OFF!
The sight of the old Jew, his police companion, and von Welten knocked
me all to pieces for the moment. We were done. That was a certainty. I
could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which
von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have
called a very different proposition.
"I think I'll have a cigarette," I said; and pulled up to light it and
try to think what to do.
"Whatever's the matter, Jack?" whispered Nessa. "Your hand shakes like
anything and you're looking awful."
"Nothing to what I'm feeling. I'm afraid it's all up. I can't tell you
all about it now. Just shake hands with me and trot back to the
waiting-room. If you see me stopped--wait till the train has actually
started, of course--make a bee line back to the von Reblings. If it's
all right, I'll beckon to you."
"But if there's any trouble why should I leave you in it alone?" she
protested, like the brick she was.
"Let me be boss now. If you're with me, you may never get away at all;
and if you're not, it may only mean a postponement. Be a good sort.
Good-bye, Miss Caldicott;" and I held out my hand.
She took it reluctantly. "I'd rather be with you," she replied with a
glance for which I could have kissed her. Then she did as I wished.
I put as bold a face on things as I could, walked quickly up to the
barrier, putting my hand in my pocket as if for my ticket.
"Good-evening, sir," said the Jew as I approached.
"Hullo, you here, Graun?" very much astonished.
"Herr Johann Lassen?" asked his companion.
"That's my name, certainly. Who are you, and what do you want? I'm in a
hurry to catch the train."
"I'm a detective and have to ask you a few questions."
"Fire 'em out, quick as you can, please."
"There's no such hurry as all that. You can't go by this train. You
paid a visit to this man to-day."
"We shall be here half the night at this rate. I went to purchase an
identification card and he sold me one in the name of Liebe."
"Your object?"
"That's my affair. I haven't it with me and am not going to use it."
"That's your story. I don't believe it. Give it to me."
"I've told you I haven't it."
"Give it to me."
"I would if I had it. As it is, I can't."
"Give it up at once," he repeated very sharply.
This looked like a deadlock and moments were flying fast. There was
nothing for it but to try the effect of my official authority, and I
was fingering it, when von Welten caught sight of me and hurried in our
direction. I threw up the sponge. To produce the authority in his
presence would be only to make bad worse, so I put it in my waistcoat
pocket.
The detective knew von Welten and saluted him.
"Well, Grossbaum, what is it? How do, Herr Lassen?"
"This man had a deal with Graun to-day and is travelling----"
Von Welten interposed angrily. "Hold your tongue, you fool. I've always
thought yours was the woodenest head in the force. I suppose you
brought this disreputable old scoundrel here. Get away, both of you.
Think yourself lucky if I don't report this last cleverness of yours.
Be off, I say;" and the precious pair slunk away like a couple of
whipped curs. "I'm awfully sorry about this, Herr Lassen; but why on
earth didn't you show the fool that paper the chief gave you?"
"I was going to," I stammered, utterly bewildered by the turn of
affairs and gaping in wonder what would happen next. I was prepared for
almost anything except what did happen.
"I knew you would travel by this train and thought I'd like to be
certain that everything was all right about the ring;" and he dropped
his voice to a whisper.
"Yes. He came to my rooms and I gave it him."
"The artful devil! Of course he's planted some of the woman's things
there. I told the chief I thought he would; and I'll see to that in the
morning. But where's Miss Caldicott?"
"Eh?" I asked stupidly.
"Do you mean to say she isn't going after all?"
"N-no. I mean--yes. She's over there," I stammered.
"Well, she'd better be here if you wish to catch the train. There's
only another minute and they'll start on the tick."
Oh, I was surely dreaming. In a dream I beckoned to Nessa, who came
hurrying up; in a dream von Welten was introduced and rushed us through
the barrier to a compartment he'd already secured for us; in a dream he
stood by the carriage door till we started, saying he thought it better
for us to travel alone; and in a dream we shook hands out of the
carriage window, and he waved to us as the train steamed out of the
station.
Even when we quickened up speed through the outskirts of the city, I
had hard work to wake up from that tremendously splendid dream. But
Nessa was very much awake and boiling over with excitement, curiosity
and delight. "What's the matter with you, Jack? Aren't you just mad
with joy? I am."
"That's all right," I nodded.
"But you look so odd."
"Only intoxicated a bit."
"Surely you haven't been taking some drug or other! You came along the
platform as if you were walking in a dream."
"Are you sure it isn't one? Are we really in a railway carriage?"
"Of course it is, and a very comfortable one too. But whatever do you
mean? Are you trying to frighten me or just fooling as usual?"
"I don't know, but I simply can't believe it all yet."
"Why? Do you understand that I'm bubbling over with curiosity? Do wake
up and make haste and satisfy it, if you don't want to drive me out of
my senses. Good heavens, you're on fire!" she exclaimed in alarm, as
she wrapped her hand in her cloak and pressed it against my side
excitedly.
That roused me effectually. My waistcoat was smouldering and I plunged
my hand into the pocket and discovered the reason. In my stupid
absent-mindedness I had shoved the lighted end of my cigarette into the
pocket and it had set fire to a couple of papers and singed the cloth.
"Nothing to worry about," I said. But there was. When I unfolded one of
the papers, I found that it was the authority von Gratzen had given me.
A fair-sized hole had been charred right through the folds and the
tinder dropped as I opened out the sheet. It was hopelessly unreadable
and thus useless. "I didn't think I could be such a gorgeous idiot," I
exclaimed staring fatuously at the ruin.
"It's serious then?" asked Nessa, who had watched me anxiously.
"Try if you can make anything out of it."
She studied it and shook her head. "A word or two here and there are
readable. That's all. What is it?"
"The proof that I ought to be shut up in a lunatic asylum. But it
_was_ something that would have taken me anywhere and everywhere
through this beastly country and forced every one to help me."
"That's delightfully intelligible," she cried, laughing. "Are you going
to keep this up much longer, or tell me things?"
"I'm going to tell you everything; but that silly ass trick of mine has
knocked me. I'll smoke a cigarette. You don't mind?"
"Providing you don't put the end in another pocket," she quizzed. "I
thought it was agreed we were not to take things too seriously," she
added as I lit up.
"I've learnt my lesson." I had indeed. It had cost me the best safe
conduct a man could have wished for, and if any unexpected trouble
arose, there was now no possibility of undoing the mischief. As the
guard passed along the corridor a little later, I decided to report the
loss at once, and beckoned to him. "I've had an unfortunate accident,"
I said. "I'm travelling on special State business and have burnt this
very important paper;" and I handed it to him.
He looked at it, turned it over, and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm
afraid I can't be of much help, sir."
"It is my authority signed by Count von Gratzen; you can just make out
a part of the official seal; and you will have seen that Herr von
Welten was on the platform when we left Berlin."
"Yes, sir. He gave me orders to reserve this compartment for you,
but----"
"You can't do anything, I know; but I wish you to make a note that I
told you of the loss. That's all."
"Would you telegraph to his Excellency, sir?"
"Where's the first stop?"
"Not till Hanover, sir; but as it is State business and so important, I
could stop at the next station for you to send a message, and you would
have a reply wired to Hanover, or Osnabrueck, if you are going so far."
"A good idea, guard. I'm much obliged to you. I'll think about it; just
give me a form." He took one from his pocket and went off, saying he
would come back for the message.
Nessa had listened in the greatest amazement. "Who on earth am I
travelling with?" she cried. "Do you mean that you are able to have
trains stopped at your mere nod?"
"I'll tell you who you're travelling with in a moment, but let me think
whether I dare send that wire." It wasn't long before I decided to risk
it. Von Gratzen himself had suggested I should get out of the way for a
time: even go to a distance: and would understand the importance of the
ruined authority, since I could not return when he needed me without
it. He would therefore wire me all I should require, pending the
receipt of a new authority. That was all clear enough.
But there was a fly in the ointment. He might have discovered the theft
of the papers. But even in that case there wasn't very much risk, as
the von Erstein affair was so vastly more important that he would
hesitate before sending any instructions to get me into trouble. So I
wrote the message and gave it to the guard, with a ten-mark tip, and
the train was accordingly stopped for it to be despatched.
Then I was ready to satisfy Nessa's acute curiosity. "Now you want to
know who your fellow traveller is, eh? I'll tell you. He's a composite
individual: an Englishman, a German, a State official, a spy, a thief,
and an alleged murderer. I hope you're proud of him."
"I don't care what he is if he's going to get me out of Germany. I
needn't know him afterwards, I suppose."
"If you're disrespectful and don't behave yourself I'll--I'll----"
"Dock my wages, mate?" she popped in in her slangy voice.
"That reminds me. There's a little thing to be done in case of
accidents;" and I took her bag from the seat.
"You don't mean to tell me you're going to keep me waiting any longer!"
"I'm not going to have young Hans' clothes found in your possession;
much too risky;" and I packed them into my suit case.
"But your risk?"
"There's none for me. I'm travelling on business of State and may need
disguises of any sort. And now I'll read you the riddles; but we shall
have to be quick about it."
"If you dare to hurry over it and not tell me every little detail, I'll
never speak to you again, Jack," she declared with great energy.
"We must drop that Jack business, and speak in my language. And I have
to be quick because it's nearly bedtime."
"You don't imagine for an instant I'm getting into any sleeping berth
to-night surely! I couldn't sleep a wink. I want to do nothing but
talk."
"All right, let it go at that;" and I began the long story. It is
needless to say that her interest was acute. She was literally hungry
for every detail and interrupted with innumerable questions, so that it
took hours to tell, and I hadn't quite finished when we reached
Hanover, where I broke off to get something for us to eat.
A number of officers and soldiers were on the platform there, many of
whom stared pretty hard at me; surprised probably to see a man of
military age in civilian clothes. I did not take any notice of them;
but there was a rather unpleasant incident on my return to the
carriage. A couple of officers were in hot altercation with the guard
because he would not allow them to enter our compartment.
They grumbled, declaring there was no room anywhere else; but he stood
his ground, and in the end they went off in just such a rage as one
might expect Prussian officers to show.
Nessa was greatly relieved to see them go, and as soon as the train
started we commenced our meal.
"I'm only a nervy idiot," she said; "for I declare I was awfully scared
and couldn't help thinking they knew about the tickets. Do you really
believe von Gratzen didn't know you took them?"
"I'm absolutely fluster-bustered about it. Sometimes I thought he knew
I was a fraud; sometimes that he didn't; he acted both ways, and----"
"But that von Welten was at the station," she broke in.
"Evidently he knew I had them, but must have thought old Gratz gave
them to me. He said he had come to make sure I had planted the ring on
von Erstein, all right. Otherwise, he'd have stopped us; but he
actually asked where you were. It knocked me bang over."
"I'd bet he knew all about it, and so did von Gratzen. I expect the
truth is that after you'd saved his wife and Nita that day, he guessed
everything and determined to give you a chance to get out of the
country. Why, he almost told you to take them when you were with him in
the morning. And then that authority he gave you! It's as plain as a
pikestaff he meant that to get out of any bother on the way; and, as if
that wasn't enough, there was von Welten at the station to see that we
got away without any trouble."
"Let's hope you're right."
"Of course I am. Naturally in view of all that happened he couldn't
give you the things openly or he might have got into a mess over it
which couldn't be explained away. But everything else could. His plan
about von Erstein, the brute, gave him an excellent excuse for allowing
you to leave Berlin; in fact you can see he was clever enough to cover
his tracks at every step. Surely that's clear enough."
"It may be to you, but I gave up long ago trying to understand him, and
if you'd seen as much of him as----"
"I don't want to see him, not till after the war anyhow, although he's
just the dearest old thing in Germany. If I ever do see him again, I
shall want to hug him."
"Hug him as much as you like, by all means; all I wish is that he won't
hug me in the way he probably would if he got the chance. And now
hadn't you better try forty winks?" I suggested.
"What time is it?"
"Nearly one o'clock."
"What time shall we cross the frontier?"
"About an hour after we leave Osnabrueck, and we get there at half-past
three."
"Then I'll go to sleep at four o'clock. Not a moment before. I simply
couldn't. Oh, to think that in four hours all the suspense and horrors
of the last months will be at an end! When shall we reach home? Think
of it, Jack! Home!"
"Depends on our getting a boat. We'll go right through to Rotterdam and
shall reach there by nine or ten to-morrow morning, say before midday
anyhow; but we may have to wait for a boat."
"I shan't mind that. We must wire to mother as soon as we're over the
frontier. Not likely to have any bother there, are we?"
"Can't think of any. We've got all the necessary papers."
"How perfectly glorious! And to think that I owe it all to you."
"That rather takes the cream off, doesn't it?"
"Don't fish. I might say something to make you blush. I'm quite capable
of it and not a bit responsible for what I say. I want to revel in the
thought of it all."
"State business, is it? What do I care about State business? I want a
seat and I'm going to have one," broke in a harsh ill-tempered voice
from the corridor.
"Going to have travelling companions to Osnabrueck," I said. "Some of
those officers who got in at Hanover. Better let them come in."
There was no question of letting them. The man whose voice we had heard
came in. "We've got to sit here; there's not another seat in the
train," he said bluntly.
"By all means," I agreed. There was nothing else to do.
"Come on, you fellows," he called, looking out into the corridor.
"Plenty of room here."
I stiffened as I caught a glimpse of one of his companions. He was a
man named Freibach who had been at Goettingen with me, and both Nessa
and I had known him in London before the war. I tried to warn Nessa,
but it was useless; and her start as she saw him was enough to give
everything away.
Would he recognize us? If he did--what?
A minute settled it and judgment went dead against us. He knew us both.
"Hullo! This is a surprise if you like. How do you do, Miss Caldicott,
and you too, Lancaster?" he exclaimed in English, and after shaking
hands with Nessa held out his hand to me.