request your Majesty to employ me on the -service of ascertaining what the intentions of your neighbours really -are.’ - -The Emperor perceived that I was keeping something back. - -‘In what directions do your suspicions point?’ he inquired sternly. - -‘Chiefly to Russia,’ I answered with intentional vagueness. - -‘You are mistaken, I believe. You cannot know the nature of the -assurances I have received. Besides, I am well acquainted with the -position of Russia. M. Witte is the man who counts in the Russian -Government, and he is all for peace. He needs time to develop his -plans. The country is nearly insolvent. However much the war party -may desire to make a snatch at Galicia, they will not be allowed to -do so.’ - -‘Will your Majesty pardon me if I venture to make a proposition? I -will undertake to ascertain the actual state of things at my own -risk. If I am able to report that my suspicions are unfounded, your -Majesty shall make me no acknowledgment whatever.’ - -Francis-Joseph threw me a displeased look. - -‘I regret that you should have permitted yourself to speak to me in -that way, monsieur. Be good enough to remember who I am. I do not -employ servants without paying them. Your former services give you a -claim to consideration; your position and character entitle you to be -treated seriously; and I am not going to reject your present request. -You may consider yourself retained to make this investigation. Have -you anything else to say?’ - -This acceptance of my offer, glacial though it was, consoled me -for the rebuke by which it was accompanied. Nevertheless, as I -left the Emperor’s presence, I regretted that he had not been more -frank with me. It was no doubt my own reticence which provoked this -corresponding reserve on his Majesty’s part. But the result might -have been unfortunate. - -It will be noticed particularly that although the Emperor had -practically admitted that it was his intention to vacate the throne, -he had refrained from giving me the smallest hint as to the _date_ of -the abdication. - -I took my way towards the Galician frontier in the character of a -British tourist, armed with a sheaf of the coupons of Messrs. Cook. I -was aware that this disguise would serve better than any other as a -cloak for prying and impertinent questioning. - -Galicia, I need hardly say, is that part of Poland which fell to the -share of Austria in the famous partition of the eighteenth century. -Bitterly as the Poles hate the Russians, the two peoples are allied -in language and blood, and Russia has always looked forward to -incorporating the whole of the ancient realm of the Jagellons in her -own dominions in course of time. The break-up of the Dual Monarchy -would naturally be the signal for Russia to execute her designs on -the Polish province of the Habsburgs. - -In Galicia itself I found everything in a state of the most profound -peace and security. There was the usual frontier garrison, but -the camps showed no signs of special activity. I toured along the -frontier almost from end to end, in a motor which I had ordered from -Paris, and I came upon great stretches of country, several miles in -extent, where a whole Russian army corps could have crossed the line -without being observed, far less opposed. - -At the end of this inspection, which lasted about a week, I crossed -over to the Russian side. - -I found myself received without apparent distrust. The legend of -the mad Englishman on his motor-car had no doubt preceded me. The -Russians do not dislike Englishmen, as individuals, in the way they -dislike Germans. At all events I had no difficulty in making friends -with many of the officers in command of frontier posts. They offered -me hospitality, and showed no resentment at my somewhat daring -exploration of their frontier. - -At the first blush, everything seemed as peaceful on this side as on -the other. The number of troops under arms was not excessive, and the -men showed none of those signs of suppressed excitement which warn an -experienced eye that some movement is in contemplation. - -Presently, however, I began to remark an extraordinary number of -telegraphic despatches arriving at the various posts. Special -messengers seemed to come and go with a frequency that hardly seemed -necessary in time of peace. At last, one night, I was roused from -sleep by a sound which my ears were quick to recognise. It was -the muffled rumble of an artillery train passing over the rough -paving-stones of the small town in which I had stopped for the night. - -I got up, softly drew back the curtain of the window, and cautiously -peeped out. There, in the moonlight, rolled by gun after gun, -followed by the caissons and all the supplementary outfit of a park -of artillery. - -They were heading southward, and the frontier lay only three miles -away. I counted six batteries--thirty-six guns--the equipment of an -army corps. When all had gone by I retired to rest again. - -I rose at break of day, took out my car, and followed in the route -of the cannon. The road conducted me without a turning straight to -the frontier post, where I found a sleepy Russian sentry exchanging -friendly greetings with a still drowsier Austrian one. A short way -beyond stood the Austrian guard-house, with the men lounging on a -bench outside the door in the sunlight, waiting for their coffee. - -Everything was as if my vision of the night before had been a dream. - -I turned my car round, and drove back slowly, scrutinising every -hedge and tree along both sides of the road. Less than a mile from -the post my attention was caught by a place on the left hand side, -where the hedge appeared to have been mended or replanted. I ought -to explain that the road was bordered at this point by a thick wood -apparently impenetrable to anything bigger than a stoat. - -I stopped the car, got down, and approached the hedge, examining -every inch of the ground. - -The first discovery I made was that the road itself had been recently -mended. Creases in the surface, like the ruts made by heavy wheels -in turning, had been filled up, and the dust from other parts of the -road carefully raked over the spot. - -Then, looking closely at the hedge, I perceived that the bushes were -no longer growing in their place. The entire hedge had been cut -away level with the ground for a space of several yards, and then -replaced, the matted bushes being wired together so as to form a sort -of gate or hurdle, like the furze hurdles in common use in England -and other countries. The leaves were already beginning to droop from -want of the nourishment supplied by the roots. - -I drew up my car close to the hedge, and, mounting upon it, managed -to scramble over into the wood, at the cost of some scratches. - -I found myself in the midst of a pile of brush-wood which extended -for some paces, completely covering the soil from view. Immediately -beyond came a gap in the trees, not in front, but at one side, so -that it was quite invisible from the road. Turning sharply towards -the frontier, and running almost parallel with the high road, was a -grassy drive or lane, about ten feet wide, and sufficiently free from -undergrowth to admit the passage of an army. - -With my heart thumping against my ribs, and almost holding my breath -in my excitement, I stole along this path, which revealed, by a -hundred tokens, that it had recently been used for heavy traffic. I -followed its windings for I should think a mile and a half, when I -found myself brought up abruptly by a post and rail fence, the posts -being painted yellow on the side which faced me, and black on the -reverse. - -This fence was the boundary between the two empires. A narrow -footpath bordered it on each side, so that the patrol might pass -along it each day on his rounds. - -As for the artillery, it seemed to have disappeared, to have been -swallowed up by the earth. - -I looked round me in all directions. The woodland road by which I -had reached the frontier stretched away on the other side of the -fence. This was in itself a suspicious sign. It scarcely seemed -likely that two independent drives would have been constructed so as -to meet in the heart of the forest, unless there was some traffic -meant to pass that way. All at once the explanation burst upon me. It -was a smuggler’s route! - -The high tariffs of the Russian and Austrian empires have fostered an -important contraband traffic. The soldiers who patrol the frontier -are easily bribed by a share in the gains of the smugglers. What the -Russian War Office had done was to bribe the smugglers in their turn -to act as its allies in this strange invasion. - -I have used the word invasion. Unless my deductions were wholly -false, the thirty-six guns which I had seen passing my window in the -night were by this time actually planted on the soil of Austria. - -I sprang over the fence, and hurried forward on the still clearly -revealed track. - -At the end of an hour from my first entrance into the forest, my ear -caught a low murmur which warned me that I was drawing near to some -kind of encampment. Striking from the lane into the wood, I advanced, -creeping from tree to tree. But I have had few opportunities of -learning woodcraft, and there were keener ears, and more stealthy -footsteps than mine in the forest. Suddenly I felt a powerful hand -gripping my throat, a dark cloth descended over my eyes, and I was -thrown violently to the ground. - -I did not lose consciousness, while I was lifted up by the feet and -shoulders, and carried a distance which I calculated at two hundred -paces. After some twisting and turning I was set down, and the cloth -was taken off my head. I sat up and looked round. - -I found myself in a small hut or wigwam of boughs and woven rushes, -surrounded by half a dozen dark-faced men who squatted between me -and the doorway, the only opening by which light was admitted. One -glance at my captors satisfied me that they were neither soldiers nor -Russians. Reassured on this point I prepared to defend myself boldly. - -The head man of the party appeared to be an old fellow with a short -grey beard, who might have passed equally well in the uncertain light -for a Wallach, a Slovene, a gipsy, or a Jew, but certainly not for -an honest man of any race. Addressing myself to the chief of the -smugglers, as I conceived him to be, in Polish, I asked-- - -‘Why have you dared to treat me like this?’ - -‘He is a Pole!’ The muttered exclamation solved my doubt as to the -race of the smugglers. The language they used between themselves was -Romany. - -‘What were you doing in our wood?’ the old gipsy asked threateningly. - -Before I had time to reply, the old man’s eye suddenly lighted up. -He took a step towards me, uttered an amazed ejaculation, and then, -before I knew what was happening, fell on his knees before me, and, -seizing my right hand, respectfully kissed a ring on the little -finger. At the same time the other members of the party crowded -round, evidently impatient to follow his example. - -The ring which excited this extraordinary demonstration was one which -I had worn so long that I had forgotten all about it. It had been -given me seventeen years before, in Baghdad, by an old woman I had -saved from the bastinado at the hands of a savage Pasha. - -She was a gipsy, I now remembered; she had forced the ring upon me -against my will, and had urged me never to take it off night or day, -assuring me in the most solemn manner that it would one day be the -means of saving my life. This prophecy, which I had laughed at as a -vain boast and quickly forgotten, was coming true at last. - -Blessing the old lady with all my heart, and inwardly apologising -to her for my past scepticism, I put on the air of one who was -accustomed to, and expected, the homage he was receiving. - -‘That will do, my friends,’ I said, when each man had saluted the -magic ring in turn--it was engraved with a pentagram. ‘Now, if I give -you some money, how long will it take you to procure some bottles of -good wine?’ - -A grunt of pleasure welcomed this inquiry. I heard a word which -sounded like canteen. Then one of the men rose, in obedience to a nod -from the chief. - -‘Cheni will fetch it in five minutes,’ said the old man. - -I placed a double handful of gold in his outstretched palms. A -perfect salvo of approving cries greeted this munificence. - -While we were waiting for the wine to appear I offered an account of -myself which appeared to be quite satisfactory. I said I was a Pole, -of gipsy descent through my mother, that I was engaged in a plot to -bring about a general rising in the event of war between Austria and -Russia, and that I was specially engaged to secure the support of the -numerous gipsies along the frontier, who were to watch the movements -of the two great belligerents on our behalf, a service for which they -would be handsomely paid. - -The arrival of six bottles of first-rate Tokay gave all the -confirmation to my words that was required. As the wine vanished -down their throats, the gipsies laid aside all reserve, and freely -imparted to me what information they possessed. - -They told me, in the first place, that the six batteries I was -tracing were within a few yards of us, skilfully hidden among the -trees. Their arrival brought the force designed for the occupation of -Galicia up to a total strength of eighty thousand men and seventy-two -guns, all of whom had been secretly brought across the frontier at -different points during the last few days, and were now ready to -move in concert as soon as the signal was given, and overrun the -unprepared province. - -Vast convoys of provisions were being held in readiness on the -Russian side of the frontier, and a second army of one hundred and -twenty thousand men was to be secretly mobilised in and around -Warsaw, ready to come to the support of the first, in the event of -serious resistance on the part of the Austrian Government. - -This last item rested on hearsay, but the presence of two army -corps on Galician soil was a fact for which my informants were able -to vouch from their own observation. The fact was known to every -smuggler along the Galician frontier, and yet, so profuse were the -bribes they had received, and so perfect was their secrecy, that not -the slightest hint had been suffered to reach any official of the -Austrian Government. - -I spent some hours of the most agonising suspense I have ever known, -in the company of these drunken outlaws, before I dared to risk -an effort to get away. Their suspicions, or rather their natural -distrustfulness, caused them to raise all sorts of objections to my -departure. It was only by swearing on the sacred pentagram that no -hair of their heads should ever be imperilled by any action of mine, -that I was able to tear myself away. - -When I got out on to the high road again, at the spot where I had -left my motor, I found, as I had feared, that it was no longer there. -I turned at haphazard in the direction of the frontier post. As soon -as I came in sight of the Russian guard-house, I saw, to my delight, -my car standing on the road in the front of the door, with a group of -interested soldiers curiously inspecting every part of it. - -Now the car happened to be a Panhard, of the most powerful -construction yet turned out by the famous French firm. - -I strolled up carelessly, greeted the astonished soldiers in broken -Russian, and asked them if they were familiar with the machine. The -lieutenant of the post, a man in education and intelligence below the -level of an English sergeant, bustled out and began questioning me, -with the evident intention of ordering my arrest. - -I handed him my passport to read, a process which takes some time -with an illiterate Russian officer, and went on explaining the -mechanism of the car to the inquisitive soldiers. Finally I came to -the driving power. - -‘And now, my friends,’ I said, ‘I will show you how the car is -propelled. Stand back clear of the wheels, if you please. You see -this lever. I place my hand on it so----’ - -‘Stay!’ shouted the officer, divining the danger in this -demonstration. - -He spoke too late. As my hand grasped the lever, I vaulted into the -car, and before the excited soldiers realised that it was under way, -the Panhard was tearing towards the boundary line at the rate of -twenty-five miles an hour. - -The Russian sentry ran out into the middle of the road to stop me. -He was a poor peasant, perhaps from the banks of the Volga, who must -have thought that the Evil One himself was upon him. I saw his face -blanch, and almost heard the chattering of his teeth, but he did not -flinch from his duty. I rode right over him, and I am sorry to say -that I believe he was killed. - -[Illustration: “I rode right over him.”] - -The Austrian sentry simply fired off his gun as a warning to his -comrades at the guard-house further along the road. They swarmed -out, and I pulled up the machine. I had put the brake on immediately -after crossing into Austrian territory. - -‘In the Emperor’s name!’ I whispered to the Austrian officer of the -guard. ‘I am not an Englishman, but a member of the Austrian Secret -Service. By allowing me to pass without delay you will render the -Government a vital service.’ - -‘You have just killed a man,’ the officer objected, pointing to the -blood on my wheels. - -‘I am afraid so. The fact that I killed a Russian sentry in order to -cross the frontier should convince you that I am in deadly earnest.’ - -The officer, by some rare chance, was intelligent enough to believe -me. - -‘Pass on, sir,’ he said. - -I pressed the lever, and set out on my mad race across an Empire to -Vienna. I had nothing to eat or drink. I had no shields for my eyes; -the Russian soldiers must have removed them while the car was in -their hands. I was utterly unprepared for my terrible journey. But -some intuition warned me that every moment was precious, and I kept -my splendid machine at full pressure for the whole five hundred miles. - -I will not attempt to describe that nightmare ride. Late in the -evening of the following day, I alighted at the gate of the palace -of Schönbrunn, worn-out, my face and hands chapped and bleeding, my -eyes half-blinded with dust, and my strength nearly gone. - -‘The Emperor! Take me to the Emperor!’ I gasped to the first person I -met. ‘It is life or death!’ - -I was conducted into the presence of a chamberlain, who sought to -impose all sorts of obstacles. - -‘You cannot see his Majesty now. I dare not intrude upon him. He is -closeted with the Archdukes. It is a Habsburg Family Council.’ - -‘My God!’ I cried out. ‘You have given me ten thousand reasons for -insisting! If it costs my life, I must interrupt his Majesty.’ - -My violence cowed the official. He conducted me, or, in fact, -supported me, for I was almost too weak to stand, to the door of the -Council Chamber. - -‘Go in, if you must,’ he said. ‘For my part, I dare not announce you.’ - -I turned the handle of the door, and staggered into the room. - -The spectacle which met my eyes was dazzling. In a blaze of light -all the Archdukes of the Imperial House, wearing their uniforms and -robes of State, were grouped in a semicircle, facing a throne on -which the representative of the Cæsars was seated in his Imperial -mantle, wearing the great Double Eagle Crown of Austria. Before him, -on a footstool, knelt a handsome lad of fifteen, in whom I had no -difficulty in recognising the Archduke Karl, the destined successor -to the throne. - -At the moment I burst in I saw the venerable Emperor raise his hands -to his head, lift up the Imperial Crown, in which the huge diamonds -and rubies and sapphires sparkled like founts of fire, and hold it -poised in the air over his young kinsman’s bent head. In another -second it would have rested on the boy’s brow, and Francis-Joseph -would have ceased to reign. - -‘Pardon!’ - -My voice rang out like the hoarse scream of a drunkard. I tottered -forward and fell on my knees, while the Emperor half rose from his -throne, still grasping the great crown in both hands. - -‘Pardon, sire! At this hour a Russian army of eighty thousand men is -encamped upon the soil of Austria!’ - -Francis-Joseph sank back on his seat, and mechanically replaced the -diadem on his own head. - - * * * * * - -The explanations which followed between the two Governments were not -communicated to me. But I learned through my friends the gipsies that -the discovery of the motor, and my subsequent flight gave the alarm -to the Russian War Office. The invading force retired as stealthily -as it had come, and all vestiges of its having crossed the frontier -were so speedily and skilfully effaced that if Count Lamsdorff fell -back on a denial of the truth, it is probable that the Austrian -Government found itself unable to press the charge. - -So the evil day has been postponed; for, as long as Francis-Joseph -reigns over the Dual Monarchy, Russia will be content to bide her -time. - -In the meanwhile I have been informed that a warrant has been issued -against me, in the Russian courts, for the murder of the sentry whose -fate I have described. - - - - -IX - -THE DEATH OF QUEEN DRAGA - - -It is with painful feelings, and only after long consideration, -that I have resolved to lift the veil from the tragic mystery which -surrounds the fate of the Queen who perished under the knives of -assassins in Belgrade in the month of June 1903. - -The hesitation I have felt in approaching this melancholy story is -due to reasons of a personal character. Many years before, when the -late Queen of Servia occupied a private station, it was my lot to -meet her, and to fall under the spell of that fascination which this -extraordinary woman possessed over men, and which will cause her to -be remembered in history with Helen and Cleopatra, and all those -enchantresses who have involved kingdoms in ruin by their charms. - -I had no right to suppose that the Countess, as she then was, -distinguished me from the crowd of those who paid homage to her; -but yet it seems as though I had in some manner inspired her with a -feeling of confidence and regard warmer than that usually felt by -any woman for a man who is neither her lover nor her kinsman. - -I believe myself to be the only survivor of the tragedy who possesses -the key to that strange and terrible career, and that in imparting my -knowledge to the world I am discharging what has become a sacred duty -to the dead. - -With this apology I will come straight to the history. - -It was some years since I had seen or heard anything of the -Countess Draga, though, of course, I was aware, in common with all -well-informed students of contemporary politics, of the passion which -she had inspired in the young King of Servia, when I was astonished -by receiving one day a private letter from her, imploring me to -come to Belgrade at once to advise her on a matter of the highest -importance. - -I lost no time in obeying the summons, by which I was singularly -moved, since there is only one thing which can ever be of the highest -importance to a woman. - -It was in the courtyard garden of an old stonewalled Servian -house--more like a fortified farmhouse than a private mansion--that -the revelation burst on my ears which was so soon to startle the -capitals of Europe. - -A fountain plashed into a marble basin strewn with rose leaves, and -the faint scent of myrtle and lemon blossom came from the curtain -of shrubs which screened the gateway in the thick grey wall. The -beautiful woman whose name was the object of maledictions throughout -a continent, reclined on a low couch heaped with Oriental cushions, -and fixed her dark eyes on me with a tragic intensity of appeal, as -she confessed her secret. - -‘I need the advice of a disinterested friend, one who stands apart -from the intrigues which centre round the Servian throne.’ - -I sat upright on the French chair provided for me, and gazed down at -her, outwardly calm and stern as ever, but gripping the throttle of -emotions whose strength none can know but myself. - -‘My advice will be disinterested in one sense,’ I answered slowly. -‘I care nothing for the plots and conspiracies which, under the name -of politics, serve as a substitute for the old brigandage of the -Balkans. But I am interested in your happiness.’ - -The Countess Draga let her eyelids fall for a moment as a quick spasm -of pain crossed her face. - -‘Do not let us speak of my happiness,’ she said in low tones. ‘It is -of Alexander I must think.’ - -I folded my arms across my chest, and said nothing. - -‘He has asked me to be his Consort.’ - -I did not succeed in quite concealing the astonishment with which I -heard this piece of news, as yet unsuspected by Europe, and for which -my friend Baron Rothschild would gladly have paid 1,000,000 francs. - -‘I refused him,’ the Countess added; ‘I have refused him not once but -twice, but he persists.’ - -‘Kings ought to marry kings’ children,’ I observed, as she seemed to -wait for some expression of opinion from me. - -‘Add that boys ought to marry girls and not grown women, and you -will say what the world will say as soon as it hears of this,’ she -returned, with some bitterness. ‘That is what I have told Alexander; -and he has sworn upon the crucifix in my presence that he will marry -only me.’ - -‘Leave Servia. Spend a year on the Riviera--or in Paris’--she glanced -swiftly at me as I said this--‘and he may change his resolution.’ - -The Servian’s reply startled me. - -‘I cannot. At this moment I am under secret arrest.’ - -‘Under arrest?’ - -‘You forget that Alexander has made himself master, and that reasons -of State cover a great deal in Servia which they would not cover in -France.’ - -I was staggered. A stranger situation I had never encountered in all -my strange experience. - -‘He holds you a prisoner till you consent to become his Queen!’ - -‘Till I become his Queen,’ she corrected. - -I sat still for a minute, considering. The chancelleries and the -public of Europe would never believe this story. They would think, -they were already thinking and saying, that the Countess was an -adventuress, luring the young King to his ruin. - -‘There is one very simple solution,’ I said at last. ‘I will arrange -your escape.’ - -‘Impossible!’ she sighed. - -I frowned. - -‘Pardon me, my dear Countess, but when you did me the honour to -consult me, I assumed that you had some confidence in my ability. I -offer to take you wherever you wish to go.’ - -‘You misunderstand me, my dear friend. I do not doubt your power to -release me. But my flight would become a public event; Alexander has -too little self-restraint to keep silence about it. I should thus -damage him as much as by accepting the throne which he offers me. -He has sworn, moreover, that if I persist in my refusal, he will -abdicate.’ - -With what sophistries will a woman deceive herself where her heart is -concerned! And how worse than useless is it to reason with her. - -‘You have told me enough,’ I answered, in a voice which was -melancholy in spite of myself. ‘I perceive that this young monarch -is not indifferent to you.’ - -The lovely Servian lowered her glance, and began picking a rose to -pieces with her delicate fingers. - -‘He is my King,’ she murmured. ‘He is the last of the dynasty of -Obrenovitch, which my family have served faithfully for a hundred -years. The one thing which alarms me most in the whole situation is -that I have been urged to accept the King’s hand by Colonel Masileff.’ - -‘Colonel Masileff?’ - -‘Who is understood to be the secret head of the party in favour of -Prince Peter Karageorgevitch.’ - -I now understood the seriousness of the affair, since it was -clear that whatever step was favoured by the supporters of the -Karageorgevitch claimant must be fraught with some danger to the -Obrenovitch. - -‘Is Alexander aware of this fact?’ - -‘I have told him, but he considers it an excuse on my part. Perhaps, -if you were to warn him, he might listen to you.’ - -I did not much relish the task of forcing my advice on a headstrong -youth, intoxicated with love and sovereignty. In the end I decided to -return from Belgrade through Switzerland and take an opportunity of -finding out something about Alexander’s rival for the Servian crown. - -But the ways of women are proverbially difficult to calculate. - -While I was still lingering in Belgrade, on the look-out for some -useful introduction to Prince Peter, the world was startled by the -public announcement of the forthcoming marriage of the King and the -Countess. - -I went at once to wait on the prospective Queen of Servia to tender -my formal congratulations. I found her already surrounded by a throng -of courtiers, among whom I discerned the lean military figure and -vulture nose of the man whom Draga herself had denounced to me a few -days before--Colonel Masileff. - -So magical is the influence of royalty that I found myself able to -detect a difference already in the manner, and even in the very -voice, of the woman who had bared her heart to me so short a time -before. She was gracious and cordial, but it was the graciousness -and cordiality of a Sovereign to a subject, rather than that of a -beautiful woman to a man. - -Coming away I thrust my arm through that of the formidable Colonel. - -‘Have you any commands for Geneva?’ I asked. ‘I shall be there in the -course of two days.’ - -Masileff let himself be surprised. - -‘But I thought you were a friend of the Countess?’ he stammered. - -‘Certainly--as you are,’ I retorted. ‘It seems to me that the -Countess is doing a very good stroke of work for a cause in which you -and I are both interested.’ - -Masileff glanced at me with curiosity. - -‘Do you know, Monsieur V----’ (I had not seen cause to disguise my -identity on this occasion), ‘that I think you must be more fortunate -than I am. That is to say, I think you must possess the confidence of -a person who has not yet honoured me by a sign that my services are -acceptable to him.’ - -‘Thank you, Colonel,’ I replied, bowing. ‘Your message shall be -delivered in the right quarter.’ - -I left Belgrade the same night, and two days later found myself in -the presence of a quiet, elderly man in a modest apartment near the -famous Lake Leman. - -I had sent in my card with the pencilled addition: ‘Confidential -agent of the Tsar, the German Emperor, and Monsieur Chamberlain.’ - -I felt sure that the names of the powerful triumvirate who, between -them, controlled the destinies of the Old World, would secure me the -attention of Prince Peter Karageorgevitch; and I was not mistaken. - -The Prince received me with a real or assumed nervousness, and -expressed himself anxious to receive any message I might have for -him. - -‘I have no message of any importance for your Highness,’ I replied, -scrutinising carefully the careworn features of the elderly man who -sat in front of me. ‘My only message at all is one from Colonel -Masileff, which is perhaps not worth your attention.’ - -‘I have heard of the Colonel, and shall be pleased to hear anything -on his behalf,’ the Prince replied cautiously. - -‘Colonel Masileff is a little disappointed, sir, that your Highness -has not offered him any token of your approbation. He would welcome -some sign that you are not indifferent to your friends in Servia.’ - -Prince Peter looked at me with a glance which, though quiet, was not -less searching than my own. - -‘I thank you, Monsieur V----. Is that all?’ - -‘It is the whole of the message, sir.’ - -‘Again, thank you.’ - -‘Your Highness does not wish to make me the medium of your answer, -perhaps?’ I hinted. - -‘There is no answer.’ - -I perceived that I was dealing with a man of no ordinary penetration -and shrewdness. With such men it is always best to come straight to -the point and to be frank. - -‘And now, sir, for the real object of my visit. I need not tell your -Highness that I did not come to Geneva to oblige Colonel Masileff.’ - -‘That is already quite clear,’ the Prince commented drily. - -A remark from which I inferred that it was in the power of Masileff -to have given me credentials which would have secured me a very -different reception. - -‘I have come here, then, to beg for the life of a woman.’ - -Karageorgevitch started slightly, and began for the first time to -look uneasy. - -‘I thought you said you had no important message,’ he reminded me. - -‘I have none. The woman I speak of is totally ignorant of the step I -take in coming here.’ - -‘Then your interest in the matter is----?’ - -‘Is personal merely. I make it my private prayer to your Highness -that, in a certain event which no longer seems improbable, the life -of this woman shall be spared.’ - -Prince Peter gave an imperceptible shrug, a shrug which said very -plainly, nevertheless, ‘I have no motive for obliging you.’ - -Aloud his Highness remarked-- - -‘I am strongly opposed to all bloodshed, Monsieur V----. I feel sure -there is no reality in the danger you foresee, or I should be as -earnest as yourself in wishing to prevent it.’ - -‘I can say no more, sir; I am here, as I have said, merely in my -private capacity. Still, I happen to have rendered important -services to some very powerful personages’ (the Prince glanced at the -names I had inscribed on my card), ‘and, without being a blackmailer, -I feel confident that if I appealed to those personages for their -influence on behalf of a righteous and honourable cause, I should not -be refused.’ - -Prince Peter rose to his feet, and walked twice up and down the room -before replying. - -‘It is evident to me,’ he said at length, ‘that you have a strong -personal interest in the new Queen of Servia, and that you are a man -who is to be trusted. That being so, I will explain to you frankly my -position. I have friends in Servia who desire to see the restoration -of my dynasty, and derive much confidence from the misconduct of this -youth in whom the Obrenovitch line terminates. - -‘Their reports reach me regularly, and I am therefore able to -anticipate their plans to some extent. But I have resolved that if I -am ever to seat myself on the Servian throne, I must keep my hands -clean. For that reason I have never committed myself by approving any -of the measures contemplated on my behalf. - -‘If Masileff really told you he never heard from me, he told you the -actual truth. I have never yet returned any answer to any of the -communications I receive almost weekly from Belgrade. To that rule -I must adhere. All I can promise you is this, that if hereafter I -receive any information which convinces me that the life of the -Countess Draga is in danger, I will at once break silence, and send a -peremptory order to my friends that she is to be allowed to leave the -country in safety.’ - -I thanked the Servian prince for this pledge, which was all I had any -right to expect. The claimant to a Crown could hardly be asked to -veto all attempts on his behalf on the mere chance that some of them -might endanger the lives of the reigning family. - -I returned to Paris, and sought to distract myself in my work from -brooding over the tragedy which seemed to be shaping itself in the -Servian capital. - -As we had both foreseen, Queen Draga incurred the obloquy of the -world by marrying Alexander. Her reputation was sacrificed to his, -and I believe that she deliberately posed as the instigator of all -his violent and injudicious measures, in the hope of acting, so to -speak, as a conductor of the popular wrath, and thereby saving her -husband. - -Had she been able at the same time to wean Alexander from his wild -passion for herself, he and his dynasty might have been preserved. -It is the charitable view to take that the young King was not fully -responsible for his acts at this time. The distressing circumstances -of his bringing-up, the fatal inheritance of his father’s example -and influence, render it impossible to regard Alexander Obrenovitch -as a normal young man. - -The long period of suspense which I passed through, while watching -from Paris over the safety of the Queen of Servia, was at last put an -end to by a cypher telegram from the agent whom I had stationed in -Belgrade unknown even to Draga herself. - -‘_Death of King fixed for next week. Queen must be persuaded to fly -at once._’ - -The despatch reached me just half an hour before the departure of the -Oriental express, into which I flung myself panting as it began to -glide out of the station. - -My agent, warned from Vienna, met me as I alighted in Belgrade. - -The pallor of his countenance told me that he had bad news to -communicate. - -‘The worst--instantly!’ I exclaimed, in Polish, a language I have -taught to all the most trusted members of my staff. - -‘Nothing has happened,’ he stammered out. ‘But I tried to give a hint -to the Queen; she has passed it on to her husband. The conspirators -have learned that suspicion has been aroused in the Palace; and----’ - -‘And what?’ I seized him by the wrist. - -‘The assassination is to be carried out to-night, instead of next -week.’ - -‘To-night!’ - -Exhausted as I was by the long journey, this news almost broke me -down. I had to lean against my agent for support. - -The poor wretch, conscious that he had blundered disastrously, dared -not meet my eye, and I felt him trembling. - -It is my maxim never to be angry with an employee except for bad -faith. If an agent of mine blunders or breaks down I consider the -fault is mine for having intrusted him with a task beyond his powers. -Besides, there are no perfect instruments. In my own career I have -made two mistakes. - -Therefore I assured the unfortunate man that all was well, since -Queen Draga was yet alive. We went together to the house in which -my agent had been residing for some time in the character of -correspondent of the Havas Agency. There I assumed the Servian dress -which he had had the forethought to prepare for me, and, disguised as -a _sous-officier_, I set off for the Palace. - -My military uniform naturally inspired confidence in the sentries, -those in the plot no doubt supposing that I was so, also. - -I made my way round to a side entrance, suitable to my apparent -station, and there, by my agent’s advice, asked to see Anna -Petrovitch, the waiting-maid who had shared the Queen’s fortunes for -many years. - -I was admitted without any demur, and presently Anna herself -appeared. She took me apart into a small chamber apparently used by -the upper servants of the Palace, and asked me what I wanted. - -‘I must see the Queen immediately, in private,’ I answered. - -‘You cannot do that. Her Majesty is just sitting down to dinner. What -is your name; and what do you want to see her about?’ - -‘My name does not matter. I come as a friend, and I bring her Majesty -a message from one who wishes her well.’ - -I knew that if this woman were really in Draga’s confidence these -words would not fall unheeded. - -‘Cannot you tell me something more? I will try to get you an audience -as soon as dinner is over, provided I am sure that you are a friend.’ - -‘Listen!’ I bent forward and whispered in her ear. ‘Have you ever -heard the Queen mention a certain Monsieur V----?’ - -The woman gave a start of joy, impossible to be feigned. - -‘You come from him?’ - -I bowed. - -‘Then I will endeavour to let the Queen know at once. In the -meantime, follow me.’ - -Anna conducted me up one of the back staircases of the Palace and -along a corridor, till we arrived at a door, which she unlocked with -a key taken out of her pocket. - -I found myself in a small bedroom, humbly, but comfortably furnished. - -‘This is my own room. The Queen’s boudoir is reached through that -door,’ she explained, pointing to it. ‘Wait here, and excuse me if I -take the precaution of locking you in.’ - -‘Stay,’ I said sharply. ‘In situations like this I trust no one. Give -me the key, and I will lock myself in, and open to your knock.’ - -The servant made no objection, and a signal was arranged between us; -after which she stole away, leaving me there in the gathering dusk, -with the fate of a kingdom trembling in the balance. - -Of my feelings during the next half hour it would be useless to -speak. Murder, red-armed and tiger-eyed, was whetting its knife -against the bosom of the woman whom I would gladly have died to save. -And I could do nothing but stand there and gaze furtively through the -window for the first sign of the approaching cyclone. - -[Illustration: “I took out my loaded revolver, cocked it and advanced -to the threshold.”] - -At the end of thirty eternal minutes the expected knock came at the -outer door. I took out my loaded revolver, cocked it, and advanced -to the threshold. - -‘Who is there?’ - -‘The Queen’s friend,’ came the expected answer. - -I unlocked the door, opened it just widely enough to admit the -waiting-maid, and promptly shut and locked it again. - -‘The Queen knows you are here, but she dares not leave the table -for another half hour. At the end of that time she will be in her -boudoir, and will admit us.’ - -I took out my watch, and cursed each dilatory hand. - -‘Is the danger so pressing, then?’ asked the frightened woman. - -‘I do not know how pressing it is,’ I answered gloomily. ‘I cannot -even be sure that Queen Draga will be suffered to leave that table -alive.’ - -‘Oh, you are mistaken there!’ Anna exclaimed. ‘My mistress is safe. -She has had a private assurance that she will be allowed to flee.’ - -‘Has she fled?’ I retorted. I thought I knew Draga better than her -servant did. - -Silence followed. The knowledge that Prince Peter had evidently -contrived to give orders on behalf of the Queen, in the event of -violence being employed, soothed me to some extent. Nevertheless, a -sad and terrible presentiment warned me to expect the worst. - -A low scratching on the inner door, that leading into the Royal -boudoir, told us that the victim was still alive. A bolt was -withdrawn, and the next moment I found myself in Queen Draga’s -presence. - -It was the same woman whom I had left a few years ago, in the full -bloom of her womanhood, but how changed, how stricken! The harassed -brow, the hunted look in the eyes, the grey streaks in the hair, all -told me what the difference had been between the lot of the Queen and -the simple Countess. - -‘You are from Monsieur ----?’ she whispered. - -I drew myself up. Recognition flashed in her eyes. - -‘You are Andrea!’ - -That word repaid me for everything. I went down on one knee, and -pressed her offered fingers to my lips. - -It was only by the light of the moon that we were able to see each -other. Anna was moving towards the key of the electric lamps, but the -Queen forbade her with a gesture. - -‘Now, tell me, what is it?’ - -‘You must this very minute put on Anna’s dress, and leave the Palace -with me. We shall go straight to the railway, where my agent has by -this time chartered a special train.’ - -Draga drew back unconvinced. - -‘The assassination is fixed for next Tuesday,’ she declared. - -‘It is fixed for to-night.’ - -‘To-night? You must be mistaken.’ - -I smiled bitterly. - -‘The Tsar of Russia has never said that to me, madam.’ - -‘But how?--when?--Your own agent told me--if he was your agent----’ - -I waved my hand impatiently. - -‘All that was true three days ago, madam. Your Majesty told -King Alexander, and the conspirators have advanced the hour in -consequence.’ - -For the first time the heroic woman turned pale, and began to tremble. - -‘At what hour to-night is it?’ - -‘I have not ascertained. For ought I know the assassins are at this -moment surrounding the Palace. There may be just time for you to -leave.’ - -‘But the King! Alexander! My husband!’ - -‘I do not think there will be time for him to leave as well,’ I said -gravely. - -Queen Draga threw one hand across her breast with a superb defiance. - -‘I do not go without my husband, sir.’ - -I was torn between admiration and despair. - -‘I should have done better to remain in Paris, I perceive,’ I said -sullenly. - -‘On the contrary, dear Andrea, I, who know you so well, know that you -have the heroism of soul to save the man you hate at the prayer of -the woman you love.’ - -I stood thunderstruck, while she crossed the room into the adjoining -bedchamber, and sounded a silver bell. - -‘Inform his Majesty that I desire to see him very particularly as -soon as possible.’ - -The servant who had answered the bell bowed and withdrew, with -startled looks, from which I was inclined to suspect that he was in -the pay of the assassins. Fortunately, he had not been able to see me -where I stood. - -The Queen now began hurriedly to change her dress for one more -suitable for the emergency. Meanwhile there was no sign that her -message had reached Alexander. - -‘You have been betrayed, madam,’ I observed at last. ‘That servant -was a traitor. I saw it in his face.’ - -Draga uttered a cry of despair. - -‘You, Anna, you go and bring the King here at all costs.’ - -Anna darted out of the room. - -The Queen, too terribly anxious to go on with her own preparations -for flight, paced the room like a lioness listening for the approach -of the hunters. - -Five minutes passed--ten minutes--a quarter of a year! Then a step -was heard in the adjoining room, and the young King of Servia, his -dark face flushed with wrath, strode in. - -‘What is all this? Are you trying to frighten me, Draga?’ - -He saw me and stopped, at the same time putting his hand to his side -where his sword should have been. The weapon was missing, perhaps by -accident. - -‘This is our best friend, Alexander. He has come to save us. The -assassins have changed their plans, and will be here to-night. A -special train has been got ready, and if you can leave the Palace in -disguise, all will be well.’ - -The ascendency of a powerful intellect in the moment of danger made -itself felt. Alexander looked about him, half-dazed, as the poor -youth well might be, by the ghastly imminence of the peril. - -‘What disguise can I wear?’ he demanded, in a choked voice. - -‘Change clothes with your valet,’ the Queen replied, with -feminine quickness. ‘This gentleman affirms that he is one of the -conspirators.’ - -‘Constantine! Impossible! I do not believe it.’ - -Draga wrung her hands. - -‘I cannot save him. He is obstinate!’ she sobbed. - -The sob conquered the stubborn narrow mind which would have resisted -all argument. Alexander darted into his dressing-room, from which the -valet was just trying to escape. - -Seizing the man by the throat, Alexander dealt him a blow on the -temple which deprived him of his senses. I had followed his Majesty, -and I now stripped the valet while the King hastily undressed. While -the King was assuming the disguise thus provided for him, I carried -the insensible man into the bedroom, and placed him between the royal -sheets. - -At this moment the white face of Anna Petrovitch appeared in the -doorway beyond. - -‘They are coming! I see them outside in the courtyard.’ - -‘Quick, quick!’ burst from the lips of Queen Draga, whose -self-possession seemed almost unnatural. And she pushed her husband -towards the door of his own dressing-room. - -‘This way?’ he exclaimed, his mind unable to keep pace with hers. - -‘Yes. You are Constantine. You are in the plot, remember. You must -let them in to kill your master, who is asleep.’ - -I shuddered. My suspicion--for it was hardly more--was going to be -fatal to the valet. - -‘Go with him,’ Queen Draga added, turning to me. ‘I am safe. I -need neither protection nor guidance. He needs both. I adjure you, -Andrea!’ - -Swept away by the torrent of her impetuosity, I followed Alexander to -the dressing-room. - -Draga herself came to the door, and closed it softly after us. - -We were just in time to meet a party of a dozen soldiers, headed by -Colonel Masileff himself. - -Stepping past the young King, who was shaking like a leaf, I -whispered in Masileff’s ear-- - -‘Be quiet, or you will awake him. He is lying on the bed, drunk.’ - -The soldiers filed in past us, not one casting so much as a glance at -our faces, shrouded by the darkness. - -The moment the last man had stepped across the threshold of the -dressing-room, I took Alexander by the arm and drew, or rather -dragged, him out into the corridor, and down the great staircase of -the Palace. - -We passed out unquestioned. It did not occur to one of the men whom -we found outside that Masileff could have missed his prey. - -My uniform was enough to disarm suspicion, for it was that of a -regiment in which every man had sworn on the Gospel not to let -Alexander escape alive. My agent had served me well. - -We found him at the station. The special train was ready, with steam -up, waiting for the signal to place us in safety on the soil of -Austria. - -I made Alexander take his seat in the meanest compartment, while I -waited outside the station for the appearance of the two women. - -I waited a long time. - -From the town, all buried in darkness, there came sounds of tumult -and exultation, which must have shaken the heart of the young man in -the train. - -It was not till I had been there for nearly three-quarters of an hour -that I saw one female form creeping feebly along the road towards the -station. - -I darted out to meet her, and uttered an oath. - -Anna Petrovitch fell weeping into my arms, with the doleful cry: -‘Queen Draga is dead! Queen Draga is dead!’ - -Five minutes later I had placed the desolate creature in the train, -and we were speeding on our way to Vienna. - -It was in the train that I learned the few particulars that Anna had -to tell. But I had already guessed the nature of the catastrophe. - -Another party of soldiers, headed by a personal enemy of the Queen’s, -had invaded the Royal suite through the waiting-maid’s room at the -instant that Masileff and his men burst into the bedroom where the -valet was lying insensible. Whether Draga’s life might really have -been spared or not, it is impossible to say. The heroic woman’s -resolution was instantly taken. She knew that if the valet were -recognised there would at once be a hue and cry, and that the King -would be pursued and probably taken; and she resolved to give her -life for her husband’s. She cast herself on the inanimate form lying -on the bed, concealed the face in her arms, and allowed herself to be -stabbed by a dozen bayonets. - -[Illustration: “Queen Draga cast herself on the inanimate form on -the bed, concealed the face in her arms, and allowed herself to be -stabbed by a dozen bayonets.”] - -Of the savage details of the murder I dare not trust myself to write. -To those who know how thin is the veneer of civilisation on the -Southern Slaves, how faint is the moral difference between some of -these so-called Christians and their Mohammedan neighbours, it will -not come as a surprise to learn that when the bloodhounds desisted -from their work there was no longer any possibility of recognising -either of their victims. - -Of the young King, and what has become of him since that hideous -night, I intend to say no single word. Of her who perished, let no -man henceforth say anything but good. - - - - -X - -THE POLICY OF EDWARD VII. - - -It is always a delicate matter for a foreigner to write about the -Sovereign of another country in such a way as to be acceptable to -his subjects. In case I, a citizen of the United States, should -unwittingly offend any English prejudices in the following narrative, -I can only assure my readers that I am actuated by no feeling -but that of the most sincere respect for the greatest of living -Sovereigns and the mighty people over whom he reigns. - -In the summer of 1902 the whole world was dismayed by the news that -the Coronation of King Edward VII. had been postponed at the last -moment, on account of his Majesty’s grave state of health. - -The Governments of the Continent, ever distrustful, and prone to -credit others with their own Machiavellian statecraft, eagerly asked -themselves if the official explanation of this event was genuine, or -whether it did not conceal some subtle political purpose. - -As a result, I found myself commissioned by a certain great Power to -go over to London, and ascertain the true state of affairs. - -Needless to say, my inquiries enabled me in a very short time to -report to my employers that their suspicions were groundless. - -In the course of the brief investigation I was brought into personal -touch with a man of high rank, occupying a confidential position -in the Royal Household--the Marquis of Bedale. The manner in which -I carried out my delicate mission caused Lord Bedale to compliment -me highly upon my courage and discretion, and I have every reason -to think that his lordship spoke in favourable terms of me to his -exalted master. - -Before I left England I was surprised and gratified to receive a -request from Lord Bedale to wait upon him in his private apartment in -Buckingham Palace, on confidential business.[1] - -His lordship received me in the friendliest fashion, and talked to me -quite freely. - -‘Let me begin,’ he said, ‘by asking you for your frank opinion on our -Secret Service.’ - -‘The Secret Service of Great Britain is the most scrupulously -conducted in the world,’ I replied discreetly. - -Lord Bedale gave me a queer smile. - -‘That means, I suppose, that it is the most inefficient?’ he -suggested. - -‘It is the worst paid,’ I said, by way of extenuation. ‘I have -heard that the total amount voted for this purpose by the British -Parliament is only £40,000, but that sounds incredible.’ - -‘I am afraid it is not far from the truth,’ Lord Bedale answered. ‘We -have acted in the belief that the British Empire was too strong to -care about what its enemies were planning.’ - -‘I should think the Boer War must have made you realise that such a -policy was not the cheapest in the long run,’ I ventured to remark. - -‘It has shown _me_ so, at all events,’ he answered, ‘and possibly -some others. You will not offend me in the least, Monsieur V----, if -you tell me plainly that you consider our Intelligence Department the -weakest branch of our Foreign Service, and utterly unworthy of an -Empire with such world-wide interests as ours.’ - -I was obliged to admit that such was my opinion. His lordship -proceeded. - -‘This state of things constitutes a national danger. In a country -like ours, run on democratic lines, it is almost hopeless to look to -Parliament for any improvement. The only remedy is for some one who -has the interests of his country at heart to supplement the work of -the public service by a private intelligence department conducted at -his own expense, just as in the case of a newspaper proprietor.’ - -I gave the speaker a quick glance of interrogation. I happened to -be aware that the Marquis, in spite of his high rank, was not a -very wealthy man, and it was therefore clear to me that he was not -speaking of himself. - -‘Such a person as you describe would, indeed, deserve well of his -country,’ was all I thought it prudent to say. - -‘I shall be glad if you will consider me as the person concerned,’ -Lord Bedale said in a tone which warned me that I was on delicate -ground. ‘I have sent for you to ask if you will accept a commission -from me to act as a Secret Service agent in the interests of Great -Britain.’ - -I hesitated. It is my fixed rule to deal only with principals, and I -could not escape the conclusion that Lord Bedale was merely the agent -of another. - -‘Will you let me ask your lordship one question?’ I said. ‘Do you -offer me this commission as a private citizen solely, or am I at -liberty to infer, from your position in the Royal Household, that you -have no concealments from the exalted personage you serve, and that -by accepting your offer I shall, in effect, be serving his Majesty?’ - -The Marquis studied my face carefully before answering. - -‘It seems to me that such an inference is right and natural, and one -that you are bound to make,’ he said slowly. - -‘Then I shall feel highly honoured by accepting,’ I returned, bowing. - -The question of terms was disposed of to our mutual satisfaction. -I came away from the Palace filled with reverence for the monarch -who, unless I were completely deceived, had decided to contribute -out of his private purse to the defence of the great Empire whose -politicians were so neglectful of its safety. - -On my return to Paris I set to work to organise a special department -for the purpose of collecting intelligence likely to be of importance -to the British Empire. - -I was amused to find that several of the secret agents in the service -of the British Foreign Office were receiving much larger salaries -from the Russian Government than from the one they were supposed to -act for. Among other similar discoveries my agents reported to me -that a certain British Vice-Consul in the Euphrates Valley, a Greek -by extraction, had secretly taken out letters of naturalisation as a -German subject. It was on this man’s recommendation chiefly that the -British Government had been induced to give its countenance to the -project for a German railway to Baghdad. - -I duly forwarded this and other items to Lord Bedale, but I could not -perceive that any notice was taken of them by the Foreign Office. -Probably the permanent staff resented the idea that they were being -checked and inspected, and determined to show that they were not -going to let even their monarch interfere with them. - -But all this was merely preliminary. I was on the eve of a discovery -of so much moment that I have often asked myself since whether, but -for me, the British Empire would be in existence to-day. - -Newspaper readers may recollect that not very long ago a sharp -passage of words took place between a German Minister and an English -statesman whom I will not indicate more closely in the present -excited state of party politics. Although in appearance but a quarrel -of Ministers, it was perfectly well understood on the Continent that -the Count von Bülow was only the mouthpiece of his Imperial master -on this occasion. Europe gasped at the spectacle of this political -thunderstorm, in which the lurking hatred of Germany towards England -was for the first time brought to the surface, and exposed. - -I knew the character of both of these formidable peoples too well -to believe that the incident would have no after effects. As by the -glare of a lightning-flash, there stood revealed before me the -figures of the two great protagonists, contending together for the -mastery in a war raging over three continents. - -Very soon after Lord Bedale, or whoever stood behind him, had -confided the safety of Great Britain to my care, I repaired in -disguise to Berlin. My instinct taught me that this capital was the -true storm-centre, and that from here, rather than St. Petersburg, -would be directed the designs of any really dangerous movement -against the country of Edward VII. - -My first visit after my arrival was paid to the Director of the -Imperial Secret Service, my old friend Finkelstein. I felt it would -be impossible for me to remain long in the German capital without my -presence becoming known to this astute chief of police, and I deemed -it the most prudent course to throw him off his guard at the outset. - -I caused myself to be announced as Father d’Aurignac, of the Order -of the Assumptionists. My assumed character completely imposed on -Finkelstein, and I opened the conversation by saying-- - -‘I have come here in consequence of the persecution of the Order -now being carried on by the French Republic. We are obliged to seek -other homes, it being impossible for us to remain in France. A large -number of houses have been transferred to England, but my brethren -and I detest that country so much that we wish to settle in Germany -instead. I have been deputed to ascertain what treatment we are -likely to receive at the hands of the authorities.’ - -‘That is not in my department,’ Finkelstein answered. ‘You should -apply to the Minister of the Interior.’ - -‘You misunderstand me,’ I returned smoothly. ‘I do not doubt that -we shall be permitted to settle here. The question is, how much -independence we shall enjoy from police supervision. In France we -were always able to maintain exceedingly friendly relations with the -police. We are, of course, a very wealthy Order.’ - -Finkelstein’s eyes sparkled. I knew that he was in receipt of a -secret pension from the exiled claimant to the throne of a State -annexed by Prussia in 1866. It was evident that he was perfectly -ready to do business. - -‘You will find that the Berlin police exercise the greatest tact -towards communities of high character like yours,’ he said eagerly. - -I lay back in my chair and threw off my hood, as I observed-- - -‘My dear Finkelstein, I see that you are not changed.’ - -The Director’s consternation was quite laughable to witness. - -‘V----!’ he exclaimed, drawing back as if he had been stung; then he -added, in a tone of hesitation: ‘My old friend?’ - -‘Yes; your friend--and your ally, if you will accept him as such,’ I -said cordially. - -Finkelstein looked immensely relieved. He was well aware that the -Kaiser did not accord him his complete confidence, and he must have -feared that I had come to him, as on a former occasion, as the -Kaiser’s agent. - -‘My dear V----, any friendship and assistance that I can give you are -at your service at all times,’ he hastened to assure me. - -‘It is understood, then, is it not, that we are to stand by each -other? If I undertake to report favourably of you in a certain -quarter, you will give me your confidence?’ - -‘That is always understood between Secret Service agents who are men -of honour,’ the German responded. - -We shook hands with great warmth. - -‘Now,’ I said, ‘I can afford to be perfectly frank.’ - -Finkelstein glanced at me with the suspicion which such a declaration -was certain to provoke. - -‘I am here, this time, in the interests of Russia.’ - -The Director met my eye with a look of polite incredulity. - -[Illustration: “‘V----!’ he exclaimed, drawing back as if he had been -stung.”] - -‘Distrust has been awakened in the Russian Council of State by -this Venezuelan affair, in which Germany has been much too friendly -with England. It is necessary to ascertain exactly what the Kaiser’s -views and intentions really are. He is either deceiving the Tsar, or -deceiving the English, and I have to find out which. For this purpose -I must pass a night in the Emperor’s private cabinet.’ - -‘But surely that is not a difficult thing for you to manage,’ -observed Finkelstein, with evident distrust. ‘His Majesty trusts you -implicitly, does he not?’ - -‘He may trust me as a spy on you, and yet not confide to me his -political designs,’ I answered. ‘The truth is that the Kaiser is -on his guard. He knows that he is being watched, and just now he -distrusts everybody--his own police most of all,’ I added pointedly. - -The Director put his hand to his head, with a gesture of despair. - -‘It comes to this,’ he cried pathetically, ‘that unless I betray him -you will report to him that I am a traitor!’ - -‘You should have thought of that before you accepted the money of the -Duke of Heligoland,’ I retorted, naming the Royal exile referred to -above. - -The German sighed, and hung his head. - -‘The Russian Government is not less wealthy than the Order of -Assumptionists,’ I added. - -Finkelstein brightened up again. A man of such mercurial temperament -was most unfit for his position. - -As soon as it became a question of terms between us I knew that the -battle was won. The German really hated and feared Russia, like all -his countrymen, and had it been prudent to do so, I should have been -glad to relieve his mind. - -It was an easy matter for him to make the required arrangements. A -hint to the commander of the regiment which supplied the Palace guard -that some theft had taken place, and that a detective’s presence was -necessary, was sufficient. At the hour of eleven, the Kaiser’s time -for retiring, I found myself in the uniform of a Prussian soldier, -pacing the corridor which gave access to his Majesty’s cabinet. - -Secured from suspicion by the character in which I had entered the -Palace, I lost no time in unlocking the door of the room by means -of a key invented by myself. I must be excused from describing its -mechanism in these pages; but the only lock against which it is -powerless is the familiar letter padlock. - -As soon as I was inside I closed the door again. I did not venture -to turn on the electric light, but made use of a dark lantern I had -brought with me, to explore the chamber. - -In front of me stood his Majesty’s writing-table, covered with -despatch boxes. I considered it useless to open them, and turned my -eyes round the room in search of some more secret receptacle. - -At first no sign of anything of the kind I sought was visible. There -were cupboards, but they were not even locked. The walls were hung -with maps, among which my eye was particularly caught by a chart of -the world on Mercator’s projection, on which the various possessions -of Great Britain were indicated by small red flags attached to pins. -It seemed to me an ominous thing that such a map, so marked, should -be ever before the eyes of the ablest Continental ruler, who was -known to be feverishly at work building a navy fit to contend with -that of England. - -In a reflective mood I stepped towards the map and looked at it. The -flag which marked New Zealand had sagged down slightly, as though -less firmly thrust in than the rest. Without stopping to think what I -was doing, I took hold of the pin and pressed it into the wall. - -To my surprise I felt a resistance which at once accounted for the -loose position in which I had found the flag. I removed one of the -other pins, and found it went into the wall without any difficulty. -It was therefore clear that at the particular part of the wall -covered by New Zealand there existed some obstacle, probably of a -metallic nature. - -Once convinced of this, I had no doubt as to my next step. I drew -out the whole of the pins in the eastern portion of the chart, and -rolled it back. - -I was rewarded by the sight of a dark round patch on the wall-paper, -beneath which I could detect the presence of a metallic disk or knob. -I pressed it boldly, and a square section of the wall opened out on -a hinge, revealing a small cupboard, secured by a black seal showing -the impress of the Emperor’s signet, with which I was sufficiently -familiar. - -This discovery placed me in an awkward position. There was no time -for me to counterfeit the seal, and if I broke it, it was evident -that Wilhelm II. must know that his hiding-place had been tampered -with. - -The prudence I had shown in dealing with Finkelstein was now -invaluable to me. At the worst the Kaiser would learn that his -secrets were in the hands of a Russian spy, and my real employer -would be unknown. It was this reflection which emboldened me to -proceed. - -I broke the seal, opened the cupboard, and found a pile of papers -which I took to the writing-table to look through. - -The papers were enclosed in what is styled in Government Departments -a ‘jacket’--a large sheet of paper folded to form a cover. The -outside of this jacket was endorsed in the Kaiser’s well-known -hand--‘_European Zollverein_.’ - -[Illustration: “‘Arrest that man!’ the Kaiser commanded, without -giving him time to speak.”] - -Those words told me all. The daring brain of Wilhelm II. had revived -the idea which the great Napoleon embodied in his famous Milan -Decrees. The whole of the Powers of the Continent were to be united -in a Customs League against Great Britain. - -Russia and Austria, I saw, had eagerly welcomed the proposal. Spain -and Turkey, with the Balkan States, were also committed to it. So -were Belgium and Holland, the first in revenge for British criticism -of the Congo Free State, the second on account of the Boer War. -Sweden and Denmark were evidently disinclined to the scheme, but -unable to resist the pressure put upon them. Only three countries -still held out firmly--France, Italy, and Portugal. - -The opposition of France seemed to be due partly to the fact that -Great Britain was her largest customer, and partly to dislike of any -proposal coming from Germany. Italy and Portugal seemed to realise -that their own fate was bound up with that of England, and to view -with dread the prospect of weakening the British power. - -I had just finished reading the spirited protest of little Portugal, -contained in a private autograph letter from Dom Carlos to the German -Emperor, when the room was suddenly flashed with the full glare of -the electric light. I looked up and saw his Majesty standing before -me, in full uniform, with his sword drawn in his hand. - -I had reckoned without Wilhelm II. when I undertook my perilous -enterprise. The colonel of the guard, it appeared, had reported -that a detective had been admitted into the Palace by Finkelstein’s -request. The Kaiser had thought little of the matter at first, but -later on his curiosity had become too strong for him, and he had -decided to find out for himself what was going on. - -I confess that for the first and only time in my life I turned cold -with fear, as the sudden apparition of the armed Emperor burst on my -startled consciousness. - -‘Arrest that man!’ he commanded, without giving me time to speak. - -Two soldiers advanced from the corridor and pinioned me by the arms. -Then the Kaiser himself stepped forward, seized the papers I had been -studying, and thrust them into his breast. - -‘Order a firing-party with ball cartridges to get ready in the inner -courtyard,’ was the next command. - -All this time it was evident that the Kaiser had not recognised me. -Indeed, my disguise was so perfect that I felt quite secure on that -head. The question was whether it would make matters worse or better -for me if I revealed my identity. - -‘Now,’ his Majesty demanded, turning to me, ‘who are you, and what -are you doing here?’ - -[Illustration: “‘Now,’ said the Kaiser, stepping close to my side, -‘tell me the truth--the real truth, mind--and I will spare your -life.’”] - -‘Does your Majesty wish me to speak before these men?’ - -The Kaiser hesitated. - -‘Yes,’ he said at last; ‘speak out.’ - -I shrugged my shoulders. - -‘I am here as the agent of the Federal Council,’ I declared. The -Federal Council, as most readers will remember, is the Senate of -the German Empire. It represents more especially the dynasties of -Bavaria, Saxony, and the other small kingdoms united with Prussia to -form the modern Empire. - -Wilhelm II. started as I pronounced the name of this body. It is well -known that his Imperial Majesty does not enjoy the full confidence -of some of his satellite kings. In the army there has been a good -deal of friction beneath the surface. It was therefore not at all -improbable that the lesser royalties of Germany should have employed -a spy to detect the designs of their erratic and overbearing suzerain. - -‘Did you tell this to Herr Finkelstein?’ was the next question. - -‘No, sire.’ I was anxious to save the Director from the Imperial -wrath. ‘I persuaded him that I was your Majesty’s confidential agent.’ - -The Kaiser glared at me, and muttered an exclamation which I need not -repeat. - -‘How do I know that you are telling the truth to me, any more than -you did to him?’ he cried. - -‘Your Majesty cannot know it,’ I answered coldly. ‘The Council, of -course, will disown me.’ - -‘You are a cool hand,’ Wilhelm commented, gnawing his moustache. ‘It -seems to me that I can do nothing with you, except shoot you.’ - -‘That will be much the simplest course,’ I replied. I saw that it -would be a contest between the Emperor’s curiosity and his vengeance, -and already I began to hope. - -His Majesty gave the signal, and I was led out into the courtyard, -where I found six men under the command of an officer, drawn up in -line. - -I was placed in front of them, and as I looked down the rifle-barrels -already pointed at my heart I felt really nervous for a moment. The -scene was illuminated by a solitary lamp fixed over the gateway, and -its rays broke against the row of steel tubes which held death. - -‘Now,’ said the Kaiser, stepping close to my side, ‘tell me the -truth--the real truth, mind--and I will spare your life.’ - -I tried to think of something which Wilhelm II. would be likely -to believe. In the meantime, I congratulated myself on not having -disclosed my identity, as in that case, of course, it would not -have occurred to his Majesty that I could be induced to betray my -employer. - -He saw that I was hesitating, and fortunately mistook the reason. - -‘I will not only spare your life, but I will send you across the -frontier under an escort, and let you go free,’ his Majesty declared. - -I affected to yield reluctantly. - -‘My mission is not, strictly speaking, an official one. I am the -agent of an individual, who wishes to render a service to his -countrymen, without his action being publicly known. Your Majesty’s -recent alliance with Great Britain to blockade Venezuela has aroused -the fears of thoughtful American statesmen. It is suspected that you -may have other projects in which the interests of the United States -are concerned, and I have been instructed----’ - -‘By Theodore Roosevelt!’ the Kaiser exclaimed, falling back a pace or -two. - -I nodded. - -‘Your Majesty has guessed the truth. The project which I have -discovered among your papers does not concern the United States, and -I am therefore willing to undertake that it shall not be revealed to -the President.’ - -‘Enough,’ Wilhelm II. said in subdued tones. ‘I have passed my word.’ -He turned to the officer. ‘Take this man in irons to Hamburg, and -place him on board a British vessel.’ - -If I felt some compunction at the liberty I had taken with the name -of the United States President, I consoled myself with the assurance -that he would pardon me in view of the fact that I was acting in the -interest of the mother-country. - -My escort placed me on board a steamer bound for Hull, with an -intimation to the captain that my irons were not to be struck off -till the ship was out of the Elbe. - -The captain was naturally curious to learn who I was. I allowed him -to suppose that I was a Pole banished for sedition. Fortunately, I -had ample funds about me to defray my first-class passage, and I have -generally found in dealing with Englishmen that a Bank of England -note inspires more confidence than a testimonial from an Archbishop. - -As soon as the boat reached Hull I made the best of my way to -Balmoral, where Lord Bedale was staying in attendance on King Edward. - -Into his lordship’s astonished ears I poured the whole tale of my -discovery, passing over as lightly as possible the dangers through -which I had passed. - -Lord Bedale was much moved. - -‘I must thank you warmly for having kept the K----I mean, for having -kept my name out of this. The Emperor would certainly have suspected -that I was acting on King Edward’s behalf.’ - -‘It is possible,’ I said drily. - -The Marquis glanced at me and we both smiled. - -‘Enough!’ he said. ‘Remain in the neighbourhood, and I will see you -again in a day or two.’ - -The next time Lord Bedale sent for me his manner was entirely changed. - -‘Monsieur V----,’ he said, ‘I have related the whole of your -adventure to his Majesty, who has formed the highest opinion of your -tact and fidelity; so much so, that he has now instructed me to offer -you a mission on his own behalf.’ - -‘That will be the highest honour I could receive.’ - -‘His Majesty’s health is not yet fully recovered. In consequence, his -physicians have advised him to take a sea-voyage in the early part of -the year.’ - -‘I trust it will benefit his Majesty very greatly.’ - -‘The climate of the Mediterranean has been recommended.’ - -‘There is no pleasanter climate at that time of year.’ - -‘As his Majesty will be obliged to pass by the mouth of the Tagus, -it will seem discourteous if he does not land in Lisbon, and see the -King.’ - -‘His Majesty’s courtesy is proverbial.’ - -‘In visiting his Maltese subjects he will be so near Italy that King -Victor may expect to see him in Rome.’ - -‘That will be only natural.’ - -‘In case his Majesty should feel tired of so much sea, he may feel it -pleasanter to return overland.’ - -‘That will involve his passing through Paris.’ - -‘Exactly.’ - -Portugal, Italy, France--these were the three States which had made a -stand against the threatened alliance against the United Kingdom. I -looked at Lord Bedale and we understood one another. - -‘His Majesty proposes that you should visit each of these three -capitals in advance, and ascertain in a confidential way how he is -likely to be received, not merely by the head of the State, but by -the people themselves--the nation.’ - -‘I understand.’ - -‘King Edward desires to be received, not with formal courtesy, but -with the recognition due to the ambassador of the world’s peace.’ - -‘I shall bear that in mind.’ - -‘I may add that he only defers bestowing the Victorian Order on you -till he is able to do so in return for the services he now asks you -to render him.’ - -There is not much more for me to add. - -In Rome, as in Lisbon, I found there was little for me to do; the -name of King Edward was already on every tongue. Even in Paris, with -its jealous and reckless Press, I found that the British King was a -favourite with those who were most ready to criticise British policy. - -I had an interview with Father Loubet, as the French love to call -their homely peasant-President; the man who has proved once more that -sterling character counts for more in public life than rank or wealth -or intellectual cleverness. - -Later on I had the honour of accompanying the ruler of Britain on -his stately progress of peace. And as his coming was acclaimed in -capital after capital, and the nations so long sundered by senseless -rivalries shook hands, with their sovereigns, the angry Emperors -realised that England’s ‘splendid isolation’ was over, and that she -had resumed her historic _rôle_ of the champion of the weak, and -protector of the liberties of Europe. - -The glittering jewel pinned to my breast by the great Monarch’s own -hands was an unnecessary reward. To have served such a master was -enough. - - - - -XI - -THE HUMBERT MILLIONS - - -The Humbert Case, like the Dreyfus Case, is a _chose jugée_. - -Thérèse Humbert, one of the greatest women of the century, who united -the commanding personality of a Catherine the Great with the genius -for intrigue of a Catherine de Medicis, has been formally tried and -condemned, and is now secluded from the public eye. The journals of -the Boulevards pretend to be satisfied; and their credulous readers -are taught to believe that this remarkable affair was a vulgar -swindle, and that the famous millions had no existence except in the -mind of the arch-intriguer. - -It is under these circumstances that I find myself at length free to -make an announcement which I foresee must provoke a storm of denial -and denunciation. - -_I know what has become of the Humbert millions._ - -I do not make this declaration without having weighed the -consequences. If my part in this affair could be brought home to me -by legal proofs, it is possible that I should find myself in danger -of a penalty such as has been meted out to Madame Humbert herself. - -I believe, however, that I have sufficiently secured myself against -such a contingency. For many months past I have been engaged in a -duel of a singular character with the famous head of the French -police, M. Rattache: a duel of wits, in which the combatants have -kept on the mask of friendship, while exchanging thrusts and parries -with an assumption of perfect unconsciousness. - -In no step of her marvellous career, perhaps, did Thérèse Humbert -show more sagacity than in establishing relations with myself. -Accustomed as I am to act almost exclusively for crowned heads, or -ministers of state, I was the agent least likely to be suspected of -any connection with what wore the appearance of an ordinary police -affair. - -With the same prudence which marked nearly all her actions, Madame -Humbert refrained from coming to my office to engage my services, and -from asking me to visit her. Instead, I received what appeared to be -a casual invitation to dine with a banker, whom I will call Baron -Y----. - -Baron Y---- was a man whom I knew but slightly, but his house enjoyed -a good reputation, and he moved in the best society of the financial -world. He was noted for his entertainments, and therefore I was -surprised on this occasion to find only three other persons present, -besides the members of the family. - -The three other guests were M. Bas-Riviére, an ex-member of the -Waldeck-Rousseau Ministry, the Marquis des Saintes Roches, a -distinguished Legitimist, that is to say, a member of the party which -aims at the restoration of the Bourbons, and--Thérèse Humbert. - -At this time the voice of rumour was already busy with Madame -Humbert’s name; but though assailed, she still maintained a bold -front, and her enemies had not yet been able to touch her. - -It did not occur to me that her presence at the dinner had any -significance, but I studied her with that interest which her -reputation naturally excited. Impassive, almost stolid in her -demeanour, and speaking but little, Madame Humbert impressed me -more than any woman I have ever met, with the single exception of -the Dowager Empress of China. I will not say that I felt awed by -this extraordinary personage, but I recognised in her one of those -commanding personalities which overrule all who are brought into -touch with them. - -After dinner Baron Y---- led us through some of the rooms in his -superb mansion, to view the pictures and curiosities which his wealth -had enabled him to gather together. - -[Illustration: “‘I am going to ask you to undertake a service of an -unusual kind.’”] - -Somehow or other Madame Humbert contrived to fall gradually behind -the rest of the party, keeping me by her side. I did not realise -that this was a deliberate manœuvre, until, just as the others were -passing out of a small Turkish smoking-room, my companion abruptly -laid her hand on my arm, and whispered in my ear-- - -‘Let us remain here a moment, if you please, Monsieur V----. I have -something which I wish to say to you.’ - -Even then it did not at first dawn on me that the whole entertainment -had been arranged for the single purpose of enabling Madame Humbert -to interview me without attracting the notice of the police, who were -already beginning to take an interest in her movements. - -‘Let us sit down,’ the custodian of the mysterious millions said with -authority. ‘What I have to say to you will take some time.’ - -Observe, she did not admit the possibility of my objecting to receive -her confidences. She had made up her mind that I was the agent -necessary for her purpose, and it was only left to me to obey. - -I took a seat beside her without speaking. Magnetised by her strange -power, it did not occur to me to lay down any conditions in advance. - -‘I am going to ask you to undertake a service of an unusual kind. You -will run some risks, and I shall be obliged to trust you implicitly.’ - -‘Madame,’--I began to protest. She silenced me with a superb gesture. - -‘I have not asked you for assurances, monsieur. If I have chosen you -in preference to any of my friends, even men of the highest honour, -like M. des Saintes Roches, depend upon it I know what I am about. Do -not interrupt me, but listen. In my safe at this moment I have notes -and securities to the value of two hundred millions of francs.’ - -Two hundred millions! That is to say, in English money, £8,000,000! I -stared at her in amazement--almost in disbelief. She went on speaking -with the most perfect composure, as if nothing out of the ordinary -were being discussed. It was this self-command, this air of the -commonplace with which she invested the most fantastic statements, -which constituted the secret of her power. - -‘This sum, which originally amounted to only one hundred and twenty -millions, does not belong to me. It is a sacred deposit, intrusted -to me many years ago, since which time the interest has steadily -accumulated.’ - -‘But, then, whose----?’ I tried to put in. But Madame Humbert would -not permit me to speak. - -‘It is useless to question me, monsieur. Think what you like -concerning the true ownership of this money, but do not expect me -to enlighten you. All that it is necessary for you to know is that -these millions constitute a war fund, to be employed in a certain -event, and on behalf of a cause which I was brought up to hold dearer -than life.’ - -‘A war fund!’ I could not resist exclaiming. - -My companion ignored the interruption. - -‘From which it follows that the whole sum must always be available, -at an hour’s notice, in the hands of a trusty agent. Hitherto I have -been that agent; but I have met with misfortunes, and a danger has -arisen that this sum may fall into the hands of my private creditors.’ - -She paused for a moment, and then added, in a less firm tone-- - -‘The custody of this vast sum has been my ruin. In order to use it -to advantage I was obliged to invent all sorts of fables to account -for its being in my possession. People insisted on treating me as a -rich woman, they forced loans upon me; I considered it permissible -to borrow money on the security of this fortune of which I was -merely the guardian; I managed my own affairs badly--in short I -am insolvent, and shall shortly be obliged to go into hiding. My -creditors have asked the Courts for an order to open the safe which -contains the millions, and unless they are removed in time I shall -have incurred the vengeance of those whose cause I have betrayed.’ - -She shuddered. Thérèse Humbert, the strong-minded, imperturbable -woman who had witnessed suicides committed on her account, trembled -as she referred to this vengeance, which was so much more terrible to -her than any penalties in the power of the French Courts to impose. - -‘In a word, Monsieur V----,’ she resumed, throwing off her momentary -weakness, ‘you must relieve me of the custody of this treasure.’ - -I sat as if mesmerised while I received this staggering proposal, -which the extraordinary personage beside me made in the -matter-of-fact tone of one who is asking another to undertake the -posting of a letter. - -This woman, whom I had never seen before, who was beginning to be -publicly branded as an adventuress, and who had just confessed -herself to be a bankrupt, if not something which the law would call -by a harsher name--this woman calmly informed me that she proposed -handing over to me a sum equal to the revenue of a kingdom, to be -held, as far as I could see, for an unknown length of time, for an -unknown owner, and for an unknown purpose. - -If it had been any other person in the world who had made me such a -proposition, I am certain that I should have laughed at it as a hoax, -or, at least, demanded the most circumstantial details and assurances -before going further. What was there about this Thérèse Humbert, with -her figure of a bourgeois, her expressionless face, and cold grey -eye, which compelled me to take her seriously--which made me, against -my judgment, submit to become her instrument? In the power of the -human will there are mysteries which philosophy has not yet fathomed. - -It is true that at this time Madame Humbert still retained the -confidence of a very large section of society. There had, as yet, -been no hint of any criminal proceedings against her. Even if there -had been, moreover, she had so clearly separated her position as -trustee of the millions from her private dealings, that she had -convinced me that I could carry out her instructions with regard -to the fund, without being guilty of any dishonesty towards the -creditors who were proceeding against her. - -Be that as it may, I consented to consider the matter. - -My companion at once set herself to extract from me a definite -undertaking. - -‘There is no time to lose,’ she insisted. ‘Although I am exhausting -every legal form, in order to postpone the decision, my advocate has -warned me that I must not expect it to be delayed much longer. I -shall not be easy till the millions are safely in your hands.’ - -‘And when I have received them, what then?’ I asked. ‘Will it not be -known that the sum is in my possession, and shall I not be exposed to -proceedings in my turn?’ - -‘That is what we have got to avoid,’ was the answer. ‘It will be -necessary for you to take the money with the greatest secrecy. -Fortunately, this is not an affair of bankers. The notes and bills -are lying ready in the safe in my house, and do not require to be -endorsed. You will not be asked for a receipt even.’ - -I was more and more overcome by the sublime daring of this woman’s -ideas. - -‘Then you simply wish me to take the fund from you and hold it at -your disposal?’ - -‘At the disposal of those to whom it belongs,’ Thérèse corrected me. -‘When the time comes to reclaim these millions I may be out of reach. -That will not matter to you. All you will have to do is to keep the -treasure in some safe hiding-place, and deliver it up to the first -person who comes to you and pronounces in your ear three words.’ - -She bent her lips towards me and whispered three words of such -notable significance that I was left in little doubt as to the -purpose for which the mysterious hoard was being kept in readiness. - -Although the light thus obtained served to relieve my mind of the -fear that I was mixing in any vulgar swindle, yet at the same time it -showed me that there were grave risks to be run, and that I might -easily find myself in the meshes of the criminal law. - -I again asked for time to consider. Madame Humbert’s sole reply was -an offer of terms so liberal that it would have been quarrelling with -my profession to refuse. She smiled with grim satisfaction as she -read in my face that I gave in. - -‘Then that is settled, monsieur,’ she remarked, preparing to rise. ‘I -will only add that the sooner you get to work the better it will be -for everybody.’ - -‘When do you propose to hand the millions over to me?’ was my natural -question. - -‘I do not propose to hand them over to you at all,’ she responded -coolly. ‘You will take the money out of the safe in your own fashion, -and without consulting me.’ - -I gazed at her in consternation. - -‘You mean that I should steal this two hundred millions!’ I gasped. - -‘That will be the best plan, I think,’ said Madame Humbert with an -approving nod. - -I have been concerned in some curious transactions in my time, and -in some dangerous ones, but now I felt that I was fairly out of -my depth. I knew that I was nothing to Thérèse Humbert; and if it -suited her convenience to use me as a cat’s-paw in the game she was -playing with the authorities I might very well find myself in an ugly -situation. - -What, for example, could be easier than for this accomplished -intriguer to set a trap for me; have me arrested, perhaps, in the -attempt to break into an empty safe, and thus establish a defence for -herself? She would be able to pose as the victim of a robbery; and I -should be held responsible for the disappearance of these millions -whose existence was in dispute. - -I felt my companion’s eyes fixed on my face in watchful scrutiny -as these reflections passed through my mind. My decision was taken -swiftly. - -‘You shall hear from me in the morning, madame,’ I said sharply, -rising from my seat. ‘Till then, _au revoir_.’ - -And I went out of the room, and out of the house, without giving her -an opportunity to press me further. - -When the morning came I was seated in my office as usual, engaged in -deciphering a confidential cable from the President of Colombia, when -my secretary entered the room and informed me that a veiled lady, who -declined to give her name, wished to see me in private. - -‘Show Madame Humbert in,’ I said, emphasising the name. - -[Illustration: “My visitor started as she heard her name, and threw -up her veil with a gesture of astonishment and indignation.”] - -The secretary, who understood what was required of him, went out, -and immediately returned with the visitor. - -‘Madame Humbert,’ he announced with as much confidence as if the -great Thérèse had intrusted him with her card. - -On the previous night Madame Humbert had enjoyed the superiority over -me, I confess it. This morning the tables were turned, and I had -brought off the first _coup_. - -My visitor started as she heard her name, and threw up her veil with -a gesture of astonishment and indignation combined. - -‘Madame Humbert!’ I cried, pretending to be equally surprised. Then, -as the secretary retired, I added--‘This publicity, is it quite -prudent, my dear madame?’ - -Thérèse gave me a glance in which I read something like fear, as she -dropped into a seat. - -‘But I don’t understand, Monsieur V----. I don’t know how that young -man learned who I was.’ - -I shrugged my shoulders. - -‘It is the business of my staff to penetrate mysteries, madame. But -you may depend on my secretary’s discretion. It will be awkward if -the police have followed you here, however. If M. Rattache were -to learn that we had been in communication, I might be obliged to -withdraw from the case.’ - -Madame Humbert clasped her hands in agitation. Her demeanour was no -longer that of the cold, masterful woman who had conversed with me in -Baron Y----’s smoking-room. - -‘Listen, monsieur! Is it possible that you do not guess the object of -my visit?’ - -‘Unless it is to give me further instructions on the subject of your -affair, no.’ - -Thérèse wrung her hands. - -‘It is to tell you, on the contrary, that everything is lost. At the -very moment that we were talking together, a real robber, unknown to -me, was rifling my safe of everything!’ - -‘You are serious, madame, I suppose?’ - -‘Serious!’ It is impossible to describe the tragedy in her voice and -air. ‘I tell you, monsieur, that I left Baron Y----’s within an hour -of speaking to you. I drove straight home, went to the safe, opened -it, and found inside a button and a centime.’ - -‘Really!’ - -Madame Humbert gazed at me desperately. - -‘You do not believe me, perhaps, monsieur? Yet I swear to you as a -Christian woman--I swear as a mother--that there were two hundred -millions of francs in that safe when I came to dine at Baron Y----’s.’ - -‘I have not the least doubt of it, madame.’ - -‘Then what do you suspect?’ - -‘It is clear to me that you have been robbed since.’ - -‘By whom?’ - -‘By some one in your confidence, perhaps. Some one to whom you had -confided the guardianship of this fund, in which his Royal Highness -the ---- of ---- is so much interested.’ - -Madame Humbert glared at me in anger. - -‘You are mocking me,’ she cried fiercely. ‘I came here to ask if you -would undertake the recovery of this money from the thief.’ - -‘That is unnecessary, madame. All that your friends have to do is to -approach him, and breathe in his ear the three words, ---- ---- ----.’ - -‘But if we do not know who he is!’ cried the distracted plotter. - -‘Oh, if you only require to know who he is, that is soon settled. I -will send you the name of the robber on the day on which your affair -terminates in the Courts.’ - -A light began to break upon the mind of the excited woman. - -‘Monsieur V----!’ she exclaimed. ‘Is it possible----?’ - -I drew myself up. - -‘Silence, if you please, madame. I have made you a promise which I -shall know how to keep. In the meantime it is clear that we have -nothing more to say to one another, and that the sooner you are out -of this building the better it will be for all parties.’ - -Madame Humbert rose, gave me a glance in which curiosity, respect, -and apprehension were strangely mingled, and quitted my presence -without venturing to say another word. - -I have never seen her since. - -The following day, as I entered my private room at the usual hour, -I was conscious of a singular impression, in the nature of a -presentiment. Some men possess a sense, more subtle than sight or -smell, by means of which they are able to detect a personal presence, -more especially one hostile to themselves. I have been well served -by an instinct of this kind on more than one occasion, and now it -asserted itself so strongly that for an instant I believed that there -must be some one hiding in my room. - -A glance around removed this suspicion. Everything was in its place -as usual--was even _more_ in its place than usual, if I may be -permitted the hyperbole. - -I went to the secret drawer in which I kept the cipher despatches -concerning the Panama affair (on which I was engaged about this time). - -It seemed to me that the spring worked a little _more_ smoothly than -when I had last opened the drawer. The papers inside lay exactly as -I had left them overnight. Struck by a sudden thought, I pulled the -drawer right out, lit a match, and examined the dusty floor of the -recess. - -I was rewarded by the sight of one--two--three distinct prints of -finger-tips in the dust. - -That sight, of course, told me everything. My office had been -ransacked during the night by the French police, and those prints had -been left by fingers tapping in search of the hiding-place of the -Humbert millions. - -It was a startling thing to find M. Rattache so swiftly on my trail, -and I inwardly cursed the imprudence which had permitted Madame -Humbert to pay me her tell-tale visit. I put on my hat and hurried -round to the little apartment in the Quartier Latin which I use for -appointments with persons whom it would be inexpedient to receive -openly. As I expected, I found M. Rattache had been before me. His -myrmidons had done their work no less thoroughly here than at my -headquarters. - -I always enjoy a struggle with a foe worthy of my steel, and this -was by no means my first bout with the famous detective force of -Paris. On my first settling in Paris, their attentions to me had been -incessant and disagreeable, and it had taken all my ingenuity to -keep my secrets from them. By degrees we had drifted into a species -of informal armistice, it being understood, rather than agreed, -that they abandoned the attempt to follow my proceedings, while I -refrained from acting against them in the criminal affairs with which -they were chiefly concerned. - -Between M. Rattache, the brilliant head of the force, and myself -there had sprung up a warm private friendship, based on mutual -respect. I knew that he would not have permitted his men to trouble -me without pretty good grounds for so doing; and this made me the -more anxious. - -My first thought, after visiting the Quartier Latin, was for my -private residence. I felt pretty sure that the police could not have -been there in the night without my knowledge, and I asked myself what -plan the fertile brain of my rival would devise in order to search -the premises without giving me warning. - -I hailed a fiacre, and bade the driver go to my house at his best -speed. It was not yet eleven o’clock, so there was room for hope that -M. Rattache had not begun his attack in this quarter. If he had, I -should probably catch his men at work. - -As we drew near the street in which my house is situated we were -overtaken by a fire-engine, which dashed by at a gallop. Struck by -a sudden apprehension, I offered my driver a golden _pourboire_ to -double his speed. - -[Illustration: “I was stopped at the barricade by a pompous sergeant -of police.”] - -It was too late. As we drove up I beheld a thick black column of -smoke issuing from my house. A barricade had been formed; half a -dozen fire-engines were drawn up in front, though it was remarkable -that not one had yet begun to play upon the building; and every floor -appeared to be swarming with firemen, who were gutting the house of -everything it contained. - -In spite of my vexation at the sight of my ruined home, I could -not withhold my tribute of admiration to M. Rattache’s promptness -and resource. Under the pretence of a fire, which he had of course -contrived to start, and which was well under control, he had turned -in a horde of detectives, disguised as firemen, with instructions to -pull the building to pieces, if necessary, in search of the Humbert -millions. - -It was useless for me to think of interfering. I was stopped at the -barricade by a pompous sergeant of police, who took down my name -and address, rebuked me severely for my negligence in permitting my -house to catch fire, and forbade me to interrupt the firemen in their -benevolent labours on my behalf. - -Walking to and fro on the pavement, and scrutinising every article -brought out from the building by his assistants, I perceived M. -Rattache himself. In a minute he caught sight of me, and came towards -me with extended arms. - -He knew, of course, that I thoroughly understood the game. -Nevertheless, his expression of sympathetic distress was perfect. - -‘My dear V----! What an unlucky chance! Behold me overwhelmed with -grief at your misfortune!’ - -‘You are too good,’ I returned drily. ‘There is nothing of any value -in the house, I am glad to say. This accident will merely give me the -annoyance of sleeping in a hotel for the next few nights.’ - -‘Do not say that, my dear colleague,’ M. Rattache responded eagerly. -‘You will confer a real favour on me by consenting to accept my -hospitality for a short time, till your house is ready for you again.’ - -I glanced at him with suspicion. Did this mean that I was to be under -arrest? - -‘I cannot thank you sufficiently for such kindness,’ was my answer. -‘But I am afraid I should cause you too much inconvenience. My hours -are very irregular; sometimes it is necessary for me to be at my -office in the middle of the night.’ - -‘Do not let yourself be restrained by such considerations,’ he -replied earnestly. ‘You shall be as free as if you were under your -own roof.’ - -It would have been ungracious to persist in my refusal, especially -as I fancied from M. Rattache’s tone that he had already come to -the conclusion that his raid on my house was a mistake, and really -regretted the inconvenience he had caused me. - -On the whole, the arrangement was not such a bad one for me. While I -should have been exposed to the surveillance of my antagonist in any -case, this plan would place him under mine. We should be like the -combatants in the holmgang, who were strapped together, and placed on -a small island, to hack each other to pieces with knives. - -I moved into my new quarters the same day, some of my personal -baggage being brought round by the pretended firemen, who must have -wondered to see me on such terms with their chief. Rattache presented -me to his wife, a most charming woman with three little daughters, -whose hearts I immediately won by organising all sorts of games at -blindman’s buff and hide-and-seek. - -During the next few days I received cipher wires from my various -agents abroad, informing me that their apartments had been searched, -and that they were being shadowed by unknown men. - -I was pleased with these despatches, which proved to me that my men -were on the alert. I sent encouraging replies, and persuaded Madame -Rattache to accompany me to the theatre. - -I had already visited a Turkish bath in company with my host, in -order to afford him every facility for ascertaining that I was not -carrying any portion of the £8,000,000 on my person. - -At the end of a month my house was in perfect order again. M. -Rattache was beginning to feel a little uneasy, perhaps, at my great -progress in the friendship of madame, for he raised no objection when -I proposed to bring my stay with him to a close. The little girls -were in despair at my going, and Madame Rattache earnestly pressed me -to come and see them frequently. - -Months passed away, and France and Europe were absorbed in learning -of the sudden flight of the Humberts, the discovery of the empty -safe, the capture of the fugitives, and the trial and sentence of the -majestic Thérèse. - -As she was leaving the dock at the end of the case, one of the -warders slipped into her hand a piece of paper which contained simply -my initials--A. V. - -I had gone straight from Baron Y----’s house, at the end of our -conversation, to the Humbert mansion, gained admittance by means -of the master-key which I usually carry about me, opened the safe -without the least difficulty, and carried off its contents--all -before Madame Humbert had left the Baron’s door. - -[Illustration: “The chief detective came close up to me, put his -mouth to my ear, and whispered, ‘_Le drapeau blanc!_’”] - -This instantaneous action, which I had considered necessary for my -own protection, turned out to be the best possible course for the -safety of the millions. Now I had redeemed my promise to Madame -Humbert, by admitting that I was in possession of the lost -treasure, and I waited confidently for the person who should come to -claim it. - -Exactly two days afterwards I was surprised by a visit from M. -Rattache, whom I had not seen for some time, a slight coolness having -resulted from his abortive efforts to surprise my secret. - -The chief detective, instead of taking the chair I offered him, came -close up to me, put his mouth to my ear, and whispered: ‘_Le drapeau -blanc!_’ - -The white flag! Is there any English reader who does not know that in -France the white flag signifies the ancient standard of the Valois -and the Bourbons--the inseparable emblem of Legitimist royalty, which -the Comte de Chambord refused to exchange for the Revolutionary -tricolor, even to obtain the throne? - -I stared at M. Rattache, confounded to find in the head of the -Republican police the confidential agent of the Monarchists. - -He enjoyed my astonishment for a minute in silence. Then he said -aloud-- - -‘Now, my dear V----, perhaps you will reveal to me the secret of that -hiding-place which has baffled the efforts of my best men for so -long.’ - -I smiled quietly as I took up my hat. - -‘On first receiving this fund I simply put the notes and bills -in a registered parcel and sent it to my agent in Brussels, with -instructions to put it in a fresh cover and send it to and fro -through the post till further notice. But on finding that you were -interested in my correspondence I naturally adopted another plan. -I will take you at once to the spot where I have deposited these -millions, which I shall not be sorry to get rid of.’ - -I led the way out into the street, called a fiacre, and whispered an -address into the driver’s ear. - -It was my turn to enjoy the discomfiture of my colleague, as the -carriage drew up before his own door. - -‘Here!’ was all he could gasp. - -I paid the driver and dismissed him. - -‘Surely there could be no spot more safe from the perquisitions of -the police,’ I answered mockingly. - -M. Rattache conducted me in, and led the way towards his study. - -‘Not that way,’ I objected. ‘It is necessary for us to go upstairs.’ - -With ever-deepening chagrin M. Rattache followed me, as I ascended to -the schoolroom in which his little daughters were at play with their -dolls. - -They rushed to embrace me with exclamations of joy. - -‘Isabel,’ I said to the eldest, a bright girl of twelve, ‘now you -shall show the others the hiding-place where we put the box of -bricks.’ - -A cry of delight greeted this proposal. Isabel ran gaily in front to -lead the party into her own little bedroom, where, under a loose -plank, which this observant child had discovered, and the knowledge -of which she had kept to herself with that marvellous secrecy of -which children are sometimes capable, lay--the Humbert millions! - -Isabel was a little disappointed to find, when the box was opened, -that her bricks had been changed into stupid pieces of paper. But I -explained that a fairy had been at work, and that a new and better -set of bricks would arrive by the next post. - -And so, I am relieved to say, terminated my connection with the -Humbert Case. - - - - -XII - -THE BLACK POPE - - -I must be pardoned if I exercise a certain reserve in telling the -story of the most delicate of all the affairs in which I have been -engaged. While the interests concerned were, in their own nature, -purely political, the fact that they centred round the spiritual Head -of Christendom imposes on me restraints which I am bound to recognise. - -I cannot recall at this moment whether, in the course of these -reminiscences, I have had occasion to mention that I was honoured on -several occasions by the confidence of the illustrious Pontiff who, -in the course of less than a generation, exalted the Papacy to a -height of power and reverent esteem such as it had scarcely enjoyed -since the Middle Ages. - -To me, as to all who have paid any attention to the history of their -own times, the passing away of Leo XIII. marked an epoch in the -history of the world. I was in Paris, awaiting the announcement which -would plunge two continents into mourning, when, an hour before the -fatal bulletin reached the newspaper offices, I received a despatch -desiring me to start immediately for Rome, and wait upon the young -King of Italy in the Palace of the Quirinal. - -Whether in consequence of my connection with the Vatican or not, it -happened that I had never been directly employed in the service of -the House of Savoy. I have told the story of my unavailing efforts to -save the life of King Humbert; but on that occasion I acted as the -agent of the friendly monarch of another country. - -During my journey to Rome in obedience to the royal summons, my mind -was deeply exercised by the problem presented by the disastrous -breach between the Italian Kingship and the Papacy. - -When the troops of Victor Emmanuel I., thirty-four years ago, marched -into the City of the Popes, to make it the capital of United Italy, -no one foresaw the difficulties which would flow from the refusal of -the Popes to abandon their rights as the temporal Sovereigns of Rome -and the States of the Church. - -Other dethroned sovereigns have fled from their lost dominions, and -gradually sunk out of sight. But the Popes, seated in the Vatican, -and solemnly excommunicating the dynasty which has displaced them, -have rendered insecure the whole fabric of the Italian monarchy. - -I myself, divided between my political sympathies as an American -citizen, and my loyalty as a Catholic to the Head of my Church, had -often sought in vain for some way of reconciling the venerable rights -of the Chair of Peter with the patriotic aspirations of the Italian -people. - -The various solutions put forward from time to time, such as the -cession to the Pope of a small slice of territory including the -Vatican, seemed to me inadequate and mean. Some loftier treatment -of the situation seemed to be called for, but no statesman, -ecclesiastical or secular, had yet been found to propose it. - -Now, with the accession of a new Pope, it was possible to indulge -hopes of a new policy. I encouraged myself to believe that Victor -Emmanuel II. had sent for me that I might assist him in such an -endeavour. - -The character of this young ruler had already aroused my interest -and curiosity. In his father’s lifetime he was unknown to the public -until he suddenly stepped into the foreground, at the time of the -Abyssinian disasters, as the determined opponent of Crispi’s policy -of adventure, and the champion of peace. - -Since his accession he had won golden opinions by his modesty, -benevolence, and practical energy in the work of government. But -he had as yet given no indications of any marked individuality or -policy of his own. - -Within an hour of my arrival in Rome I found myself in his Majesty’s -presence. - -His reception of me was not merely gracious but cordial. In a few -well-chosen words he thanked me for my services at the time of the -tragedy of Monza. - -‘I believe you have been employed in the secret service of the -Vatican?’ King Victor proceeded. - -I bowed again. - -‘Will you tell me whether that constitutes any obstacle to your -serving me?’ he inquired. - -I hesitated. - -‘I should feel embarrassed if your Majesty were to ask me to act -_against_ the Vatican,’ I ventured to say. - -‘But suppose I were to ask you to undertake the office of mediator, -to promote a reconciliation between the Papacy and the Italian -nation?’ - -‘Then, sire, you would be offering me the task which I covet above -all others, and which I should feel to be the crown of my career.’ - -The young King made a gesture of delight. - -‘That is fortunate indeed! Listen, monsieur! From a boy my heart has -bled at the thought of this miserable estrangement, so fraught with -danger to the cause of religion as well as to the national freedom. -In addition I must tell you that I feel very deeply my own position. -I have a conviction that our House cannot prosper while it remains -under the curse of the Church. - -‘As far as I am concerned,’ Victor Emmanuel went on, ‘there is no -sacrifice I am not prepared to make, even to the laying down of -my crown, in order to win the forgiveness of the Holy See, and to -establish good relations between the Church and the nation. But I -need not say that I can do nothing by myself. Unless I can succeed in -carrying the Parliament and the people with me, I should simply make -things worse than they are at present.’ - -His Majesty paused for a minute, and then resumed, watching my face -anxiously. - -‘I have been seeking for years for some means of appeasing the Holy -Father that would not be rejected by the secular politicians. And the -plan which has developed itself in my mind is this:-- - -‘In the Middle Ages, perhaps I need not remind you, the Popes enjoyed -but a scanty authority in the Roman States. Their authority was -defied by the usurping barons, and even in the City of Rome they -frequently saw authority exercised by the senate and people. Yet at -the very same epoch they were wielding tremendous powers over Europe; -they were able to dethrone emperors; a King of England laid down -his crown at the feet of a Papal Legate; and the Kings of Naples -acknowledged the suzerainty of the Popes by an annual tribute.’ - -I began to see what was coming, and testified my admiration by a -glance. - -‘I propose,’ King Victor said impressively, ‘to acknowledge the Holy -Father as the suzerain of the Italian kingdom. I am prepared to lay -my crown at his feet, and to receive it again as his gift. I propose -to hold myself as the vassal of his Holiness, to pay a tribute, -instead of the pension which has been refused, and to exercise my -power of veto over legislation in obedience to the Pope’s directions. -In short, I am willing to efface myself, and to govern Italy as the -deputy of the Holy See.’ - -I listened with deep emotion to the noble young King as he unfolded -his scheme, a scheme in which it was evident that he intended himself -to be the sacrifice which would procure peace. At the same time I -perceived certain difficulties in the way. The successors of St. -Peter, in modern times at all events, had been accustomed to rule -over their limited dominions as absolute monarchs. Was it to be -hoped that they would consent to accept a constitutional authority -in exchange, even though that authority extended over the whole -peninsula? - -Yet the See of Rome, as suzerain of Italy, would be able to re-enter -the field of international politics as a great Power. Alliances might -follow which would place the Pope in the position of president -over a great Catholic league embracing Austria, Spain, Portugal, -Belgium, and possibly France as well, to say nothing of the powerful -leverage which the Church was able to exercise over the policy of -semi-Catholic powers, such as Germany, Great Britain, and the United -States. - -Carried away by these dazzling visions, I exclaimed aloud-- - -‘I believe in your Majesty! If only the new Pope will accept your -plans!’ - -King Victor flushed with gratification at my outburst. - -‘That is the task I am going to intrust to you,’ he announced. ‘I -have made careful inquiries, and I believe there is one Cardinal who, -if he were elected, would be likely to welcome my overtures.’ - -‘And his name, sire?’ - -‘Cardinal Sarto, the Patriarch-Archbishop of Venice.’ - -My face fell. I had scarcely heard of his Eminence of Venice by -name. Certainly he was not among those cardinals--the _Papabili_, -as they are termed--whose candidature was taken seriously by the -ecclesiastical politicians of the Vatican. - -‘Is Cardinal Sarto a possible candidate, sire?’ I ventured to object. - -‘You must make him so,’ King Victor said earnestly. ‘I rely on you to -secure his election.’ - -Although not lacking in self-confidence, I shrank before this -tremendous task. Apart from my scruples as a Catholic--and I was by -no means sure how far it was lawful for a layman to interfere in a -Papal election--I doubted my power to influence the choice of the -Sacred College in the short time at my disposal. - -‘In ten days from now the Conclave will begin,’ I murmured -reflectively. - -‘I know it,’ broke in Victor Emmanuel. ‘I want you to be present in -the Conclave as my secret agent.’ - -I trembled. The secrecy of the Conclave is guarded with the greatest -care. In what way could I possibly gain admission to the private -deliberations of the Cardinals? - -The King answered my unspoken doubts. - -‘In ten days the Cardinals will enter the Conclave, each with a -single attendant, and the door will be walled up, not to be reopened -until Christendom again has a Pope. It is necessary for you to be -inside that walled-up door.’ - -‘I must enter in the character of attendant to one of the Cardinals!’ -I exclaimed. - -‘You must enter as the servant of Cardinal Salvatierra,’ his Majesty -declared. - -I frowned slightly. It seemed to me that my employer, in his -enthusiasm, was going a little too fast. I did not like having so -much arranged for me in advance. This Cardinal Salvatierra, who was -he; and in what way had he come to lend himself to the purpose of the -King of Italy? - -‘Does the Cardinal enjoy your Majesty’s confidence?’ I asked drily. - -‘Not in the sense that you do, Monsieur V----,’ the King answered. -‘Salvatierra is one of the ornamental members of the College. He -is a scholar and antiquarian, not a Churchman or politician. His -collection of intaglios is said to be the finest in Rome.’ - -‘May I venture to ask how much his Eminence has been told?’ - -‘Only that I desire the election of a Pope who will be well disposed -towards Italy. It has always been customary for the Sacred College -to receive representations from the Catholic Powers of their views -and wishes on the subject of Papal election. The only irregularity in -this case is that, as the Italian kingdom is not recognised by the -Papacy, I can only communicate with the College indirectly.’ - -[Illustration: “I found the Cardinal absorbed in the inspection of -his newly arrived treasures.”] - -I listened to his Majesty with considerable inward misgiving. I -was more than a little afraid of the guilt I might be incurring by -entering the Conclave. At the same time I told myself that Cardinal -Salvatierra had a right to introduce whom he pleased as his -attendant; and if he was satisfied to take me, it was not for me to -raise objections. - -After some further conversation with his Majesty, I retired to a -hotel and effected a transformation which gave me the appearance of a -respectable upper servant, such as a steward or valet, in an Italian -noble family. Thus attired, I made my way round to the Salvatierra -Palace, and sent up my name to his Eminence as Jacopo Luigi. - -‘I doubt if his Eminence will receive you to-night,’ the porter -informed me. ‘A case of exquisite cameos of untold value has just -arrived for his collection--a gift from some great personage, I -believe; and his Eminence is hard at work unpacking them.’ - -I had my own suspicion as to the source of this truly regal offering, -and felt more than ever uneasy as to the lawfulness of my proceedings. - -However, it was not long before a message came down that I was to go -up and wait upon his Eminence at once. - -I found the Cardinal absorbed in the inspection of his newly arrived -treasures. Holding a delicate camel’s-hair brush in one hand, he was -going over the cameos, carefully removing every speck of dust and -holding them up to the light in search of possible blemishes. - -His Eminence was a tall, stately personage, refined and ascetic in -feature, with a faded blue eye which fell on me with an expression of -the most complete indifference. - -‘You are Jacopo Luigi,’ he observed, glancing towards a letter which -lay open on a pier-table. ‘My nephew, Count Baldachino, recommends -you to me very strongly. He says’--the Cardinal interrupted himself -to scrutinise a fresh gem with the minutest care--‘he says that you -are thoroughly discreet and faithful. You understand the particular -necessity for discretion in my service, no doubt?’ - -He took his eye off the cameo for an instant, to dart a glance at me, -so keen and penetrating that it was as if a hidden man had suddenly -sprung to the window and looked out. Before I could respond, the -Cardinal’s back was turned to me again, and he was dusting away -harder than ever. - -‘I perfectly understand, Eminence,’ I muttered. - -‘That is quite right, then. I take you into my service. At a salary -of 800 lire. Introduce yourself to the master of my household.’ - -These sentences were punctuated by eager movements, as his Eminence -proceeded in his examination of the newly arrived treasures. - -I waited for more, but finding that the Cardinal had apparently -forgotten my presence, in his antiquarian enthusiasm, I moved towards -the door and withdrew. - -I need not describe the household. I found myself received at first -with the jealousy natural on the part of old servants towards a new -comer, but I soon got on good terms with those whom I wished to -conciliate. - -From the gossip of the servants’ hall I gathered many important hints -about the forthcoming election. - -Had merit only been considered, the long and important services of -Cardinal Rampolla would have given him a paramount claim on the -tiara. But his strength of character had aroused the dread of those -Cardinals who consider that a weak Pope means a powerful College, and -_vice versâ_. - -Various other names were being talked about as popular candidates, -but among them I did not once catch that of King Victor’s nominee, -the saintly, simple-hearted Archbishop of Venice. - -Each of the two great Mendicant Orders, the Dominicans and -Franciscans, had its favourite, for whom the brethren were eagerly -working. But I could not learn the name of any Cardinal who was being -supported by the ubiquitous and powerful Company of Jesus. - -This was in itself a suspicious sign. The jealousy--perhaps I ought -to say the fear--of the Jesuits entertained by the ordinary hierarchy -of the Church is so intense that in all probability if the Jesuits -had shown their hand by openly supporting a particular Cardinal, -that would have been enough to ensure his exclusion. - -I could only surmise that they were working in the dark, or, perhaps, -waiting for the opportunity to intervene and turn the scale between -the final candidates. - -As soon as the obsequies of Leo XIII. had been duly performed, the -Cardinals in solemn procession entered the Hall of the Conclave, and -the doors were locked. - -Inside the vast chamber a small wooden cell, just large enough -to contain a narrow bed and a chair, had been erected for the -accommodation of each Cardinal. - -The occupation of these tiny compartments was decided by lot, so it -will be understood that I experienced a sensation of uneasy surprise -on finding that Cardinal Salvatierra had obtained the cubicle -adjoining that of the Patriarch of Venice. - -I do not feel myself at liberty to violate the secrecy of the -Conclave by relating minutely the steps which I took to secure -support for Cardinal Sarto. I obtained a few votes in the first -ballot, but not enough to afford any promise of ultimate success. - -Cardinal Rampolla struck his first and last blow. He polled his full -number of votes, and fell short of the requisite two-thirds majority. -Then realising that the jealousy of his great powers was too strong -to be overcome, he retired from the contest. - -This left the field open to the two rival Mendicant Orders. Their -nominees, whom I think it more respectful not to name, polled vote -for vote, but neither could command anything like the number of -suffrages required. - -It appeared likely that the Conclave would last some time. In the -second ballot I was surprised to find that a fair number of votes was -given to my supposed master. Cardinal Salvatierra appeared equally -surprised, and a little annoyed by this circumstance. - -‘I wish they would ignore me,’ he said testily, when I brought him -his dinner. ‘They know I am not a possible Pope, and they will injure -me with the successful candidate.’ - -I said nothing, but an idea was already germinating in my mind. -Before the next scrutiny I waited with the utmost secrecy upon -the two Cardinals who were managing the election on behalf of the -Dominicans and Franciscans respectively. - -To each of their Eminences I said practically the same thing. - -‘You cannot succeed in carrying your nominee. Neither can your -rivals. Meanwhile the Jesuits are secretly preparing to gather in the -scattered votes and concentrate them on their own candidate.’ - -‘Who is that?’ was the eager question I received in each case. - -‘You will see in the next scrutiny. Unless you stand firm, and refuse -to accede, you will have a Jesuit Pope.’ - -This threat was necessary, because when a candidate obtains so large -a proportion of votes as to make his election seem certain at the -next ballot, it is a very usual thing for the supporters of the -beaten candidates to go over at once, in order to have the credit of -voting for the new Pope. - -The next scrutiny was taken. The name of Salvatierra came out -high upon the list, wanting only four votes of the two-thirds -majority. The Franciscan and Dominican Cardinals stood firm. But the -unsuspecting Archbishop of Venice, who did not dream that his own -candidature was anything but a side manœuvre, earnestly implored his -own few supporters to accede to Salvatierra, and thus complete the -election of a Pope. - -Fortunately I had anticipated this action on his part, and had -obtained the most binding pledges from the few Cardinals I had won -over. There was no election, and Salvatierra returned to his cell, -unable to conceal his mortification. - -‘Luigi,’ he said to me that night, ‘you have seen how things are -going. Against my will I am destined to receive the tiara. This -places us both in a different position. You have done your best to -serve the personage who desired me to take you into my service, and -it is not your fault that you have failed to secure the election of -a pro-Italian Cardinal. Now I can place it in your power to achieve -the same end by another means. If you will give me the King’s votes -in the next ballot, I will pledge myself to negotiate in a friendly -and liberal spirit for the settlement of the differences between the -Papacy and the Kingdom.’ - -‘Your Eminence can escape from the burden of the triple crown,’ I -replied, with affected simplicity, ‘by causing your own supporters to -accede to any one of the other candidates.’ - -‘You mean to Cardinal Sarto,’ his Eminence retorted. ‘You do not -suppose that my friends would elect a Dominican or Franciscan puppet? -Let me warn you, my dear Signor Luigi, or Monsieur V----, that the -Cardinal on whom your master places his reliance, is not strong -enough to carry out the reconciliation you desire. Giuseppe Sarto is -a saint, not a statesman.’ - -I felt there was some truth in this warning, but I had my -instructions, and I could not in this case look beyond them. I -promised to weigh his Eminence’s words, and retired to sound the -feeling of the Conclave. - -I found that the election was already virtually decided. The -extraordinary leap upward of Salvatierra, following on my warning, -had convinced the two Mendicant Orders of their danger. They had -communicated their own fears and suspicions to the rest of the -College, and the fatal whisper--‘The Jesuit candidate’--had already -run round the Conclave. The two Orders having agreed to withdraw -their champions, there remained only one candidate in the field. - -At the next ballot Cardinal Sarto, the nominee of the excommunicated -King of Italy, was triumphantly elected Pope. - -The amazement of the saintly prelate, who had remained in profound -ignorance of the whole of the negotiations and intrigues, softened -the hearts of even his rivals, and convinced the most worldly-minded -of the electors that they had involuntarily made the right choice. - -Salvatierra was the first to offer the kiss of homage to his new -sovereign. His Eminence’s parting words to myself as we quitted the -Conclave made me fear that my triumph was more apparent than real. - -‘You have chosen the White Pope, Monsieur V----. It remains to see -how you will fare at the hands of the Black Pope.’ - -He returned to his palace and his curiosities, to all appearance well -contented to resume his _rôle_ of harmless antiquary. - -But I did not doubt that a full report of all that had passed would -be laid at once before the formidable personage with whose opposition -he had threatened me. - -In a villa a short distance outside the walls of Rome resides an -ascetic recluse, never seen in any public ceremonies, visited only -from time to time by a few quietly dressed priests and laymen, to all -appearance as insignificant as himself. This is the Black Pope--in -other words, the General of the Company of Jesus. - -Very soon after the election of Pius X. I applied for and obtained a -private interview with his Holiness. - -My previous connection with the secret service of the Vatican -rendered this easy. - -To no one but the Holy Father himself did I intend to reveal my -character as the agent of Victor Emmanuel II. - -So great was my veneration for the Vicar of Christ, so intense -my admiration for the personal character of the new Pope, that I -had determined never to confess to his Holiness the part which I -had played in his election, lest his wrath should fall upon me in -consequence. - -As I knelt before Pius X. in the small and simply furnished room in -which he had chosen to install himself, I saw his eye fall on me with -an expression of pity and curiosity. - -‘You do well to kneel, my son,’ the Holy Father said, in a low, -gentle voice. ‘You have erred very grievously.’ - -I looked up in astonishment. Pius X. pointed to a small table which -stood beside his chair. - -‘What do you see there?’ he asked, preserving the same tone of mild -reproof. - -I glanced at the table, and beheld a portion of a railway ticket. - -‘When I left Venice a fortnight ago, I took a return ticket,’ the -Pope continued. ‘What you see is the half which I am never going to -use. Take it. It will be a souvenir for you, and may remind you to -beware of the vanity of meddling in spiritual concerns.’ - -Amazed by this form of address, I rose from my knees, and -respectfully possessed myself of the precious keepsake, which I -thrust into my inmost pocket. - -‘I came to Rome,’ the Holy Father pursued calmly, ‘without other hope -or ambition than to record my vote for the most worthy member of the -Sacred College. Even had I wished to be Pope I should not have been -presumptuous enough to put myself forward as a candidate for the -Chair of Saint Peter. - -[Illustration: “Saddened and subdued, I quitted the audience chamber -of Pius X.”] - -‘It appears that there were others, with more worldly motives, who -entertained ambitions of the kind. For my part, when I learned that -some Cardinals had recorded their votes for me I had no feeling but -one of surprise and chagrin. I suspected that I was being used as a -stalking-horse on behalf of others. I could not dream that a layman -had dared to interfere in the election at the bidding of a usurper -who is outside the pale of Christian fellowship, under the curse of -the Church!’ - -I trembled as I perceived that some one had been beforehand with me, -and had narrated my proceedings to his Holiness, no doubt with a -gloss which had caused Pius X. to take the worst view of my action. - -‘Fortunately your rash and evil designs were overruled for good. -Unknown to yourself, you were an instrument in the hands of others. -While you were watching you were watched. Pious and vigilant men, the -faithful soldiers of the Church Militant, who had no object of their -own to serve, and who only sought the good of the Church, were aware -all along of your proceedings, your true employer, and his secret -aims. You sought to place in the Chair of Peter an obedient tool of -the House of Savoy. The watchful guardians of the Church resolved -that you should be instrumental in the elevation of one who, however -unworthy, is at least free from the passion of worldly ambition.’ - -I would fain have spoken, but the Holy Father imposed silence on me -by a stern gesture. - -‘The candidature of his Eminence Cardinal Salvatierra was a ruse, -to which the zealous persons I speak of were obliged to resort, in -order to throw dust in your eyes. From the first they had determined -to ensure my election, if it could be brought about without using -improper means of influencing the Sacred College. They checkmated -you, without your perceiving it. - -‘Now you may go and tell the rash young King who used you as his -agent that his designs have miscarried. I sit here, neither his -nominee nor his creature, but the duly chosen Head of the Roman -Church, and I call upon him to retire from the territories bestowed -upon the Church by Constantine.’ - -I listened with feelings of stupefaction and despair. The story which -had been told the Pope was so nearly true that I had no scope for -contradiction; it had been so skilfully coloured that I realised that -any attempt at explanation or denial would fail of its effect. - -[Illustration: “‘I can only render one more service to your Majesty, -and that is to advise you to make your peace with the Black Pope.’”] - -In fact I had been guilty of very nearly what I stood accused of. The -reproaches of Pius X. were an echo of the whispers of my conscience. -I had elected a Pope, but my presumption in doing so had made that -very Pope an enemy of the sovereign whom I had served too well. - -‘Will your Holiness condescend to hear me?’ I implored. ‘The -Jesuits----’ - -‘Silence!’ his Holiness commanded. ‘I will not listen to a word -against those devoted men, whose value, and whose loyalty to the Holy -See, I now understand for the first time. If your master, the King of -Sardinia,[2] desires to learn the conditions on which he may obtain -his pardon from the Holy See, I advise him to apply to--Cardinal -Salvatierra.’ - -Cardinal Salvatierra! I recalled the Cardinal’s parting words--‘You -have chosen the White Pope; it remains to see how you will fare at -the hands of the Black Pope.’ - -Saddened and subdued, I quitted the audience-chamber of Pius X., and -repaired to that of Victor Emmanuel II. - -‘I have carried out your Majesty’s instructions. Cardinal Sarto is -the new Pope. And now I can only render one more service to your -Majesty, and that is----’ - -‘And that is?’ the King exclaimed. - -‘To advise you to make your peace with the Black Pope!’ - -I prefer to say no more. It would be imprudent on my part to -embarrass a situation already bristling with difficulties, by -indicating the steps which still remain to be taken before peace can -be restored between the two mighty powers represented by the Vatican -and the Quirinal. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 1: As I have stated already, whenever in the course of -these disclosures I repeat a private conversation, I do so in the -interest of the other party to it, if not in every case with his -express permission.--A. V.] - -[Footnote 2: The title of King of Italy is not recognised by the -Vatican.--A. 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