THE INQUISITION
If General von Stromberg had counted upon playing a trump card in
producing Rizzio at this interview, Herr Hammersley’s demeanor must
have disappointed him. For he entered the room with cheerful composure,
noted Rizzio, stared at him in sudden seriousness, and then turned to
von Stromberg with the air of a man briskly intent.
“You wanted to see me, Excellenz?” he asked quietly.
He had evinced a mild surprise at Rizzio’s presence, but no discomposure.
If anything, his manner now had a kind of sober eagerness as at the
imminence of an issue in which a necessary if painful duty must be
performed.
General von Stromberg from his armchair regarded him through a cloud of
tobacco smoke.
“Yes, Herr Hammersley,” said von Stromberg. “As you will observe,
Herr Rizzio has just arrived from England. He followed you almost
immediately upon his yacht. It is most fortunate that he is here, for
there are several matters which we can discuss in privacy together.”
“I am at your service, Excellenz,” said Hammersley. “If there are any
facts which I can add to my report I shall be glad.”
His idiom was Hanoverian. Rizzio, quite cool, faced him, upright, with
folded arms.
“To begin with, _meine Herren_, we will sit. To stand is the
attitude of discomposure. One thinks more calmly sitting down. You
have my permission. So--Now we will proceed. I will outline in the
briefest words the situation. Herr Hammersley, an agent of the Secret
Service Department of the Imperial Government, is intrusted with the
receipt and delivery of certain secret messages. He receives them,
but is requested by Herr Rizzio, also an agent of the Secret Service
Department of the Imperial Government, on authority of indubitable
credentials, to relinquish the message to Herr Rizzio. It is not
necessary to state the reasons of the Imperial Secret Service
Department in desiring the transfer of this message. It is sufficient
that Herr Hammersley refused to obey the orders. He has given
explanations which, on their face, seem adequate. Upon the side of Herr
Rizzio it may be said that, failing in his object, he came to a certain
conclusion most unflattering to the loyalty of Herr Hammersley. We will
now proceed in orderly fashion to hear the cause of Herr Hammersley’s
refusal and the subsequent acts of Herr Rizzio which have created so
great a misunderstanding. Herr Hammersley, _bitte_, you will tell us
the facts as you have related them.”
“I learned from Herr Maxwell that Herr Rizzio was playing a double
game. Captain Byfield had furnished him with full proofs of it, one of
which was a letter he had seen from Herr Rizzio to a military officer
high in the councils of the War Office. This was an additional reason,
Excellenz, why Herr Maxwell arranged with Captain Byfield that the
cigarette papers should be delivered to me.”
Rizzio leaned quickly forward, his face dark with passion. “Excellenz,”
he began, “that could not possibly be true. The real reason for the
delivery of the message to Herr Hammersley Excellenz well knows. And
Herr Maxwell would hardly send men to follow Herr Hammersley at my
request if he disbelieved in my loyalty.”
“Quite so. He would not and did not,” said Hammersley. “The men were
not Herr Maxwell’s. They were men of Scotland Yard. It is quite obvious
by the way they bungled matters.”
The General smiled delightedly. It was the sort of joke he liked. “That
is one point in your favor, Hammersley.”
Rizzio shrugged.
“Excellenz well knows,” he said, “why those men were sent. They had
instructions to get the papers for Maxwell.”
“That is strange,” said Hammersley. “If Maxwell had asked me personally
for the papers, I should have given them to him. Maxwell would have
known better than to intrust those papers to a third person. It is not
likely that I should have given them up to any man, even if Maxwell had
sent him.”
“It is unfortunate that Herr Maxwell is not here to----”
“One moment, Herr Rizzio,” broke in the General. Then to Hammersley,
“What was the nature of the letter which you say was sent by Herr
Rizzio to a high official of the War Office?”
“It was a statement in regard to the case of Carl Hüber, who, as you
know, was shot last week in the Tower of London.”
“_Ach!_” Von Stromberg frowned. “We are killing our evidence too fast,
_mein herr_, a little too fast for convenience. _Bitte_, we will kill
no more German agents in the Tower until they have had an opportunity
to testify.”
Hammersley smiled.
“Unfortunately, Excellenz, I have no means of restoring him to life,”
he said. “He was an excellent man, and leaves, I believe, a wife and
six children.”
Von Stromberg tapped his fingers slowly.
“We will go on, if you please, with the discussion of the general
facts. You claim that Herr Maxwell, distrusting Rizzio, arranged that
the papers should be handed from Captain Byfield to you. I have told
you that Maxwell had orders from me to put you to this test?”
“Pardon, Excellenz. I did not know that at the time. I only know
that Herr Maxwell chose to disregard your orders to him and Rizzio,
instructing me not to deliver the papers to Rizzio under any
circumstances.”
“When did Herr Maxwell make the discovery of Herr
Rizzio’s--er--treachery?”
“It was the evening of Lady Heathcote’s dinner. Captain Byfield had
learned the truth that afternoon.”
“One moment!” Rizzio rose, his face pale with anger. “It is easy
to manufacture evidence of this kind, where both of the witnesses
mentioned are beyond reach. I will not even deny the truth of their
charges. They are too absurd. If I was acting for England, will Herr
Hammersley tell me why the agents of Scotland Yard, whom he says I sent
for, did not surround the house at Ashwater Park and boldly demand the
papers from Miss Mather, in the name of the Government and the law?”
“The reasons are obvious,” replied Hammersley. “I will give Herr Rizzio
the credit for that much delicacy. If his men had found the papers at
Ashwater Park, Fräulein Mather, whom Herr Rizzio esteems most highly
and who was quite innocent, would have eventually been imprisoned by
the Government as a spy. At his orders the house was therefore secretly
searched by night, I am happy to say, unsuccessfully. Herr Rizzio will
surely not deny the kindness of his motives upon that occasion?”
“Excellenz will take that reply for what it is worth. Scotland Yard
has never permitted sentimental considerations to interfere with the
performance of its duties.”
Hammersley went on stolidly: “I cannot conceive of any agents of
Germany attempting to kill me. This my pursuers did at Saltham
Rocks and again in the person of Rizzio himself on the cliffs at
Beaufort Head--even, Excellenz”--Hammersley leaned forward, smiling
blandly--“even after he knew that I had met Captain Stammer and
conveyed my acceptance of Excellenz’s invitation to return to Germany.”
“I was not sure that he would go.”
“If not for any other reasons, Excellenz, the pursuit of the agents of
Scotland Yard would have been sufficient. Fortunately, however, I had
intended going as the bearer of the Byfield message. And I carried it.
You can’t deny that.”
“He brought a message, Excellenz,” put in Rizzio quickly. “But what
message? There were two messages. One prepared by Captain Byfield--the
other prepared by Hammersley.”
“I do not deny that. When I discovered that I was likely to have
an interesting evening I made a copy of the papers in a package of
Riz-la-Croix which I had in my----”
Rizzio broke in quickly. “That copy was made not at Lady Heathcote’s
that night, but at the War Office or elsewhere the following day. It
was prepared for the emergency of capture and, escaping that, for
delivery to General von Stromberg.”
“General von Stromberg has been told about those papers. I have told
him where and when I made the copy.”
“And where was that?” asked Rizzio keenly.
“In the library at Lady Heathcote’s while you were telephoning to
Scotland Yard.”
Rizzio struggled for control, and then with dignity to von Stromberg,
“I was telephoning to Herr Maxwell, Excellenz.” He turned to Hammersley
with a confident smile. “Assuming for the moment that what you say
about copying the papers is true, what did you do with the copy?”
“I took it out to the motor, where I slipped it down the window sash,”
Hammersley laughed. “Surely, Rizzio, the tall man from Scotland Yard
must have told you that when I escaped I shouted to him that he had not
searched the motor.”
General von Stromberg broke in suddenly.
“Why did you say that?”
Hammersley shrugged. “I had injured their motor, and I knew that I
should escape. The bravado of triumph, Excellenz. I was rather happy,
for, as a fact, they had given me an uncomfortable evening.”
Rizzio leaned across the table.
“Excellenz, it was to draw attention from the girl, who had the
original message and who had concealed herself in a tree.”
General von Stromberg took a small object from his pocket and weighed
it lightly in the fingers of one hand. It was the package of
Riz-la-Croix. As Hammersley was about to speak, he held up the other
hand in demand for silence.
“We are not getting very far, _meine Herren_,” he said. “Both of you
tell excellent stories of your adventures worthy of the best traditions
of the Secret Service Department. If, as Herr Rizzio alleges, Herr
Hammersley has substituted other papers for the original ones burned by
Miss Doris Mather, Herr Hammersley will be shot. If, as Herr Hammersley
alleges, Herr Rizzio was in communication with Scotland Yard, the
officers of which attempted the life of Herr Hammersley while he bore
dispatches for me, Herr Rizzio will be shot. It is a very delicate
matter, _meine Herren_, one which will require much thought, since the
one man who could settle the question is in an English prison.”
Hammersley started a pace forward. “Oh, then he _is_ taken!”
Rizzio glanced quickly at Hammersley.
“Excellenz, the same person who caused the arrest of Captain Byfield
gave Maxwell to the police.”
Von Stromberg’s gaze followed Rizzio’s to Hammersley.
“And you, Herr Hammersley. What do you suggest?”
“If the report is true, Excellenz, I quite agree with Herr Rizzio,” he
said easily.
Von Stromberg showed his teeth in a wolfish smile.
“And each of you contends that it was the other, _nicht wahr_?”
Hammersley merely nodded, but Rizzio was by this time in a state which
made self-control an impossibility. “Excellenz,” he cried hotly, “is it
conceivable that I should have come to Germany if I had been guilty
of the crime of which this man accuses me? I have served Germany
against----”
“You forget, Herr Rizzio,” said the General blandly, “that Herr
Hammersley has also come to Germany.”
“And while he is here Germany is in danger. He is a spy of England,
Excellenz.”
Hammersley only laughed.
“If I had been a spy of England, Excellenz, I surely had many chances
to serve England’s cause. Why should I have even met Captain Stammer
at Beaufort Cove? It would have been quite easy to have informed the
artillery officer at Innerwick and blown his destroyer out of the water
while she lay at anchor? Herr Rizzio forgets that honesty is always
provided with proof. In reply to this accusation, I would ask Herr
Rizzio how he managed to pass through the cordon of British destroyers
which guard the coast?”
Rizzio hesitated and von Stromberg spoke.
“That is a fair question. Answer.”
“I had English papers as well as German. I came away before the War
Office had time to act upon Herr Hammersley’s information as to my
services to Germany.”
Hammersley shrugged. “I make no reply.”
Von Stromberg frowned at the opposite wall, snapping the papers of the
package in his fingers impatiently.
“An _impasse_! I suspected as much. We will now resort to other means.
The only possible solution of this case, barring the unpleasant
alternative of shooting both of you gentlemen in the garden this
afternoon lies in the nature of the dispatches themselves and in the
production of a material witness.”
He brought his broad palm down on the bell upon the table and said to
Captain von Winden, who answered it:
“You will bring Fräulein Doris Mather down to this room at once.”
As Captain von Winden went out, the eyes of both men were turned to
Hammersley. He started in surprise, and leaned forward toward von
Stromberg, slowly turning with a frown to Rizzio.
“Doris--Miss Mather--here!” he muttered. “She came--with--with Herr
Rizzio?”
Von Stromberg nodded.
“Herr Rizzio persuaded her to come with him.”
“Persuaded! It is impossible.” He rose and took a pace toward Rizzio.
“What could have been his object? I do not understand. It will be very
cruel for her to--to see me--since she knows that I am an enemy of
England, Excellenz. She it was who read the papers and burned them.
If Herr Rizzio supposes that Fräulein Mather’s evidence will----” He
paused, his brow knitting in thought.
“Her evidence is important,” said von Stromberg. “Under the circumstances
you should be glad to have such an enemy to testify against you. Sit
down, Herr Hammersley. I regret that the necessities of the case require
this witness.”
Hammersley sat and, frowning at the wall opposite, folded his arms. “I
am at your orders, Excellenz. I need not remind you that she will tell
the truth.”
“That,” said von Stromberg, with a wide wave of the hand, “is precisely
what we are here for.”
There was a silence, grim and amusing on von Stromberg’s part,
self-restrained on Rizzio’s. Hammersley still sat staring at the wall,
thoughtful and apparently in no great enjoyment of the prospect.
When the door opened and Doris Mather entered the three men rose. Her
face was pale and lines of care were at her eyes and lips, but there
was no denying the proud poise of her head, the firmness of her mouth
and the steady look from her eyes as her glance passed Rizzio and
Hammersley and sought the figure of the man in uniform. She measured
him with a look that neglected nothing, her gaze finally meeting the
dark shadow under the gray thatch of brows where his small eyes gleamed
at her. The General bowed, clicked his heels together and brought
forward a chair, which he indicated with a polite gesture.
“I offer apologies, Fräulein, for the unfortunate situation in which
Destiny has placed you,” he said in excellent English. “Will you be
seated?”
The girl sat and faced him, her gaze still fixed upon his face. It
was as though she meant to ignore the presence of the other two men.
General von Stromberg stared at her for a moment in silence, and then,
finding that his frown was only met by a look of calm inquiry, smiled
at her instead.
“You know, of course, Fräulein, the situation with which you are
confronted. Herr Rizzio has brought you to Germany to shed what light
you can upon the mystery of these cigarette papers. Herr Hammersley
says that Herr Rizzio has been acting as an agent of the English
Government while professedly in the service of Germany. Herr Rizzio
says that Herr Hammersley is an English spy. Your position is a
difficult one, but circumstances have woven you into a piece of
international politics. Your testimony is of the utmost importance--to
one--perhaps both of these gentlemen.”
“I--I will do what I can to enlighten you,” she said haltingly. “What
do you wish to know?”
General von Stromberg beamed on her.
“_Ach_, I am glad you take the sensible view of things.” He waved the
package of cigarette papers in his fingers. “You have seen this object
before?”
“Yes, I think so. Will you let me look at it?”
The General moved his chair closer and put the papers in her fingers.
She opened the papers and finding the message, scanned it closely,
reading the writing with deliberateness and then looking up into von
Stromberg’s face.
“You have seen this before?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“At Lady Heathcote’s house in Scotland.”
“How did it come into your hands?”
“I found it on the floor of Mr. Hammersley’s room.”
“The night Herr Rizzio entered it, thinking it was yours?”
“Yes. That was the time.”
“You are quite sure?”
“Quite.”
“How did you identify it?”
“By certain peculiar characteristics of the handwriting, with which I
am familiar.”
“Mr. Hammersley’s, is it not?”
“Yes.”
“And how did this package of papers go out of your possession?”
“Mr.--Mr. Hammersley took them from me.”
“By force?”
She raised her chin proudly and looked at her questioner and then
lowered her eyes, replying quietly:
“Yes.”
“There was another package of cigarette papers of the same make as
these?”
“There was.”
“You read them?”
“I did.”
“Was this before or after you found the second package--these which I
now have in my hand?”
“Before.”
“How long before?”
“It was the night of Lady Heathcote’s dinner in London--the night Mr.
Hammersley took me home in the machine.”
“The night you were followed by men in another machine?”
“Yes.”
“You escaped to Ashwater Park with the package of papers which Herr
Hammersley had given you and, after hiding in a tree, in the privacy of
your room read these papers?”
“I did.”
“Were the contents of the papers you read at Ashwater Park the same as
those you hold in your hand?”
“As nearly as I can remember, they were, exactly.”
“Word for word?”
“I cannot say that. There were certain names and certain figures that
I remember very clearly as being exactly the same. I--I----” she
hesitated. “There were reasons why, in the state of mind that I was in,
what I saw remained impressed upon my memory.”
Hammersley throughout had sat immovable. But Rizzio, who had shown
signs of anxiety, now interrupted.
“Excellenz, I beg----”
Von Stromberg silenced him with a gesture.
“If you will be pleased to continue, Fräulein. Do you remember the
numerals?”
“Some of them.”
“And the towns and dates?”
“Some of them.”
“And are they, the ones that you remember, identical in both packets?”
“As far as I can remember.”
Von Stromberg took the packet from her hands and turned it over in his
fingers.
“There is nothing about this packet, no distinguishing mark that would
make it different from the other, the one that was burned?”
“None, except the handwriting.”
“H-m.” General von Stromberg put the packet into an inside pocket and
buttoned his coat carefully.
“So far--so good. You are an intelligent witness, Fräulein.”
“Thank you.” If the words of her questioner contained an ulterior
suggestion, the girl gave every indication of being oblivious to it,
listening with a grave calmness to his next question.
“When you escaped into the tree, were you in a position to hear what
went on in the road?”
“I was.”
“The men in the road searched Herr Hammersley?”
“They did.”
“And at last he escaped?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember hearing him shout anything as his motor moved away?”
“Yes.”
“What was it?”
“That they hadn’t searched the machine or words to that effect.”
Von Stromberg glanced at Rizzio, who was leaning forward in his chair,
eager to speak.
“Well, Herr Rizzio?” he asked.
“That was a diversion--intended to give Miss Mather more time in which
to escape. The second package was not in the motor. At that time there
was no second package.”
Doris Mather’s voice was raised just a trifle, but for the moment it
dominated.
“There was. Mr. Hammersley put it into the window sash, when he was in
danger of capture.”
“Then why didn’t he put them both there?”
“I suppose because he wanted to be sure that one of them would reach
its destination.”
Von Stromberg grunted. “I see. But why did you help Mr. Hammersley to
save those papers when you knew that they were dangerous to England?”
“I didn’t know what they were. I did what he asked me to do
because--because----”
She faltered.
Von Stromberg waved his hand.
“Oh, very well. It does not matter. Who did you think was pursuing Mr.
Hammersley?”
“Agents of Mr. Rizzio.”
“Why did you think that?”
“Because I heard part of what happened between Mr. Rizzio and Mr.
Hammersley in the smoking-room at Lady Heathcote’s and I knew that Mr.
Rizzio had threatened Mr. Hammersley.”
“Did you think the men who followed you in the other machine were
German agents?”
Doris answered quickly.
“Oh, no. I was sure that they were men of Scotland Yard.”
“Are you sure now?”
“Oh, yes. Subsequent events have proved it to me conclusively.”
“Oh! What events?”
“The things that Mr. Rizzio did and what he wrote.”
“He wrote--to you?”
“Yes.”
Rizzio was swallowing uneasily, his face pale, his hands trembling.
“Excellenz, I can explain at another time.”
Von Stromberg regarded him coolly.
“I will hear you at another time. For the present, Fräulein Mather will
speak. What did Mr. Rizzio write to you that led you to think that Mr.
Rizzio was in communication with Scotland Yard?”
“This letter, Excellenz.” She put her fingers into her waist and handed
a crumpled paper to the General. Rizzio had risen again and would have
interposed but von Stromberg waved him aside.
“You will all keep silence until questioned,” he said abruptly, and
then smoothing the letter upon his knee, read it with great care and
deliberateness. Rizzio made an effort at composure but only succeeded
in bringing out a handkerchief and wiping his brows. Hammersley watched
von Stromberg intently. He was not aware of the contents of this letter
but the attitude of the girl was distinctly reassuring. Von Stromberg’s
brow puckered disagreeably and his long nose neared the paper while his
eyes peered at the sheet as though his fiery gaze would burn into it.
He read the paper through twice and then brought his hand down upon the
table with a crash while his voice thundered at Rizzio, toward whom he
extended the note.
“It is signed with your initials. Did you write this?”
Rizzio bent and examined the letter.
“Excellenz, I did, but it was with the object of bringing Miss Mather
to----”
“Silence! Perhaps you do not recall its terms. I will refresh your
memory.”
“Excellenz, if I had not written that letter Miss Mather would not
have----”
“Be quiet. Sit down. Please listen. ‘I am telling you this,’” he read,
“‘to warn you that my generosity to Hammersley is not actuated by any
love of a man who has spoiled my dearest ambition, but by the continued
esteem with which I still regard yourself. I do not love him; and my
own wish, my duty, my own honor, my loyalty to England all acclaim
that he should be delivered at once to those in authority. And yet I
have refrained--for you, Doris. But I have learned that H---- is in
communication with G---- and that Crenshaw of Scotland Yard is on the
alert. I may not be able to save him.’”
Von Stromberg paused and laid the letter upon the table. “I could read
more,” he said, “but that is enough. When did you receive this letter,
Fräulein?”
“The day after Mr. Hammersley was shot----”
“And, acting upon it, you went to Ben-a-Chielt to try to persuade him
from the cause of Germany.”
“Yes,” she said clearly.
“You failed?”
“I did.”
“H--m.” The General paused and turned to Rizzio.
“What have you to say?”
“Merely, Excellenz, that I thought Miss Mather knew too much for
Germany’s good and I chose this means of getting her to Ben-a-Chielt.”
“Where she could witness a secret meeting between two officers of my
department? Bah! Herr Rizzio, your story leaks like a sieve. It is full
of holes.” He touched the bell at his elbow and von Winden appeared.
“You will convey Herr Rizzio to the room on the third floor. Put a
guard over him.”
Rizzio started to his feet, his face ghastly, while beads of moisture
stood out upon his forehead.
“You will not give me a chance to explain?” he protested huskily.
“You will be given a hearing tomorrow.”
“But, Excellenz----”
“Take him away!”
As the door closed behind the two men, General von Stromberg came
forward and took Hammersley by the hand.
“I am glad, _mein Herr_, that there is no longer any suspicion upon
you. I have always liked you, Herr Hammersley, and you have done the
Vaterland excellent service. I am sorry that this investigation was
necessary, but in times like these I am not in a position to take
chances.”
“I understand, Excellenz. But it hasn’t discommoded me in the least.”
Von Stromberg laughed.
“I can readily believe it. You are always as cool as a morning in May.
As for Fräulein Mather,” and he turned ceremoniously to Doris and bowed
deeply, “it has all been a mistake. If the efforts of a councilor of
the Empire in undoing the wrong done you, by sending you with every
comfort and dispatch to England, are any sign of regret, you shall be
safely on the way tomorrow. But I am sure that in your heart you are
glad to have had the opportunity to clear Herr Hammersley of an unjust
suspicion.”
“Yes,” she murmured, turning away toward the window.
“But you still wish that the part of Herr Hammersley which is English
had been the greater part of him instead of the lesser, _nicht wahr_?”
She bowed her head but did not reply.
“Perhaps it would be better if I left you two alone together. There is
doubtless much that you would say which would be only interesting to
yourselves.”
And then he went out, closing the door behind him.