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 rea.s.sured 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.
CHAPTER x.x.x
It was late afternoon in the same day, a bright, sunny golden afternoon, more like a warm May day than a day in March.