"My dear Corporal! How are you?"
Fandor-Vinson turned sharply and faced--a priest!... He recognised the abbe. It was he of the Verdun motor-car.
"Very well! And you, Monsieur l"Abbe?... Your friend? Is he with you?"
"He is not, my dear Corporal!"
"Is he at Verdun?"
The abbe"s reply was a look of displeasure.
"I do not know where he is," he said sharply, after a pause.... "But that is neither here nor there, Corporal," he went on in a more amiable tone. "We are going to take a little journey together."
This news perturbed Fandor-Vinson: it was not to his liking.
The abbe took him by the arm.
"You will excuse my absence this morning? To keep the appointment was impossible.... Ah! Hand me the promised doc.u.ment, will you?... That is it?... Very good.... Thank you!... By the by, Corporal--there you see our special train." The priest pointed to a superb motor-car drawn up alongside the pavement. A superior-looking chauffeur was seated at the wheel.
"Shall we get in? We have a fairly long way to go, and it is important that we arrive punctually."
Fandor could do nothing but agree. They seated themselves. The abbe shared a heavy travelling rug.
"We will wrap ourselves up well," said he. "It is far from warm, and there is no need to catch cold--it is not part of our programme!...
You can start now, chauffeur! We are ready."
Once in motion, the abbe pointed to a voluminous package which prevented Fandor from stretching his legs.
"We can change places from time to time, for you cannot be comfortable with this package enc.u.mbering the floor of the car like this."
"Oh," replied Fandor-Vinson, "one takes things as they come!... But we should be much more comfortable if we fastened this rather clumsy piece of baggage to the front seat, beside the chauffeur, who can keep an eye on it!"
"Corporal! You cannot be thinking of what you are saying!" The priest"s reply was delivered in a dry authoritative voice.
"I have put my foot in it," thought Fandor. "I should just like to know how!" He was about to speak: the abbe cut in:
"I am very tired, Corporal, so excuse me if I doze a little! In an hour or so, I shall be quite refreshed. There will be ample time for a talk after that."
Fandor could but agree.
The car was speeding up the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. They were leaving Paris--for what destination?
"Does your chauffeur know the route, Monsieur l"Abbe?"
"I hope so--why?"
"Because I could direct him. I could find my way about any of these suburbs with my eyes shut."
"Very well. See that he keeps on the right road. We are going towards Rouen." With that the abbe wrapped himself in his share of the ample rug and closed his eyes.
Fandor sat still as a mouse, with all the food for thought he required.
"Why Rouen? Why were they taking him there?... What is this mysterious package which must remain out of sight at the bottom of the car?"
Fandor tried to follow its outline with the toe of his boot. It was protected by a thick wrapping of straw.
"Then who was this abbe?" His speech showed he was French. He wore his ca.s.sock with the ease of long habit: he was young. His hand was the delicate hand of a Churchman--not coa.r.s.ened by manual labour. Fandor, plunged in reflections, lost all sense of time.
The car sped on its way, devouring the miles fleetly. No sooner out of Paris than Saint-Germain was cleared--Mantes left behind! As they were approaching Bonnieres, Fandor, whose eyes had been fixed on the interminable route, as though at some turn of the road he might catch sight of their real destination, now felt that the abbe was watching the landscape through half-closed eyes.
"You are awake, then, Monsieur l"Abbe?" observed Fandor-Vinson.
"I was wondering where we were."
"We are coming to Bonnieres."
"Good!" The abbe sat up, flung his rug aside.
"Do as I do, Corporal. Do not fold up the rug. Throw it over our package. Prying eyes will not suspect its presence."
With the most stupid air in the world, Fandor asked:
"Must it not be seen, then?"
"Of course not! And at Bonnieres we must be on guard: the police there are merciless: they arrest everyone who exceeds the speed limit....
Nor do we wish to arouse their curiosity about us personally. There is a number of troops stationed here: the colonel is notorious for his strictness: he is correctness personified."
Fandor-Vinson stared questionably at the abbe.
"But you do not seem to understand anything, Corporal Vinson!" he cried in an irritated tone. "Whatever I say seems to send you into a state of stupefaction!... I shall never do anything with you, you are hopeless!... Ah, here is Bonnieres! Once outside the town, I will give you some useful explanations."
A bare three minutes after leaving Bonnieres behind, the Abbe turned to Fandor and asked in a low voice:
"What do you think is in that package, Corporal?"
"Good heavens! Monsieur l"Abbe."...
"Corporal, that contains a fortune for you and for me ... a piece of artillery ... the mouthpiece of 155-R ... rapid firer!... You see its importance?... To-night we sleep in the outskirts of Rouen ...
to-morrow, we leave early for Havre.... As I am known there, Corporal, we shall have to separate.... You will go with the driver to the Nez d"Antifer.... There you will find a fishing-boat in charge of a friendly sailor ... all you have to do is to hand over this package to him.... He will make for the open sea, where he will deliver it--into the right hands."...
Involuntarily Fandor drew away from the priestly spy. The statements just made to him were of so grave a nature; the adventure in which he found himself involved was so dangerous, so nefarious, that Fandor thrilled with terror and disgust. He kept silence: he was thinking.
Suddenly he saw his way clear.
"Between Havre and the Nez d"Antifer I must get rid of this gun piece.
However interesting my investigations are I cannot possibly deliver such a thing to the enemy, to a foreign power! Death for preference!"...
His companion broke in.
"And now, Corporal, I fancy you fully understand how awkward it would be for you, much more so than for me, if this package were opened, because you are a soldier, and in uniform."