Hubert Waldron, after a sleepless night, determined to begin his
inquiries independently of the famous Chief of Police, Ghelardi, whom he
had not met since that memorable evening in Shepheard's.
It was news to him that the famous European spy had resigned from the
service of his masters in Berlin, and returned to the land of his birth.
At least, however, there was one consolation, namely, that he would, in
his new position, no longer be antagonistic to England.
Waldron's first impulse when he dressed that morning was to go over to
the Ministry and seek him, but on reflection he feared that the old man
might be jealous of his interference in the affair. Hence it would best
to act independently.
With that object he first went along to the Embassy and had a chat with
his Chief and then called upon General Cataldi at the handsome Ministry
of War in the Via Venti Settembre. There he explained matters to the
short, alert, little white-haired man who, in his smart uniform,
received him in his private cabinet. His Excellency was at first much
surprised to learn that the Englishman knew so much, but soon expressed
his readiness to assist him by every means in his power.
"My first object is to have an interview with Corporal Tonini, of the
19th Bersiglieri," Hubert said in Italian.
"With pleasure, signore," replied the dapper Minister who was enjoying
one of those long Toscanos so dear to the Italian palate, and he at once
pressed a button.
A sentry appeared instantly.
"Tell Major Brusati I wish to see him at once," he said.
"Yes, Excellency," replied the man, who saluted and retired.
"This affair, Signor Waldron, is a most serious one for us," he said a
few moments later. "You see yonder. There is the safe in which the
plans were--"
At that moment he was interrupted by the entrance of a burly major of
artillery in dark blue uniform with the broad yellow stripe down his
blue-grey trousers.
"Brusati, I want Corporal Tonini, Number 34876 19th Regiment of
Bersiglieri to be called here at once. This gentleman, Signor Waldron,
of the British Embassy, desires an interview with him in private."
"_Benissimo_, Excellency," replied the Major, saluting. "I will
telephone over to the barracks at once."
"And let me know as soon as he arrives."
"Immediately, Excellency."
And the officer turned upon his heel and left.
"Your Excellency was pointing out the safe when we were interrupted,"
Hubert remarked, noticing that there were three safes in the room. Two
were large, heavy ones of a well-known English make, painted dark green,
against the left-hand wall, while the other was a smaller one embedded
in the wall behind the Minister's chair.
"It is this," replied the General rising and approaching the safe in the
wall. "From this the documents mysteriously disappeared."
Hubert also rose from his chair, and going behind the writing-table,
stood beside the Minister of War examining the steel door carefully.
"Has Ghelardi been here?" he inquired of His Excellency.
"He was here last night."
"What did he do?"
"He made a complete examination of it and took photographs of some
finger-prints upon the knob and door," responded General Cataldi,
placing his own key in the lock and turning the handle twice, opened the
heavy, steel door, disclosing a number of pigeon-holes, wherein reposed
quantities of papers.
Waldron carefully inspected the door, and saw that it was by the same
excellent maker as the other two.
"There is no question of the papers having been put in one or other of
the racks," the General said. "Confidential papers are always placed in
this drawer," and he opened a small, steel drawer in the bottom of the
safe. It was empty.
"Have all these papers been examined?"
"With my secretary, Colonel Pironti, I examined each one last night.
The documents in question have undoubtedly disappeared."
Hubert Waldron stood before the open safe in pensive silence.
Then he bent, and taking his gold, half-hunter watch from his pocket and
opening it, used the small lens as a magnifying glass with which he
carefully examined the lock of the safe.
"There are no marks of the lock having been tampered with," he remarked
to His Excellency. "A false key must evidently have been used."
"That is Ghelardi's opinion."
Then the diplomat, with His Excellency's permission, removed the whole
of the papers from the safe, and carefully examined the sides and back
of the interior, satisfying himself that they were all intact.
"Which wall is this?" he asked, tapping it with his hand.
"The outer wall--in the courtyard," was the Minister's prompt reply.
"It could not have been attacked from behind, as we are fifty feet from
the ground. The exterior wall has already been examined."
Waldron made no reply. He was thinking deeply--wondering whether, after
all, His Excellency, General Cataldi, Minister of War, knew more about
the affair than he had admitted? The corruptness of Monte Citorio was
too universally known, and Austria would, no doubt, give a very
substantial sum for such important information as that which had been
stolen.
His Excellency, on his part, stood with his cigar half-smoked between
his teeth, a smart figure in his General's undress uniform, with the
green-and-white cross of Maurice and Lazarus at his throat, controller
of an army which in case of war would consist of three and a half
million men.
Was Hubert's faint suspicion correct? Regrettable as it was, few men in
Italy accepted Ministerial portfolios for the sake of the small
remuneration paid to them. Everyone looked to office as a means of
increasing his income, from the Minister of Justice down to the most
obscure prefect. Therefore, was General Cataldi an exception, or was he
endeavouring to fix a scapegoat among his underlings? Such a
circumstance was not at all unknown in the modern official life in Rome.
But Hubert Waldron determined not to form any premature theory. He
refused to allow his mind to become prejudiced by previous events.
In several notable cases of espionage, particularly when that secret
report of the British Admiralty regarding the results of our naval
manoeuvres two years before had mysteriously disappeared from Whitehall,
he had successfully cleared up the mystery. Indeed, he had earned the
thanks of the Prime Minister and of the Sovereign, and had gained his
M.V.O. for his clever and untiring efforts, by which he was actually
able to wrest the precious and most confidential documents from the
possession of the spy--a traitorous Englishman who had acted on behalf
of Germany--a man who that same night committed suicide at his house at
Richmond, in order to avoid arrest.
Probably it was knowledge of Hubert's previous successes that had
induced His Majesty King Umberto III to invoke his assistance. At any
rate His Majesty could scarcely have chosen a keener, or more
resourceful man.
He had made a second and most thoroughly exhaustive examination of the
safe when Major Brusati entered, saluted, and remarked:
"Corporal Tonini is in the ante-room, Excellency."
"I will see him alone," said Hubert, "if I may be permitted?"
"Certainly, signore," replied His Excellency politely. Then, addressing
the Major, he said:
"Take Signor Waldron to the man. He wishes to see him."
Promising the General to return and make his adieu, Hubert followed the
artillery officer out into the corridor to a room on the opposite side.
Waldron opened the door, and at once a soldier, aged about thirty, with
a thin face and rather crooked nose, sprang to attention. He wore the
dark blue uniform with crimson facings of the renowned Bersiglieri, or
riflemen, with his large, round hat with cock's plumes at the side.
"You are Corporal Tonini?" asked Waldron kindly, as he closed the door
and advanced into the bare, severely furnished room, which smelt of
stale cigars, as do all the rooms in the Italian Ministries.
"Yes, signore," replied the soldier, looking askance at the civilian
foreigner who had come to question him.
"Sit down," Waldron said, taking a seat himself. "I had better explain.
I am acting on behalf of His Majesty your King, in order to clear up
the mystery of the theft of those plans from His Excellency's room."
"The plans?" gasped the man, and by his accent Hubert knew that he was
not a Roman. "Then you know, signore?"
"You come from Tuscany, Tonini?"
"_Si, signore_."
"What part?"
"My home is at Signa, near Firenze."
And from that moment Hubert Waldron, whose knowledge of Italian was
practically perfect, spoke in the Tuscan tongue, using all the aspirated
"c's" and substituting the "r's" for "l's" which is the betrayal of the
true Florentine or the Livornese.
"I want you, Tonini, to put yourself at once at your ease," the
Englishman said. "First, there is nothing against you, not the
slightest breath of suspicion. His Excellency the Minister has told me
that you have been an excellent soldier. You fought in Tripoli with
distinction, as your medal shows, and you have, I see, the medal for
saving life. But I want you to be perfectly frank with me--to help me,
as His Majesty wishes you to do."
"Has His Majesty been told that I was on sentry duty?" asked the
corporal.
"Yes, it has been reported to him, and you, as a loyal soldier of your
Sovereign, must assist in every way to help me to clear up this mystery.
You know the value of those documents, I presume?"
"Yes. They are plans of our new fortresses against Austria," replied
the man in a changed voice, for Hubert's words had greatly impressed
him.
"Then you know it must be a spy of Austria who has stolen them?"
Waldron said. "Either a spy in person, or an individual who has sold
them to a spy. Which, we do not yet know. Now you were on duty outside
His Excellency's private cabinet, were you not?"
"_Si, signore_. From noon till four o'clock."
"The Council of Defence met at noon--just at the time you went on duty.
Now tell me exactly who entered or left His Excellency's room."
"I will tell you, signore, exactly. I have nothing whatever to
conceal," replied the soldier frankly.
"Of course you have not. If you tell me everything you will greatly
assist me in my inquiries."
"Well, signore, His Excellency came out of the room just as I went on
sentry duty, and for half an hour no one else entered. Several clerks
and others came to the door, but I did not permit them to go in, and
told them His Excellency was absent. At half-past twelve Colonel
Pironti, whom I knew as His Excellency's secretary, came up the stairs,
and of course I allowed him to pass in. He was there about ten minutes,
when he came out again with a large orange-coloured portfolio in his
hand."
"That contained the papers," Waldron remarked.
"I suppose so, signore. Then nobody entered the room until Colonel
Pironti came back again at half-past two. He had the same
orange-coloured portfolio in his hand, and took it inside. When he came
out I saw that he had left it within. He had evidently placed it in the
safe, for as he came out of the door he was putting a key attached to a
chain into his trousers-pocket."
"And after that?" asked Waldron, his dark eyes fixed intently upon the
man he had under examination.
"Well, signore, several gentlemen came to interview His Excellency the
Minister, but I, of course, allowed no one to pass. His Excellency
himself came back at three o'clock. He remained about ten minutes and
then left. His chauffeur came up and told me his car had arrived. I
went in and announced the fact."
"His car!" sniffed Waldron suspiciously. "He was in a hurry to get
away--eh?"
"His Excellency had an appointment at the Tivoli--so his chauffeur told
me."
Waldron made a mental note of that curious fact.
"And then?" he asked.
"His Excellency had left about ten minutes when Colonel Lambarini, the
secretary of the Council of Defence, came up to the door, which I opened
for him, as he always had access to His Excellency's private cabinet.
He was inside for a few seconds when he suddenly rushed out wildly and
asked: `Who has been here since Colonel Pironti?' I replied that only
His Excellency himself had been there, and had just gone. `There has
been a theft! Some very important papers have been stolen; and you, as
sentry, are responsible!' I stood aghast. Then he dragged me inside
the room, and showed me the safe open, and the drawer was empty."
"Then you are sure--quite sure that nobody entered that room after His
Excellency had left?" asked Waldron earnestly, for that was an extremely
important point.
"Nobody, signore. I will swear that as a soldier of Italy, before His
Majesty my King--if necessary."