Anna stood peeping behind the pretty muslin curtain of her kitchen
window. She was standing in exactly the same place and attitude she had
stood in eight months before, on the first day of war. But oh, how
different were the sensations and the thoughts with which she now looked
out on the familiar scene! She had then been anxious and disturbed, but
not as she was disturbed and anxious to-day.
The Trellis House had become so entirely her home that she resented
bitterly being forced to leave it against her will. Also, she dreaded
the thought of the days she would have to spend under Miss Forsyth's
roof.
Anna had never liked Miss Forsyth. Miss Forsyth had a rather short,
sharp way with her, or so the old German woman considered--and her house
was always full of such queer folk below and above stairs. Just now
there was the Belgian family, and also, as Anna had managed to discover,
three odd-come-shorts in the kitchen.
Anna's general unease had not been lessened by a mysterious letter which
she had received from her daughter this morning. In it the writer hinted
that her husband was getting into some fresh trouble. Louisa had ended
with a very disturbing sentence: "I feel as if I can't bear my
life!"--that was what Louisa had written.
The minutes dragged by, and Anna, staring out into the now deserted
Close--deserted, save for a number of carriages and motors which were
waiting by the little gate leading into the Cathedral enclosure--became
very worried and impatient.
From her point of view it was much to be wished that the visitor she was
expecting should be come and gone before the marriage party came out of
the Cathedral; yet when she had seen how surprised, and even hurt, both
her dear ladies had been on learning of her intention to stay at home
this morning, she had nearly told them the truth! Everything was
different now--Willi would not, could not, mind!
What had restrained her was the memory of how strongly Alfred Head had
impressed on her the importance of secrecy--of secrecy as concerned
himself. If she began telling anything, she might find herself telling
everything. Also, Mrs. Otway might think it very strange, what English
people call "sly," that Anna had not told her before.
And yet this matter she had kept so closely hidden within herself for
three years was a very simple thing, after all! Only the taking charge
of a number of parcels--four, as a matter of fact--for a gentleman who
was incidentally one of Willi Warshauer's chiefs.
The person who had brought them to the Trellis House had come in the
March of 1912, and she remembered him very distinctly. He had arrived in
a motor, and had only stayed a very few minutes. Anna would have liked
to have given him a little supper, but he had been in a great hurry, and
in fact had hardly spoken to her at all.
From something which he had said when himself carefully bringing the
parcels through the kitchen into her bedroom, and also from a word
Willi had let fall, she knew that what had been left with her was
connected with some new, secret process in the chemical business. In
that special branch of trade, as Anna was aware, the Germans were far,
far ahead of the British.
And as she stood there by the window, waiting, staring across the now
deserted green, at the group of carriages which stood over near the gate
leading to the Cathedral, she began to wonder uneasily if she had made
it quite clear to Mr. Head that the man who was coming on this still
secret business must be sure to come to-day! The lady and gentleman to
whom the house had been let were arriving at six, and their maids two
hours before.
* * * * *
Suddenly the bells rang out a joyous peal, and Anna felt a thrill of
exasperation and sharp regret. If she had known that her visitor would
be late, then she, too, could have been present in the Cathedral. It had
been a bitter disappointment to her not to see her gracious lady married
to Major Guthrie.
Letting the curtain fall, she went quickly upstairs into what had been
Miss Rose's bedroom. From there she knew she could get a better view.
Yes, there they all were--streaming out of the great porch. She could
now see the bride and bridegroom, arm-in-arm, walking down the path.
They were walking more slowly than most newly married couples walked
after a wedding. As a rule, wedding parties hurried rather quickly
across the open space leading from the porch to the gate.
She lost sight of them while they were getting into the motor which had
been lent to them for the occasion, but she did catch a glimpse of Mrs.
Otway's flushed face as the car sped along to the left, towards the gate
house.
The path round the green was gradually filling up with people, for the
congregation had been far larger than anyone had thought it would be.
News in such a place as Witanbury spreads quickly, and though the number
of invited guests had been very, very few, the number of uninvited
sympathisers and interested spectators had been many.
Suddenly Anna caught sight of her young lady and of Mr. Jervis Blake. As
she did so the tears welled up into her eyes, and rolled down her
cheeks. She could never get used to the sight of this young bridegroom
with his crutch, and that though he managed it very cleverly, and would
soon--so Rose had declared--be able to do with only a stick.
Anna hoped that the two would come in and see her for a minute, but
instead they joined Mr. and Mrs. Robey, and were now walking round the
other side of the Close.
Anna went downstairs again. In a moment, Mr. Hayley, whom she had never
liked, and who she felt sure did not like her, would be coming in to
have his luncheon, with another gentleman from London.
Yes, there was the ring. She went to the front door and opened it with
an unsmiling face. The two young men walked through into the hall. It
would have been very easy for James Hayley to have said a kind word to
the old German woman he had known so long, but it did not occur to him
to do so; had anyone suggested it, he would certainly have done it.
"We've plenty of time," she heard him say to the other gentleman. "Your
train doesn't go till two o'clock. As for me, I'm very hungry! I made a
very early start, you know!" and he led his guest into the dining-room,
calling out as he did so: "It's all right, Anna! We can wait on
ourselves."
Anna went back into her kitchen. She reminded herself that Mr. Hayley
was one of those gentlemen who give a great deal of trouble and never a
tip--unless, that is, they are absolutely forced to do so by common
custom.
In Germany a gentleman who was always lunching and dining at a house
would, by that common custom, have been compelled to tip the
servants--not so in this hospitable but foolish, ill-regulated England.
Here people only tip when they sleep. Anna had always thought it an
extremely unfair arrangement. Now Major Guthrie, though he was an
Englishman, had lived enough in Germany to know what was right and
usual, and several times, in the last few years, he had presented Anna
with half a sovereign. This had naturally made her like him more than
she would otherwise have done.
* * * * *
There came another ring at the door. This time it was Miss Forsyth, and
there was quite a kindly smile on her face. "Well," she said, "well,
Mrs. Bauer?" (she had never been as familiar with Anna as were most of
Mrs. Otway's friends). "I have come to find something for Mrs. Ot---- I
mean Mrs. Guthrie. She has given me the key of her desk." And she went
through into the drawing-room.
Anna began moving about restlessly. Her tin trunk was packed, and all
ready to be moved to Miss Forsyth's. And Mrs. Otway, busy as she had
been and absorbed in her own affairs while in town, had yet remembered
to stipulate that one of the large cupboards in Anna's bedroom should
remain locked, and full of Anna's things.
It was now nearly one o'clock. What could have happened to her business
visitor? And then, just as she was thinking this for the hundredth time,
she heard the unmistakable sound of a motor coming slowly down the road
outside. Quickly she went out to the back door.
The motor was a small, low, open car, and without surprise she saw that
the man who now was getting out of it was the same person whom she had
seen in the autumn leaving Alfred Head's house. But this time there was
no Boy Scout--the stranger was alone.
He hurried towards her. "Am I speaking to Mrs. Bauer?" he asked, in a
sharp, quick tone. And then, as she said "Yes," and dropped a little
curtsey, he went on: "I had a breakdown--a most tiresome thing! But I
suppose it makes no difference? You have the house to yourself?"
She hesitated--was she bound to tell him of the two gentlemen who were
having their luncheon in the dining-room which overlooked the garden,
and of Miss Forsyth in the drawing-room? She decided that no--she was
not obliged to tell him anything of the sort. If she did, he might want
to go away and come back another time. Then everything would have to be
begun over again.
"The parcels all ready are," she said. "Shall I them bring?"
"No, no! I will come with you. We will make two journeys, each taking
one. That will make the business less long."
He followed her through the kitchen, the scullery, and so into her
bedroom.
There were two corded tin boxes, as well as a number of other packages,
standing ready for removal.
"Surely I have not to take all this away?" he exclaimed. "I thought
there were only four small parcels!"
Anna smiled. "Most of it my luggage is," she said. "These yours are----"
she pointed to four peculiar-shaped packages, which might have been
old-fashioned bandboxes. They were done up in grey paper, the kind
grocers use, and stoutly corded. Through each cord was fixed a small
strong, iron handle. "They very heavy are," observed Anna thoughtfully.
And the man muttered something--it sounded like an oath. "I think you
had better leave the moving of them to me," he said. "Stand aside, will
you?"
He took up two of them; then once more uttered an exclamation, and let
them gently down again. "I shall have to take one at a time," he said.
"I'm not an over-strong man, Mrs. Bauer, and as you seem to have managed
to move them, no doubt you can help me with this one."
Anna, perhaps because her nerves were somewhat on edge to-day, resented
the stranger's manner. It was so short, so rude, and he had such a funny
accent. Yet she felt sure, in spite of the excellent German she had
overheard him speak to Mr. Head, that he was not a fellow-countryman of
hers. Then, suddenly, looking at his queerly trimmed beard, she told
herself that he might be an American. Alfred Head had lived for a long
time in America, and this probably was one of his American friends.
After they had taken out two of the parcels and placed them at the back
of the motor, Anna suddenly bethought herself of what Alfred Head had
said to her. "Give me, please," she said, "the money which to me since
January 1st owing has been. Fifty shillings--two pound ten it is."
"I know nothing of that," said the man curtly. "I have had no
instructions to pay you any money, Mrs. Bauer."
Anna felt a rush of anger come over her. She was not afraid of this
weasel-faced little man. "Then the other two parcels take away you will
not," she exclaimed. "To that money a right I have!"
They were facing each other in the low-ceilinged, dim, badly-lit
bedroom. The stranger grew very red.
"Look here!" he said conciliatingly; he was really in a great hurry to
get away. "I promise to send you this money to-night, Mrs. Bauer. You
can trust me. I have not got it on me, truly. You may search me if you
like." He smiled a little nervously, and advancing towards her opened
his big motor coat.
Anna shrank back. "You truly send it will?" she asked doubtfully.
"I will send it to Hegner for you. Nay, more---- I will give you a piece
of paper, and then Hegner will pay you at once." He tore a page out of
his pocket-book, and scribbled on it a few words.
She took the bit of paper, folded it, and put it in her purse.
As they were conveying the third oddly-shaped parcel through the
kitchen, she said conciliatingly, "Curious it is to have charge of
luggage so long and not exactly what it is to know!"
He made no answer to this remark. But suddenly, in a startled,
suppressed whisper, he exclaimed, "_Who's that?_"
Anna looked round. "Eh?" she said.
"You told me there was no one in the house, but someone has just come
out of the gate, and is standing by my motor!" He added sternly, "Was
heisst das?" (What does this mean?)
Anna hurried to the window and looked through the muslin curtain hanging
in front of it. Yes, the stranger had spoken truly. There was Mr.
Hayley, standing between the little motor-car and the back door.
"Do not yourself worry," she said quickly. "It is only a gentleman who
luncheon here has eaten. Go out and explain to him everything I will."
But the man had turned a greenish-white colour. "How d'you mean
'explain'?" he said roughly, in English.
"Explain that they are things of mine--luggage--that taking away you
are," said Anna.
The old woman could not imagine why the stranger showed such agitation.
Mr. Hayley had no kind of right to interfere with her and her concerns,
and she had no fear that he would do so.
"If you are so sure you can make it all right," the man whispered low in
German, "I will leave the house by some other way--there is surely some
back way of leaving the house? I will walk away, and stop at Hegner's
till I know the coast is clear."
"There is no back way out," whispered Anna, also in German. She was
beginning to feel vaguely alarmed. "But no one can stop you. Walk
straight out, while I stay and explain. I can make it all right."
In a gingerly way he moved to one side the heavy object he had been
carrying, and then, as if taking shelter behind her, he followed the old
woman out through the door.
"What's this you're taking out of the house, Anna?" Mr. Hayley's tone
was not very pleasant. "You mustn't mind my asking you. My aunt, as you
know, told me to remain here to-day to look after things."
"Only my luggage it is," stammered Anna. "I had hoped to have cleared
out my room while the wedding in progress was."
"Your luggage?" repeated James Hayley uncomfortably. He was now feeling
rather foolish, and it was to him a very disturbing because an unusual
sensation.
"Yes, my luggage," repeated Anna. "And this"--she hesitated a
moment--"this person here is going to look for a man to help carry out
my heavy boxes. There are two. He cannot manage them himself."
James Hayley looked surprised, but to her great relief, he allowed the
stranger to slip by, and Anna for a moment watched the little man
walking off at a smart pace towards the gate house. She wondered how she
could manage to send him a message when the tiresome, inquisitive Mr.
Hayley had gone.
"But whose motor is that?" Mr. Hayley went on, in a puzzled tone. "You
must forgive me for asking you, Anna, but you know we live in odd
times." He had followed her into the kitchen, and was now standing there
with her. As she made no answer, he suddenly espied the odd-looking
parcel which stood close to his feet, where the stranger had put it
down.
Mr. Hayley stooped, really with the innocent intention of moving the
parcel out of the way. "Good gracious!" he cried. "This is a tremendous
weight, Anna. What on earth have you got in there?" He was now dragging
it along the floor.
"Don't do that, sir," she exclaimed involuntarily. "It's fragile."
"Fragile?" he repeated. "Nonsense! It must be iron or copper. What is
it, Anna?"
She shook her head helplessly. "I do not know. It is something I have
been keeping for a friend."
His face changed. He took a penknife out of his pocket, and ripped off
the stout paper covering.
Then, before the astonished Anna could make a movement, he very quietly
pinioned her elbows and walked her towards the door giving into the
hall.
"Captain Joddrell?" he called out. And with a bewildered feeling of
abject fear, Anna heard the quick steps of the soldier echoing down the
hall.
"Yes; what is it?"
"I want your help over something."
They were now in the hall, and Miss Forsyth, standing in the doorway of
the drawing-room, called out suddenly, "Oh, Mr. Hayley, you are hurting
her!"
"No, I'm not. Will you please lock the front door?"
Then he let go of Anna's arms. He came round and gazed for a moment into
her terrified face. There was a dreadful look of contempt and loathing
in his eyes. "You'd better say nothing," he muttered. "Anything you say
now may be used in evidence against you!"
He drew the other man aside and whispered something; then they came back
to where Anna stood, and she felt herself pushed--not exactly roughly,
but certainly very firmly--by the two gentlemen into the room where were
the remains of the good cold luncheon which she had set out there some
two hours before.
She heard the key turned on her, and then a quick colloquy outside. She
heard Mr. Hayley exclaim, "Now we'd better telephone to the police." And
then, a moment later: "But the telephone's gone! What an extraordinary
thing! This becomes, as in 'Alice in Wonderland,' curiouser and
curiouser----" There was a tone of rising excitement in his quiet,
rather mincing voice. Then came the words, "Look here! You'd better go
outside and see that no one comes near that motor-car, while I hurry
along to the place they call 'Robey's.' There's sure to be a telephone
there."
Anna felt her legs giving way, and a sensation of most horrible fear
came over her. She bitterly repented now that she had not told Mr.
Hayley the truth--that these parcels which she had now kept for three
years were only harmless chemicals, connected with an invention which
was going to make the fortune of a great many people, including her
nephew, Willi Warshauer, once this terrible war was over.
The police? Anna had a great fear of the police, and that though she
knew herself to be absolutely innocent of any wrong-doing. She felt sure
that the fact that she was German would cause suspicion. The worst would
be believed of her. She remembered with dismay the letter some wicked,
spiteful person had written to her mistress--and then, with infinite
comfort, she suddenly remembered that this same dear mistress was only
a little over two miles off. She, Anna, would not wish to disturb her on
her wedding day, but if very hard pressed she could always do so. And
Miss Rose--Miss Rose and Mr. Blake--they too were close by; they
certainly would take her part!
She sat down, still sadly frightened, but reassured by the comfortable
knowledge that her dear, gracious ladies would see her through any
trouble, however much the fact that her country was at war with England
might prejudice the police against her.