"There is a long rudder for ordinary steering, and four horizontal ones or planes which are placed abreast the horizontal screws and which, I imagine, act automatically in conjunction with them, as they seem to gear up with the shafts for these propellers. There is a big safety detachable weight which fits loosely into a recess amidships, and four broad wheels with ball bearings which do not fold up as in the "Lake"
boats, but always protrude nearly half their diameter. After all they would not obstruct her way when water-borne more than a keel--or very little more. They are quite independent and unconnected with the interior of the vessel, which while resting on them would receive forward impetus from her propellers. In the "awash" position she would offer a very small and almost invulnerable target."
"Well," I said, marvelling at what we had translated. "What induced you to believe that the cryptogram had any reference to the new submarine."
"Those figures "6.11" puzzled me greatly," he replied; "but at last I deciphered them as "F. 2"--F being the sixth letter of the alphabet--the number of our newest and most formidable submarine, which was being kept such a strict secret by the Admiralty. "Royal Pier" is the name of the hotel in which Steinheim stayed at Southsea, and 18 the number of his room. From facts I elucidated, it was made plain that Max Steinheim was about to embark upon the investigation, being in secret communication with Hartmann, and was to meet Karff at Charing Cross Station. This Steinheim had already, by an ingenious device, secured from a private of engineers named James Ward--whom I have seen--certain information regarding the new boom defences of Portsmouth Harbour. Ward, whose home is at Great Weldon, suddenly discovered to his horror that the man was a German spy, followed him to Guildford, attacked him in the train, and left him for dead. For that reason Steinheim has refused to make any statement to the police. When I saw Ward a week ago, he explained how innocently he had fallen into the trap which the cunning Steinheim had laid for him."
"The evidence you have here in black and white will surely prove convincing," I remarked. "You will go and see Steinheim again, I suppose? He is still in the hospital."
"No. We shall remain silent. To show our hand will only place Hartmann on the alert. To do that is needless. We have prevented the plan of our new submarine going to Germany, and for the present that is sufficient."
And my friend drew up the blind and gazed out upon the rosy dawn across the water.
CHAPTER III
THE BACK-DOOR OF ENGLAND
"Well, that"s rather curious," I remarked, closing the door of the old oak-panelled smoking-room at Metfield Park, and returning to where my friend Ray Raymond was seated.
"Was anyone outside the door?" he asked, quickly on the alert.
"Mrs. Hill-Mason"s German maid. You remember, Vera pointed her out yesterday."
"H"m! and she was listening--after every one else has gone to bed!" he remarked. "Yes, Jack, it"s curious."
It was past one o"clock in the morning. Two months had pa.s.sed since the affair down at Portsmouth, but we had not been inactive. We were sitting before the great open fireplace where the logs were blazing, after the rest of the men had taken their candles and retired, and had been exchanging confidences in ignorance of the fact that the door remained ajar. I had, however, detected the _frou-frou_ of a woman"s skirt, and creeping across to the door had seen the maid of one of the guests disappearing down the stone pa.s.sage which led to the great hall now in darkness.
Metfield Park, three miles from Melton Constable, in Norfolk, the seat of the Jocelyns, was a fine old Tudor place in the centre of a splendid park, where the pheasant shooting was always excellent. Harry Jocelyn, the heir, had been with us at Balliol, hence Ray and I usually received invitations to the shooting parties. On this occasion, however, Vera Vallance with her aunt, Mrs. Mortimer, had been invited, much to Ray"s satisfaction.
Among the party was a well-known naval officer, captain of a first-cla.s.s cruiser, two military officers, and several smart women, for both Sir Herbert and Lady Jocelyn moved in a very smart set. Several of the ladies had joined us in the smoking-room for cigarettes, and the conversation around the fire had been mainly the usual society chatter, until at one o"clock every one had left for bed except our two selves.
Over the great fireplace were the arms of the Jocelyns carved in stone, with the date 1573, and in the corner near the window was a stand of armour upon which the dancing flames glinted ever and anon. Through the long uncurtained window shone the bright moon from over the park, and just as I reseated myself the stable clock chimed the half-hour.
We had been there four days, and the sport had been excellent. On the previous day Ray had excused himself on account of the bad weather, and had spent the hours mostly with Vera.
It was of how he had employed his time that he had been telling me when I had discovered the eavesdropper.
"I wonder why our conversation should prove so interesting to that maid?" he remarked thoughtfully, gazing into the fire. "She"s rather good-looking for a German, isn"t she?"
"Yes," I said. "But who is this Mrs. Hill-Mason? She seems a rather loud and buxom person, fond of the display of jewellery, dark, somewhat oleaginous, and devoted to bridge."
"Harry says his mother met her in Cairo last winter. She"s one of the Somerset Masons--half-sister to the Countess of Thanet."
"Oh, she is known, then?"
"Of course. But we must get Vera to make some inquiry to-morrow as to where she obtained her maid," declared Ray. "The woman is interested in us, and we must discover the cause."
"Yes, I somehow mistrust her," I said. "I met her crossing the hall just before dinner, and I detected a curious look in her eyes as she glanced at me."
"Merely your fancy, Jack, old chap--because she"s German," he laughed, stretching his long legs.
"Well, what you were telling me about Vera and her discovery has alarmed me," I said, tossing away the end of my cigar.
"Yes, she only returned last week from Emden, where she"s been visiting her old German governess, who, it seems, is now married to an official in the construction department of the German Admiralty. From her friend she was able to learn a lot, which will, no doubt, cause our Lords of the Admiralty a bad quarter of an hour."
"What would the British public think if they were told the truth--that Germany is rapidly building a secret fleet?" I said.
"Why, my dear fellow, the public would simply say you were a liar," he laughed. "Every Englishman fancies himself top-dog, even though British diplomacy--apart from that of our excellent King--is the laughing-stock of the Powers. No," he added, "the truth is out. All yesterday I spent with Vera, preparing the information which she forwarded to the Admiralty to-night. I registered the letter for her at the village post office. The authorities owe her a very deep debt for succeeding in obtaining the information which our secret service has always failed to get. She, an admiral"s daughter, is now able to furnish actual details of the ships now building in secret and where they are being constructed."
"A matter which will, no doubt, be considered very seriously by the Government," I said.
"Oh, I suppose they treat the whole thing lightly, as they always do. We invite invasion," he sighed as he rose, adding: "Let"s turn in now.
To-morrow we"ll keep an eye upon that unusually inquisitive maid."
That night the eyes of the German maid haunted me. I could not rid myself of their recollection. Was it that this hunting down of German spies was getting on my nerves?
Next day we were shooting Starlings Wood, about five miles distant, but Ray having "cried off" one day, could not do so again. Therefore, at his suggestion, I made an excuse and remained at home with the ladies. The morning I spent walking through the park with Vera, a smart, sweet-faced little figure in her short tweed skirt and furs, with her bright and vivacious chatter. From her I learnt some further details concerning her visit to Emden.
"Ray is most excited about it, Mr. Jac.o.x," she was saying. "Of course, I had to make my inquiries with great caution and discretion, but I managed to find out what I wanted, and I sent all the details to the Admiralty yesterday."
Then as we went along the wide beech avenue I told her of the curious incident in the smoking-room on the previous evening.
"Ray was telling me about it just before breakfast," she said, turning her splendid eyes to mine. "I have already made some inquiries of Mrs.
Hill-Mason, and it appears that the maid Erna s...o...b..rg was recommended to her by a friend when she was in Dresden last year. She"s a most exemplary person, and has a number of friends in England. She was previously with a French _baronne_."
"Mrs. Hill-Mason often moves in a military set, doesn"t she?" I remarked. "Somebody last night stated that she"s the widow of a general, and is well known down at Aldershot."
"I believe so."
"If Mrs. Hill-Mason visits at the houses of military officers, as it seems she does, then this inquisitive maid would be afforded many opportunities for gathering information. I intend to watch her," I said.
"And so will I, Mr. Jac.o.x," replied the admiral"s daughter, drawing her astrachan collar tighter about her throat.
Half an hour later we drove in the wagonette out to the shooting-party in the woods, where a merry luncheon was served in a marquee. I, however, returned to the house before the rest of the party and haunted the servants" hall. With Williams the butler I was on friendly terms, and finding him in the great hall, began to make inquiries regarding the guests" servants.
"You"ve got a German woman among them, haven"t you?" I remarked.
"Yes, sir," was his reply. "A rather funny one she is, I fancy. She goes out alone for walks after she"s dressed her mistress for dinner, and is out sometimes till quite late. What she does wandering about in the dark n.o.body knows. But it ain"t for me to say a word, sir; she"s a visitor"s maid."
I held my own counsel, but resolved to watch.
Tea in the great hall, over which Lady Jocelyn presided, proved the usual irresponsible function, but when I went to my room to dress for dinner I became convinced that certain papers in my suit-case had been turned over and investigated.
That night I did not go in to dinner. I heard the gong sound, and when the company had gone in, I put on thick boots, overcoat, and cap, and pa.s.sed through the back way along the old wing of the house, through the smoking-room, and out upon the drive.
Behind some holly bushes where I could see any one leave by the great paved courtyard where the servants" entrance was situated, I concealed myself and waited in patience. The night was dark and overcast. The stable chimes had rung out half-past eight, but I still remained until, about twenty minutes later, footfalls sounded, and from out the arched entrance to the courtyard came a female figure in a close-fitting hat and long dark ulster.