THE COMPACT
The Baron Franz von Kerber was in evening dress. He was engrossed in
the examination of a faded, or discolored, document when Royson was
shown into an apartment, nominally the drawing-room, which the present
tenant had converted into a spacious study. An immense map of the Red
Sea littoral, drawn and colored by hand, hung on one of the walls;
there were several chart cases piled on a table; and a goodly number of
books, mainly ancient tomes, were arranged on shelves or stacked on
floor and chairs. This was the room of a worker. Von Kerber's elegant
exterior was given a new element of importance by his surroundings.
That was as much as Royson could note before the Baron looked up from
the letter he was reading. It demanded close scrutiny, because it was
written in Persi-Arabic.
"Ah, glad to see you, Mr. King," he said affably. "Sit there," and he
pointed to an empty chair. Dick knew that this seat in particular was
selected because it would place him directly in front of a cluster of
electric lights. He waited until the door was closed.
"By the way," he said, "why do you call me 'King'? That is not my name,
but it is rather extraordinary that you should have hit on it, because
it is part of a nickname I had at school."
He was fully at ease now. Poverty and anxiety can throw even a Napoleon
out of gear, but Richard Royson was hard as granite in some ways, and
the mere decision to go to South Africa had driven the day's
distempered broodings from his mind.
"I thought I heard the officer who spoke to you in Buckingham Palace
Road address you as King," explained von Kerber.
"Yes, that is true," admitted Royson. He felt that it would savor of
the ridiculous, in his present circumstances, were he to state his
nickname in full and explain the significance of it. In fact, he was
resolved to accept the five-pound note which the Baron would probably
offer him, and be thankful for it. Hence, the pseudonym rather soothed
his pride.
Von Kerber placed the Arabic scrawl under a paperweight. He was a man
who plumed himself on a gift of accurate divination. Such a belief is
fatal. For the third time that day, he misunderstood the Englishman's
hesitancy.
"What's in a name?" he quoted, smilingly. "Suppose I continue to call
you King? It is short, and easily remembered, and your English names
puzzle me more than your language, which is difficult enough, yes?"
"Then we can leave it at that," agreed Royson.
"I thought so. Well, to come to business. What can you do?"
"It would be better, perhaps, if you told me what you want me to do."
"Can you ride?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever been to sea?"
Royson pricked up his ears at this. "The sea!" suggested undreamed-of
possibilities. And von Kerber certainly had the actor's facial art of
conveying much more than the mere purport of his words. The map, the
charts, assumed a new meaning. Were they scenic accessories? Had this
foreigner taken the whim to send him abroad on some mission? He decided
to be less curt in his statements.
"If I simply answered your question I should be compelled to say 'No,'"
he replied. "So far as my actual sea-going is concerned, it has
consisted of trips across the Channel when I was a boy. Yet I am a fair
sailor. I can handle a small yacht better than most men of my age. My
experience is confined to a lake, but it is complete in that small way.
And I taught myself the rudiments of navigation as a pastime."
"Ah!"
The Baron expressed both surprise and gratification by the
monosyllable. Royson was weighing his companion closely now, and he
came to the conclusion, that there were qualities in that tall, thin,
somewhat effeminate personality which he had not detected during their
brief meeting of the morning. Von Kerber was good-looking, with
something of the dignity and a good deal of the aspect of a bird of
prey. His slender frame was well-knit. His sinuous hands hinted at
unexpected strength. Were Royson told that his possible employer was a
master of the rapier he would have credited it. And the Baron, for his
part, was rapidly changing the first-formed estimate of his guest.
"Pray forgive me if I seem to intrude on your personal affairs," he
said; "but, taking your own words, you are--how do you say
it--_schlimm--aux abois_--"
"Hard up. Yes."
"What? You speak German, or is it French?"
"German, a little. I am understandable in French."
"Ah."
Again von Kerber paused. Royson smiled. Had he striven to mislead the
other man as to his character he could not have succeeded so admirably.
And the Baron read the smile according to his own diagnosis. He was
sure that this well-educated, gentlemanly, yet morose-mannered young
Englishman was under a cloud--that he had broken his country's laws,
and been broken himself in the process. And von Kerber was searching
for men of that stamp. They would do things that others, who pinned
their faith to testimonials, certificates, and similar vouchers of
repute, might shy at.
"I think you are one to be trusted?" he went on.
"I am glad you think that."
"Yes. I soon make up my mind. And to-day you acted as one man among a
thousand. Miss Fenshawe, the lady in the carriage, enlightened me
afterwards. I saw only part of your fine behavior. You were quick and
fearless. Those are the qualities I seek, but I demand obedience, too,
and a still tongue, yes?"
"I would not betray a man who trusted me," said Dick. "If I disagreed
with you I would leave you. I fell out with the son of my last
employer, so I left him, a fortnight ago. Yet I have kept my reasons to
myself."
The memory of that falling out was yet vivid. He had filled the
position of foreign correspondence clerk to an export firm in the city.
One evening, returning late to the office, he surprised the typist, a
rather pretty girl, in tears. She blurted out some broken words which
led him to interview the young gentleman who represented the budding
talent of the house; and the result was lamentable. The senior partner
dismissed him next day, telling him he was lucky he had escaped arrest
for a murderous assault, and, as for the girl, she was like the rest of
her class, anxious only to inveigle a rich young fool into marriage.
The point of view of both father and son was novel to Royson, and their
ethics were vile, but he gave the girl, who was sent away at the same
time, half of the six pounds he had in his pocket, and wished he had
used his fist instead of his open hand on the junior partner's face.
This, of course, had singularly little bearing on his declaration to
von Kerber, who metaphorically stuck his talons into that portion of
Royson's utterance which interested him. He bent across the table,
leaning on his curved fingers, spread apart, like claws.
"Ah," he said slowly. "That is good. You would not betray a man who
trusted you. You mean that?"
"I do."
"Very well, then. I offer you the position of second mate on my yacht,
the _Aphrodite_. She is a sailing vessel, with auxiliary steam, a
seaworthy craft, of two hundred and eighty tons. I pay well, but I ask
good service. The salary is £20 per month, all found. The captain, two
officers, and fourteen men receive ten per cent of the gross profits of
a certain undertaking--the gross profits, remember--divided in
proportion to their wages. If successful, your share, small though it
sounds, will be large enough to make you a comparatively rich man. Do
you accept, yes?"
Dick Royson felt his heart thumping against his ribs. "Why, of course,
I accept," he cried. "But your terms are so generous, to a man without
a profession, that I must ask you one thing? Is the affair such as an
honest man can take part in?"
"It is. No one can cavil at its honesty. Yet we may encounter
difficulties. There may be fighting, not against a government, but to
defend our--our gains--from those who would rob us."
"I'm with you, heart and soul," cried Royson, stirred out of his
enforced calmness. "Indeed, I am exceedingly obliged to you. I am at a
loss to account for my amazing good luck."
The Baron snapped his fingers with a fine air. "Good luck!" he
exclaimed. "There is no such thing. A man with intelligence and nerve
grasps the opportunity when it presents itself. You took it this
morning. You may say that you might not have been given the chance.
Nonsense, my dear Mr. King! Missing that, you would have found another.
Let me tell you that I have created a place for you on the ship's roll.
You took my fancy. I had already secured my crew. They are all
Englishmen--stupid fellows, some of them, but trustworthy. You are a
trustworthy race, yes?"
"That is our repute. I have met exceptions."
"Oh, as for that, every man has his price. That is why I pay well. Now,
I am going out to dine. The _Aphrodite_ sails this week. You will sign
an agreement, yes?"
"Delighted," said Dick, though bitter experience had taught him that
von Kerber's last question might reveal some disagreeable feature
hitherto unseen, just as the sting of the scorpion lies in its tail.
The Baron handed him a printed document.
"Read that," he said. "You need have no fear of legal quibbles. It
contains nothing unreasonable, but I insist on its observance in letter
and spirit."
Certainly, no unfair demand was made by the brief contract which Royson
glanced at. He noticed that the _Aphrodite_ was described as "owned by
Hiram Fenshawe, Esq., of Chalfount Manor, Dorset, and Emperor's Gate,
London, W.," while Baron Franz von Kerber figured as "controller and
head of the expedition." The agreement was to hold good for six months,
with an option, "vesting solely in the said Baron Franz von Kerber," to
extend it, month by month, for another equal period. There were blanks
for dates and figures--, and one unusual clause read:
"The undersigned hereby promises not to divulge the vessel's
destination or mission, should either, or both, become known to him;
not to give any information which may lead to inquiry being made by
others as to her destination or mission, and not to make any statement,
in any form whatsoever, as to the success or otherwise of the voyage at
its conclusion, unless at the request of the said Baron Franz von
Kerber. The penalty for any infringement of this clause, of which Baron
Franz von Kerber shall be the judge, shall be dismissal, without any
indemnity or payment of the special bonus hereinafter recited."
Then followed the salary clause, and a stipulation as to the ten per
cent share of the gross profits. The Baron's promises could not have
been phrased in more straightforward style.
"Give me a pen," said Royson, placing the paper on a blotting pad.
There was an unconscious masterfulness in his voice and manner which
seemed to startle von Kerber. In very truth, the younger man was
overjoyed at the astounding turn taken by his fortunes. The restraint
he had imposed on himself earlier was gone. He wanted to wring the
Baron's hand and hail him as his best friend. Perhaps the other deemed
this attitude a trifle too free and easy in view of the relations that
would exist between them in the near future.
"You will find a pen on the ink-stand," said he, quietly, stooping,
over some papers on a corner of the table. Then he added, apparently as
an afterthought:
"Don't forget your name, Mr. King."
The hint brought Royson back to earth. He signed "Richard King," dried
the ink carefully, and marveled a little at his re-christening and its
sequel.
"When and where shall I report myself for duty, sir?" he asked.
Von Kerber looked up. His tone grew affable again, and Dick had learnt
already that it is a token of weakness when a man insists on his own
predominance.
"First let me fill in a date and the amount of your salary." The Baron
completed and signed a duplicate. "Get that stamped at Somerset House,
in case of accident," he continued, "I might have been killed this very
day, you know. One of my servants will witness both documents. Before
he comes in, put this envelope in your pocket. It contains half of your
first month's salary in advance, and you will find in it a card with
the address of a firm of clothiers, who will supply your outfit free of
charge. Call on them early to-morrow, as the time is short, and you are
pretty long, yes? Report yourself to the same people at four o'clock on
Wednesday afternoon. They will have your baggage ready, and give you
full directions. From that moment you are in my service. And now, the
order is silence, yes?"
While the Baron was speaking he touched an electric bell. The
waxen-faced man-servant appeared, laboriously wrote "William Jenkins"
where he was bid, and escorted Royson to the door. The Baron merely
nodded when Dick said "Good night, sir." He had picked up an opera hat
and overcoat from a chair, but was bestowing a hasty farewell glance on
the Persi-Arabic letter.
A closed carriage and pair of horses were standing in front of the
house, and Royson recognized the coachman. It was that same Spong who
had groveled in the mud of Buckingham Palace Road nine hours ago. And
the man knew him again, for he raised his whip in a deferential salute.
"Not much damage done this morning?" cried Dick.
"No, sir. I drove 'em home afterwards, broken pole an' all," said Spong.
"That's not the same pair, is it?"
"No, sir. This lot is theayter, the bays is park."
So Mr. Hiram Fenshawe, whoever he was, owned the yacht, and ran at
least two fine equipages from his town house. He must be a wealthy man.
Was he the father of that patrician maid whose gratitude had not stood
the strain of Royson's gruffness? Or, it might be, her brother, seeing
that he was associated with von Kerber in some unusual enterprise? What
was it? he wondered. "There may be fighting," said von Kerber. Dick was
glad of that. He had taken a solemn vow to his dying mother that he
would not become a soldier, and the dear lady died happy in the belief
that she had snatched her son from the war-dragon which had bereft her
of a husband. The vow lay heavy on the boy's heart daring many a year,
for he was a born man-at-arms, but he had kept it, and meant to keep
it, though not exactly according to the tenets of William Penn.
Somehow, his mother's beautiful face, wanly exquisite in that unearthly
light which foreshadows the merging of time into eternity, rose before
him now as he passed from the aristocratic dimness of Prince's Gate
into the glare and bustle of Knightsbridge. A newsboy rushed along,
yelling at the top of his voice. The raucous cry took shape: "Kroojer's
reply. Lytest from Sarth Hafricar." That day's papers had spoken of
probable war, and Royson wanted to be there. He had dreamed of doing
some work for the press, and was a reader and writer in his spare time,
while he kept his muscles fit by gymnastics. But those past yearnings
were merged in his new calling. He was a sailor now, a filibuster of
sorts. The bo's'n's whistle would take the place of the bugle-call.
Would that have pleased his mother? Well, poor soul, she had never
imagined that her son would be compelled to chafe his life out at a
city desk. The very air of London had become oppressive; the hurrying
crowd was unsympathetic to his new-found joy of living; so, without any
well-defined motive, he sought the ample solitude of the park.
Be it noted that he usually went straight from point to point without
regard to obstacles. Hence, in his devious wanderings of that
remarkable day, he was departing from fixed habit, and, were he a
student of astrology, he would assuredly have sought to ascertain what
planets were in the ascendant at a quarter-past ten in the morning, and
half-past seven in the evening. For he had scarcely reached the quiet
gloom of the trees when a man, who had followed him since he quitted
von Kerber's house, overtook him and touched his arm.
"Beg pardon," said the stranger, "but are you the gentleman who called
on Baron von Kerber half an hour ago?"
"Yes." Taken unawares, Dick was thrown off his guard for the instant.
"And you left his house just now?"
"Yes."
"To prevent a mistake, may I ask your name?"
"Certainly. It is Royson, Richard Royson."
"And address?"
A curious ring of satisfaction in the newcomer's voice carried a
warning note with it. Dick was conscious, too, that he had departed
from the new role assigned to him by his employer, yet it would be
absurd to begin explaining that he was not known as Royson, but as
King, in connection with von Kerber. The blunder annoyed him, and he
faced his questioner squarely.
"Before I give you any more information I want to know who you are," he
said.
His downright way of speaking appeared to carry conviction.
"Well, Mr. Royson, I don't mind telling you that I am a private inquiry
agent," was the ominous answer. "I am retained by a gentleman who
brings a very serious charge against von Kerber, and, as I have reason
to believe that you are only slightly mixed up in this affair at
present, I am commissioned to offer you a handsome reward for any
valuable information you may give my client or procure for him in the
future."
"Indeed!" said Dick, who was debating whether or not to knock the man
down.
"Yes. We mean business, I assure you. This is no common matter. Von
Kerber is an Austrian, and my client is an Italian. Perhaps you know
how they hate each other as nations, and these two have a private
quarrel as well."
"What does your employer want to find out?" asked Dick.
"Well, as a start, he wants to know why von Kerber is shipping a crew
for a yacht called the _Aphrodite_."
"Then he has learned something already?"
"Oh, that was too easy. Any one can pump a half-drunken sailor."
The private inquiry agent spoke confidentially. He fancied he had
secured the sort of aide he needed, a spy of superior intelligence.
"Suppose I give you that first item of news, what is the figure?"
"Say a fiver."
"But I am almost willing to pay that much for the pleasure of spreading
your nose over your face."
There was a sudden gap between the two. Perhaps the stranger felt that
the rawness of the atmosphere demanded brisk movement.
"Oh, is that it?" snarled he.
"Yes, that is it."
"You had better be careful what you are doing." Dick had advanced a
pace, but the agent sheered off twice as far, as though the air between
them was not only cold but resilient.
"I shall be quite careful. Just one small punch, say a sovereign's
worth. Come, that is cheap enough."
Then the man ran off at top speed. Royson could have caught him in a
few strides, but he did not move. He had not meant to hit, only to
scare, yet the incident was perplexing, and the more he pondered over
it the less pleased he was at his own lack of finesse, as he might have
learnt something without fear of indiscretion, seeing that he had
nothing to tell. Nevertheless, his final decision was in favor of the
first impulse. Von Kerber had treated him with confidence--why should
he wish to possess any disturbing knowledge of von Kerber?
But he refused to be shadowed like a thief. He stepped out, left the
park at Stanhope Gate, jumped on to a passing omnibus, changed it for
another in the middle of Oxford Street, and walked down Regent Street
with a well-founded belief that he had defeated espionage for the time.
Thereafter, he behaved exactly like several hundred thousand young men
In London that night. He dined, bought some cigars, rare luxuries to
him, went to a music-hall, soon wearied of its inanities, and traveled
by an early train to Brixton, where he rented cheap lodgings.
He slept the sleep of sound digestion, which is so often confused with
a good conscience, and rose betimes. At a city tailoring establishment
he was measured dubiously, being far removed from stock size. But a
principal made light of difficulties, and Royson noticed that he was to
be supplied with riding breeches and boots in addition to a sea-faring
kit, while a _sola topi_, or pith helmet, appeared, in the list.
He asked no questions, was assured that all would be in readiness at
four o'clock that day, and found himself turned loose again in London
at an early hour with nothing to do. And what do you think he did? He
caught a Mansion-House train to Victoria, waylaid the Guards a second
time, marched with them valiantly to St. James's, and took a keen
delight in their stately pageant. He saw his friend, Seymour, strolling
to and fro with a brother officer in the tiny square, and watched him
march; back to Chelsea with the relieved guard.
Then, with all the zest of seeing London from a new standpoint, that of
moneyed idleness, he strolled towards Hyde Park. He took the road known
as the Ladies' Mile, crossed the Serpentine by the bridge, and came
back by the Row. There, near the Albert Gate crossing, a lady had
reined in her chestnut hunter and was talking to an old gentleman
standing near the rails. Had Royson stared at her, he might have
remembered the eyes, and the finely-cut contours of nose, lips and
chin. But his acquaintance with fashionable society had been severed so
completely that he was not aware of the new code which permits its
votaries to stare at a pretty woman; and a riding-habit offers sharp
contrast to a set of sables. He was passing, all unconscious of the
interest he had aroused in the lady, when he heard her say:
"Why, grandfather, there he is. Good morning, Mr. King. Mr. Fenshawe
and I were just talking about you."
Royson would have known her voice anywhere. It had the rare distinction
of music and perfect diction. Amidst the shrill vulgarity which
counterfeited wit in the average upper class gathering of the period
such a voice must have sounded like the song of a robin in a crowded
rookery.
The unexpected greeting brought a rush of color to Dick's face. But
yesterday's cloud had vanished, and his natural embarrassment was
obviously that of a well-bred man young enough to be delighted by the
recognition. Moreover, he was not covered with mud, nor had his
sensibilities been jarred by standards representing the hell and heaven
of modern existence.
He lifted his hat.
"I am glad to see you have experienced no ill effects from yesterday's
shock, Miss Fenshawe," he said.
"Not in the least. It was a wonderful escape. Even the victoria leaves
hospital this afternoon, I am told."
Mr. Fenshawe, whose silvery-white hair and wrinkled skin betokened an
age that his erect, spare frame would otherwise have concealed, patted
Royson's shoulder.
"You did well, Mr. King, very well. I am much beholden to you. And I
was pleased to hear from Baron von Kerber last night that you have
joined our expedition."
Though of middle height, Mr. Fenshawe had to raise his hand as high as
his own forehead to reach Dick's back. His eyes were shrewd and keen,
with the introspective look of the student. Though it was more than
probable that he was very wealthy, judging from the meager details
within Royson's ken, he had the semblance of a university professor
rather than a millionaire.
"I think the good fortune is wholly mine, sir," said Dick, trying to
answer both at once, and puzzled to determine how he could repudiate
the name which von Kerber had fastened on to him.
"No, we will not put it that way," and the other seemed to sweep some
confusing thought from before his mental vision. "Let us say that the
reward will be commensurate with the deed. We do not forget, we
Fenshawes, do we, Irene? Good day, Mr. King. I hope to make your better
acquaintance. We shall see much of each other ere long."
Thus dismissed, with another friendly tap on the shoulder, Royson had
no option but to raise his hat again. He received a very gracious smile
from Miss Fenshawe, and he left the two with a curious consciousness
that there was at least one woman in the world who had the power to
send his blood whirling through his veins.
As he walked off under the trees, the eyes of grandfather and
granddaughter followed him.
"A useful man that, for work in the desert," said Mr. Fenshawe.
"Yes. Quite a Crusader in appearance," mused the girl aloud.
The old man laughed noiselessly.
"I find you are only half persuaded as to the peaceable nature of our
task, Irene," he said.
"I find it even more difficult to persuade you that Count von Kerber
fears interference, grandad."
"My dear child, these foreigners are all nerves. Look at me. I have
spent twenty years of my life among the Arabs, and felt safer there
than in a London crowd."
"Yes, you dear old thing, but you are not Count von Kerber."
"Nerves, Irene, nothing else. At any rate, your Mr. King should adjust
the average in that respect. And if you begin to talk of risk I shall
have to reconsider my decision to take you with us."
The chestnut threw up his head, and pranced excitedly, having been
warned that a gallop was imminent.
"No, you don't," laughed Irene. "If we Fenshawes do not forget, we also
stick together. By-by. See you at lunch."
And she was gone, sitting her horse with the ease and sureness of one
of those Arabs in whom her grandfather placed such confidence.