WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
Arrived in my room, I changed my dress-coat for a smoking-jacket, and
my patent shoes for loose slippers. Then I suddenly discovered that I
had no cigarettes. I glanced at the clock. It was only half-past
ten. I had still half an hour to spare.
I locked up my room and descended by the lift to the entrance hall. My
friend the hall-porter was standing behind his counter, doing nothing.
"I wish you would send a boy into the cafe," I said, "and ask Louis to
send me a box of my cigarettes."
"With pleasure, sir," the man answered. "By the bye," he added, "Louis
is not there himself, but I suppose any of the others would know the
sort you smoke, sir?"
"Not there?" I answered, glancing at the clock. "Ah! I suppose it is
a little early for him."
"He will not be there at all this evening," the porter answered. "The
second _maitre d'hotel_ was here a few minutes ago, and told me
so himself."
"Not there at all!" I repeated. "Do you mean to say that Louis has a
night off?"
"Certainly, sir," the man answered. "He has just gone out in his
morning clothes."
For a moment I was so surprised that I said nothing. Only a few
minutes ago Louis had gone out of his way to tell me that he would be
on duty that night in the cafe. All the time it was obviously a lie!
He would not have deceived me without a reason. What was it? I walked
to the door and back again. The hall-porter watched me a little
curiously.
"Did you wish for Monsieur Louis particularly," he said, "or shall I
send to Antoine for the cigarettes?"
I pulled myself together.
"Send to Antoine, by all means," I answered. "He knows what I want."
I took up an evening paper and glanced at the news. Somehow or other
I was conscious, although I had had no exercise, of feeling unusually
sleepy. When the boy returned with the cigarettes I thrust the box
into my pocket, unopened. Then I went to the smoking-room on my way
upstairs and drank a stiff brandy and soda. Of one of the junior
waiters whom I met I asked a question.
"Do you know if Monsieur Louis will be here to-night?" I asked.
"No, sir!" he answered. "He has just left."
"Very well," I answered. "You need not mention my inquiry."
I gave the boy half-a-crown, and ascended once more to my room. I was
feeling a little more awake, but, incomprehensible though it might
seem, I began to have a curious idea concerning the coffee with which
Louis had served me. I even remembered--or thought that I
remembered--some curious taste about it. Yet what object could Louis
have in drugging me just as I was on the point of entering into an
enterprise on his behalf?
I had a spirit-lamp in my room, and I made myself rapidly a cup of
strong tea. Even after I had drunk it, I still felt the remains of the
drowsy feeling hanging around me. It was now ten minutes to eleven,
and I opened my wardrobe to find the only weapon with which I proposed
to arm myself,--a heavily loaded Malacca cane, which had more than
once done me good service. To my surprise it was not in its accustomed
corner. I was perfectly certain that I had seen it since my return
from Paris, and I proceeded to make a thoroughly methodical search. I
left scarcely an inch of space in my rooms undisturbed. At last I was
forced to come to the conclusion that the stick had gone. Either the
valet or some one else must have borrowed it.
It was eleven o'clock by the time I had concluded my search, and there
was no time for me to make any further inquiries. I locked up my rooms
and descended to the fifth floor. The corridor was empty, and with the
key which Louis had given me I opened the door of Mr. Delora's bedroom
without difficulty. The room was in darkness, but the electric-light
knob was against the wall. I turned it on quickly. There was neither
any one in the room, nor any evidence of it having been recently
occupied t satisfied with my first inspection, I looked into the
wardrobe and lifted the curtains of the bed. Very soon I was assured
that there was no one in hiding. I sat down on the edge of the bed and
began to consider how to pass the time for the next hour or so. The
whiskey and soda set out upon the table attracted my attention. I went
over to it, struck by a sudden thought! First I poured out a little
of the whiskey. It smelt harmless enough. I tried it upon my tongue.
There was no distinctive flavor. Then I looked at the soda-water
syphon. The top was screwed up tightly enough, and it easily came
undone with the application of a little force. I examined the screw. I
felt certain at once, for some reason or other, that it had been
tampered with recently. I poured a little of the soda-water into a
glass. It was quite flat, and when I tasted it it had a peculiar
flavor. Something seemed to have been added to it which destroyed
altogether its buoyancy. I screwed on the top again and whistled
softly to myself. The whiskey and soda had been placed there by
Louis. He had even gone so far as to call my particular attention to
it. The coffee which I had drunk a little before had also been
prepared by Louis. He was evidently taking no chances! It was his
intention that I should be asleep when the intruder, whoever he might
be, should enter the room. After all, it seemed that I was in for
something a little more complicated in the way of adventures than I
had imagined. I examined the lock of the door by which I had
entered. It worked easily, and there was also a bolt on the inside.
The door was by its side which led into the sitting-room. I also
examined it, and I saw with satisfaction that there was at the top a
narrow glass transept, which I carefully opened. The sitting-room was
in darkness, so Felicia had evidently retired for the night. I sat
down to wait!
The time dragged on slowly enough, as it might well have done under
the circumstances. I was waiting for something,--I had not the least
idea what, or in what form it would arrive. I heard the quarters chime
one after the other until one o'clock. Then at last I heard the sound
of a key in the outer door of the suite. I had already poured half the
syphon of soda and a fair quantity of the whiskey out of the window. I
now threw myself upon the bed, closed my eyes, and did my best to
simulate a heavy sleep. The person who entered the apartments came up
the little outer passage until he reached the door leading into my
room. I heard that softly opened. Then there was a pause, broken only
by my heavy breathing. Some one was in the room, and it was some one
who had learned the art of absolute noiselessness. I heard no
footsteps,--not even a man's breathing. Suddenly there was the click
of the electric light, and although I still heard nothing, I felt that
some one had approached a little way towards the bed. I dared not open
my eyes, but in a restless movement, which I felt I might safely make,
I raised my hand to shield me, and caught a momentary glimpse of the
person who was standing between me and the door. As I expected, it
was Louis! He held the soda-water syphon in his hand, as though
measuring its contents. I believe that he afterwards came and stood
over me. I dared not open my eyes again, for I was none too good an
actor, and I feared that he might not be deceived. The quantity of
whiskey and soda, however, which I had apparently drunk, must have
satisfied him, for he only stayed altogether about a minute in the
room. Then he passed out into the sitting-room, closing the door
behind him, and without noticing the open transept. I lay quite still,
expecting that before long he would return. There were no signs of his
coming, however, though through the transept I could see that the
light in the sitting-room had been turned on. I rose softly from the
bed and bolted both doors. If Louis were to make up his mind to
return, it was better, after all, for him to discover that I had been
deceiving him than to have him come upon me unawares!
From the top of a chair I was easily able to see through the transept
into the sitting-room. At my first glance I thought that it was
empty. Then, however, I saw Louis come in from the outer hall, as
though from the door of Felicia's room. He came into the centre of the
sitting-room and stood there waiting. He was in dark morning clothes,
and there was no sign of that charming expression which his patrons
found so attractive. His brows were contracted. His mouth seemed
screwed together. His peculiar-colored eyes shone like gimlets. He
seemed to be waiting impatiently--waiting for what? Once he moved a
little, and glanced expectantly toward the open door of the
sitting-room. For the first time a horrible fear gripped me. I could
scarcely stand in my place. With both hands I held the cornice. My
heart began to thump against my ribs. If it should be true! Then all
of a sudden a little cry came to my lips, which Heaven knows how I
stifled! My eyes were suddenly hot. There was a mist before them. I
could see nothing, nothing save Felicia, who had entered the room in a
dressing-jacket, with her hair still down her back. It was nothing to
me, at that moment, that her eyes were round with fear, that she came
as one comes who obeys the call of her master. I was so furious with
anger that I had hard work to battle with the impulse which prompted
me to throw open the door and confront them both.
"Louis, is this wise?" she murmured.
"There are times," he answered softly, "when one has to dare
everything! Listen, Felicia."
"Yes?" she murmured.
"In a short time you will hear a soft knocking on the outside
door. Take no notice. I shall open it. It will be some one to see your
uncle. We shall talk in this sitting-room. I hope that nothing will
happen, but if you hear the sound of blows or voices take no notice.
Remain in your room till everything is quiet. Presently, if all is
well, I shall knock three times on your door. I may need your help."
"Very well," she answered. "And if you do not knock?"
He handed her a slip of paper.
"You have a telephone in your room," he said. "Ring up the number you
will find there, and simply repeat the words which I have written."
"Is that all?" she asked.
"That is all."
"Louis," she said,--then she pointed in my direction,--"may I not go
in just for one minute?"
"No!" he answered. "It is not wise."
"It seems unkind," she said, "to keep away from him all this time if
he is ill."
"I did not know that you had so much affection for him!" Louis
remarked.
"Why not?" she answered. "He was always kind to me, in his way."
There was a moment's pause. Then she spoke again, and her voice had in
it a note of sharp inquiry.
"Louis, whose stick is that?" she demanded.
I raised myself a little higher. Upon the table, close to where Louis
was standing, was a thick Malacca cane which I recognized at once.
"Mine!" Louis answered shortly.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Whose did you suppose that it was?" he demanded.
"Capitaine Rotherby was carrying one just like it," she declared. "I
noticed it in the railway carriage."
"They are common enough," Louis answered. "This one, at any rate, is
mine. Hush!"
They both, for a moment, seemed to be listening intently. Then Louis
pointed to the door.
"Go back to your room," he said, in a low whisper. "Go back at once,
and turn your key."
She stole away. When she was no longer in the room I could see more
clearly,--I could take account of other things! Distinctly I could
hear now the soft knocking upon the outer door!