ONCE AGAIN IN THE TOILS
When Chalice"s appeal to me to leave the house at once elicited no response from me--I was indeed too staggered for the moment by her news, and sat groping blindly for some clue to its real significance--her eager insistence gave way to despair at the thought of the possible consequences to herself.
"You will ruin me!" she cried vehemently; and throwing herself on to a couch she burst into an hysterical flood of tears.
She could have used no stronger weapon, and I pulled myself together. I knew her grief was utterly self-centred; but the sight of her tears had that dismaying effect which most men will appreciate, so I rose at once.
"Tell me quickly all you know and I"ll go," I said. "And the sooner you tell me, the sooner I shall be away."
This had the desired effect. She choked down her ready sobs. "Fraulein Ziegler telephoned to the Steiners, the people of the house here, about half an hour ago to ask if you had been here; and the daughter came up to ask me where you were, adding that you were wanted by the police for--for that awful thing. For Heaven"s sake don"t let them find you here. They will connect me in----"
"Never mind that," I cut in abruptly. "They won"t do anything of the sort. I had no hand in it at all. Fraulein Ziegler herself knows that perfectly well. But there is something you must do at once. Fraulein Althea has disappeared from my house and I am searching for her."
"She is not here and has not been here," she interrupted. "And if they find you----"
Not a thought for Althea. Everything for herself. "Listen, please, and then do what I tell you. I want to tell her that her father is lying ill in a farm-house, and that she must go at once to see to him and bring him back to the city. As she has been taken away, you must go and care for him;" and I told her where and how to find the Baron.
But she burst into vehement protests. "Why should I go? It is Althea"s matter. He is not my father. He has never done anything for me. Why then should I run this risk? Where could I take him?"
In disgust at this incessant note of self, I resumed my seat and said curtly: "I will wait here while you settle that."
"You wish to ruin me!" she cried again.
"No. I am only warning you. If some one does not go to him and take care that he is placed in safety, he will do some mad thing and then you will be ruined."
"But what can I do? He would not come with me. Oh, you are cruel. You know how helpless I am. No one thinks of me. Althea should be here."
"You can go out and stay with him, paying the people there to look after him until I can arrange something else."
"Stay with him! Are you mad? My concert! My practising! Herr Grumpel!"
"There will be no concert for you if he breaks loose. There will be a prison instead for you as well as for the rest of us."
"But you? Why do you not go?"
"I have to find Fraulein Althea."
"She would not have you sacrifice my future in this way. Oh, how selfish you all are! All in league against me!"
"I have warned you, and can do no more now. If you do not go out and arrange for him to be kept safely where he is, you may as well leave Germany by the next train for all the hope you will ever have of succeeding here. That is my last word; if you wish to sing at that concert, you will go instantly and do what I have said."
I turned to leave her then, and as I reached the door it was opened quickly from without and a woman of about thirty entered. She started at seeing me, and stood holding the handle of the door and staring at me.
"Fraulein Steiner!" exclaimed Chalice, in some dismay.
"Lotta told me Herr Bastable was here. I came to see."
"Yes, I am Herr Bastable."
"I beg your pardon," she said, nervously stepping back and making as if to close the door again.
"I will come with you," I said, following her out. "Probably you wish to telephone to Fraulein Ziegler that I am here. With your permission I will speak to her myself."
She was trembling a little. "She asked me to let her know," she faltered. "She is holding the "phone now."
"She will recognize my voice over the wire. I will save you the trouble. A very serious mistake has been made"; and when we reached the hall, I went to the instrument at once. "Are you there?"
"Who is that?" came the reply in Hagar"s voice.
"Mr. Bastable. I am just leaving the house here--Frau Steiner"s. I must see you at once. I have just learnt that you have been deceived in regard to me, and I can tell you the whole truth about your father"s death, and can put the proofs of what I have to say into your hands. I do not blame you for what you have done; but before you do any more, please see me."
"What have you to say? It is too late now."
"It will be too late if you do not see me at once. It is about Herr von Felsen. You will repent it all your life if you do not see me."
"Wait a moment." I heard the faint echo of a conversation; and then she asked: "Will you come here?"
"Who is with you?"
There was another pause. "Herr von Felsen," she replied then to my infinite surprise and relief.
"Yes. I will come at once."
"Wait a minute, he wishes to speak to you himself."
"Of course I will," I replied eagerly. I waited; but no sound came over the wire; and when I spoke there was no reply.
In a flash I saw the plan. I dropped the receiver and hurried out of the house on the instant. The intention was to keep me at the instrument until the police would have time to come and arrest me.
I jumped into the first cab I met and drove by a circuitous route to my own house. As they believed they could put their hand on me at once, I calculated that I should have time to get home, change into some sort of disguise, get the papers from their hiding-place and set out in search of Althea.
Von Felsen"s presence at Hagar"s house had at first baffled me as completely as this last move--the preposterous charge of murder; but I began to see the meaning of all. He had probably found difficulty in dealing with Althea and had also heard that the previous night"s attempt on my life had failed. This had cornered him.
He knew that his breach of faith would cause me to denounce him, and in his desperation he had resolved to charge me with the murder and thus get me held by the police. This would give him the time he needed to carry out his plan with regard to Althea.
It meant more than even that to him, indeed. It would both prejudice any statement I might make impugning him, and at the same time very probably enable his father"s agents to regain possession of the confessions he had made.
It was a very ominous outlook; but it had a redeeming feature. If my reading of the case were right, it was clear that so far Althea was safe. And the reasons which had forced him to leave her while he returned to Hagar, to use the latter in this way, were likely to be strong enough to prevent his purpose with her until he could satisfy her of my actual danger. In other words until he had secured my arrest and could carry to her the proofs from the police themselves.
But it was only a question of a few hours at most. If I remained in the city I should soon be caught; and remain I must of course.
My first thought was to get the papers which were of such vital import, and take them straight to Herr Borsen or to Feldermann; but there was a risk to Althea in that which alarmed me.
If von Felsen heard of it--and he was almost sure to learn it immediately--he would be driven to bay; and in that mood ready to do her any violence.
I guessed that in regard to her he was calculating that, if he could once force her to become his wife, I should hold my hand rather than bring all the shame and trouble upon her, consequent upon his having to answer for the murder of the old Jew. And the problem I had to face was how to use the hour or two of freedom so as to find the means of checkmating his designs upon Althea.
I could see only one way--through Hagar herself.