Vera was an enigma, it was true, yet somehow I could not bring myself to
realise that she had made pretence to love me merely for the purpose of
prevailing upon me to undertake the conveyance of the jewels. Loving
her as sincerely as I did, I was loth to credit anything base of her,
feeling confident she reciprocated my affection.
It must be confessed that I was bitterly disappointed in Volkhovski. He
had not welcomed me as I had expected, and his behaviour was so brusque
as to leave me no pleasant impression of his character.
The day wore on.
The afternoon I spent smoking in the Cafe Chinois in the Nevskoi
Prospekt, and in the evening strolled through the delightfully artistic
Summer Gardens, debating whether I should remain a few days longer, or
leave Russia at once.
Sitting alone at dinner about seven o'clock, I chanced to gaze across
the Polschad. It was apparent something unusual had taken place, for
people were standing in small groups talking and gesticulating together;
and as I rose to regard them more closely, Trosciansky, the proprietor
of the hotel, entered, with a pale, half-scared expression upon his
face.
"What's the matter outside?" I asked in French. "It seems as if
something is wrong."
"I have heard of nothing, m'sieur," he replied, with an expression of
astonishment which I detected was feigned, at the same time advancing to
the window and looking out.
I made a mental note that mine host was not telling the truth, for his
agitation was plainly observable; and, while a number of police were
being marched across the square, he quickly withdrew his face from the
window, as if half-fearful lest he should be observed. He left the room
for a few moments, afterwards returning with a large bowl of crimson
flowers, which he placed upon a small table close to the window,
remarking:
"These will make your room brighter, m'sieur. I, myself, am very fond
of flowers."
"And I'm not," I remarked, "I detest flowers in a room; take them away,
please."
He turned and looked at me with surprise, not unmixed with alarm.
"Eh? M'sieur really means I am to take away the beautiful blossoms?" he
said, raising his eyebrows in astonishment.
"Yes, I won't have them here on any account, they smell so faint."
He hesitated for a few seconds, then replied: "Well, I regret it, for I
procured these expressly for m'sieur's benefit," and carried the bowl
out of the room, muttering as he did so, "Then it must be the artificial
ones."
He had been absent only a few minutes before he reappeared, bearing a
large basket of crimson roses in wax, under a glass shade, and set them
in the place whence he had removed the real ones.
"What have you brought those for?" I asked, as wax-flowers are one of
my abominations.
"For you, m'sieur. Are they not superb?--so near the life. Wonderfully
clever imitation, are they not?"
I nodded assent, but it struck me there must be some reason for the
hotel-keeper placing these in my window. What was it?
I was about to order him to remove them also, but refrained from doing
so, determined to observe this strange proceeding and endeavour to find
out the cause.
After some cigarettes, I went out for an evening stroll, and as soon as
I gained the street there were unmistakable signs that something
extraordinary had happened, though, not speaking Russian, I was unable
to ascertain. Intelligence of some description had spread like wildfire
and was causing a terrible sensation, for from mouth to mouth ominous
news was whispered with bated breath, conversations were being carried
on in an undertone, heads were shaken mysteriously, and newspapers
rapidly scanned, which all tended to confirm my suspicion that something
had occurred.
Such a stir had not been created in the capital for many years, and that
night the streets presented a scene of panic that impressed itself
indelibly upon my memory.
When I returned to the hotel I chanced to be walking upon the opposite
side of the street, and glancing up, before crossing, saw what caused me
to start in surprise. Though the lamp in my sitting-room was alight,
the blind was not drawn, the brilliant illumination within causing the
wax roses to stand out in bold relief in the window--so bold, indeed,
that they could be plainly seen from the most distant part of the great
square.
That they were placed there for some purpose I was convinced--what did
they mean?
I retired to rest as usual, but could not close my eyes for thinking of
the strange episode. There seemed an air of mystery about the whole
place that I did not like.
Several minor matters now occurred to me of which, at the time they
happened, I thought nothing; yet as I lay thinking I confess I began to
wish myself anywhere but in St Petersburg. Throughout, there had been
so much that was incomprehensible, and I had been so sorely puzzled,
that I felt a fervent desire to give up, and seek no further elucidation
of the riddle from Vera.
The bells of the Izak Church had broken the silence of the night,
chiming the hour of three, as I lay dozing, when suddenly there came a
sharp rapping at the door, and voices demanding admittance.
My first impression was that the hotel was on fire, but on throwing open
the door, Trosciansky and two other men entered.
"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded.
"Hist! m'sieur," he replied, laying his finger upon his lips, indicative
of silence. Then he said in a low voice:
"Quick! Prepare yourself for a journey; the police are on their way
here, and will arrest you! Make your escape, now you have time."
"What?" I cried, rubbing my eyes to make certain I was not dreaming.
"To arrest me! What for, pray?"
"M'sieur must be aware. Lose no time, you must get out of Russia at
once, or all will be lost," he said in a loud whisper, while the other
men gave vent to some ejaculations in Russian.
"I have committed no crime," I said, "and I certainly shall not fly from
here like a thief. The police may come, and I will welcome them."
"Fly! fly!" urged the man, with a look of alarm upon his face; "fly for
Vera Seroff's sake!"
"What has she to do with this?" I asked eagerly.
"You know, m'sieur; you know. It will place her in deadly peril if you
are arrested. Fly, while there is still time."
"But the police cannot touch me; I have no fear of them," I remarked,
just as a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Where was my passport, that paper without which no one in Russia is
safe, not even Russians themselves? I took up my coat and felt in the
inner pocket where I constantly kept it.
It was gone!
My valise, the pockets of other coats, every hole and corner I
investigated, but found it not. It was evidently lost or stolen!
Then a thought crossed my mind.
"Take our advice, m'sieur; dress and escape," said Trosciansky,
persuasively.
"No, I will not," I cried angrily. "I see this is a plot to extort
money--or something. My passport has been stolen, and I shall myself
inform the police to-morrow, and also of my suspicions regarding this
house."
"_Diable_!" he ejaculated, in the utmost alarm, as at that moment there
was a sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps below!
"Hark! They are here! It is too late."
I opened my lips to reply, but no sound came from them. I have a faint
recollection of a sponge being dashed into my face by one of the
hotel-keeper's companions, then came a strange, even delightful
sensation of giddiness, a confused murmur of voices, of music, of
pleasant sounds,--and all was blank.