So that also was settled. In fact, he had brought all his affairs up to a point that would enable him to start at any moment. But about Natalie?
He had not heard from her through any channel whatever. He had not the least idea whither she had gone. Moreover, he gathered from Reitzei that her father--who, in Reitzei"s opinion, could at once have discovered where she was--refused to trouble himself in the matter, and, indeed, would not permit her name to be mentioned in his presence.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Of what value to him now were these carefully calculated suggestions about districts, centres, conveners, and what not? And yet he had appeared deeply interested while his two visitors were present. For the time being the old eagerness had stirred him; the pride he had taken in his own work. But now that was pa.s.sed from him; he had relinquished his stewardship; and as he absently gazed out into the black night before him, his thoughts drifted far away. He was startled from his reverie by some one knocking at the door.
Immediately after Gathorne Edwards entered.
"Waters said I should find you alone," said the tall, pale, blue-eyed student. "I have come to you about Kirski."
"Sit down. Well?"
"It"s a bad business," he said, taking a chair, and looking rather gloomy and uncomfortable. "He has taken to drink badly. I have been to him, talked to him, but I have no influence over him, apparently. I thought perhaps you might do something with him."
"Why, I cannot even speak to him!"
"Oh, he is accustomed to make much out of a few words; and I would go with you."
"But what is the occasion of all this? How can he have taken to drink in so short a time?"
"A man can drink himself into a pretty queer state in a very short time when he sets his mind to it," Edwards said. "He has given up his work altogether, and is steadily boozing away the little savings he had made.
He has gone back to his blood and kill, too; wants some one to go with him to murder that fellow out in Russia who first of all took his wife, and then beat him and set dogs on him. The fact is, Calabressa"s cure has gone all to bits."
"It is a pity. The unfortunate wretch has had enough trouble. But what is the cause of it?"
"It is rather difficult to explain," said Edwards with some embarra.s.sment. "One can only guess, for his brain is muddled, and he maunders. You know Calabressa"s flowery, poetical interpretation. It was Miss Lind, in fact, who had worked a miracle. Well, there was something in it. She was kind to him, after he had been cuffed about Europe, and a sort of pa.s.sion of grat.i.tude took possession of him. Then he was led to believe at that time that--that he might be of service to her or her friends, and he gave up his projects of revenge altogether--he was ready for any sacrifice--and, in fact, there was a project--" Edwards glanced at his companion; but Brand happened at that moment to be looking out of the window.
"Well, you see, all that fell through; and he had to come back to England disappointed; then there was no Calabressa to keep him up to his resolutions: besides that, he found out--how, I do not know--that Miss Lind had left London."
"Oh, he found that out?"
"Apparently. And he says he is of no further use to anybody; and all he wants is to kill the man Michaieloff, and then make an end of himself."
Brand rose at once.
"We must go and see the unfortunate devil, Edwards. His brain never was steady, you know, and I suppose even two or three days" hard drinking has made him wild again. And just as I had prepared a little surprise for him!"
"What?" Edwards asked, as he opened the door.
"I have made him a little bequest that would have produced him about twenty pounds a year, to pay his rent. It will be no kindness to give it to him until we see him straight again."
But Edwards pushed the door to again, and said in a low voice,
"Of course, Mr. Brand, you must know of the Zaccatelli affair?"
Brand regarded him, and said, calmly,
"I do. There are five men in England who know of it; you and I are two of them."
"Well," said Edwards, eagerly, "if such a thing were determined on, wouldn"t it have been better to let this poor wretch do it? He would have gloried in it; he had the enthusiasm of the martyr just then; he thought he was to be allowed to do something that would make Miss Lind and her friends forever grateful to him."
"And who put it into his head that Miss Lind knew anything about it?--Calabressa, I suppose."
Edwards colored slightly.
"Well, yes--"
"And it was Calabressa who intrusted such a secret as that to a maniac--"
"Pardon me, Kirski never knew specifically what lay before him; but he was ready for anything. For my own part, I was heartily glad when they sent him back to England. I did not wish to have any hand in such a business, however indirectly; and, indeed, I hope they have abandoned the whole project by this time."
"It might be wiser, certainly," said Brand, with an indifferent air.
"If they go on with it, it will make a fearful noise in Europe," said Edwards, contemplatively. "The a.s.sa.s.sination of a cardinal! Well, his life has been scandalous enough--but still, his death, in such a way--"
"It will horrify people, will it not?" Brand said, calmly; "and his murderer will be execrated and howled at throughout Europe, no doubt!"
"Well, yes; you see, who is to know the motives?"
"There won"t be a single person to say a single word for him," said Brand, absently. "It is an enviable fate, isn"t it, for some wretched mortal? No matter, Edwards; we will go and look up this fellow Kirski now."
They went out into the night--it was cold and drizzling--and made their way up into Soho. They knocked at the door of a shabby-looking house; and Kirski"s landlady made her appearance. She was very angry when his name was mentioned; of course he was not at home; they would find him in some public-house or other--the animal!
"But he pays his rent, doesn"t he?" Brand remonstrated.
Oh yes, he paid his rent. But she didn"t like a wild beast in the house.
It was decent lodgings she kept; not a Wombwell"s Menagerie.
"I am sure he gives you no trouble, ma"am," said Edwards, who had seen something of the meek and submissive way the Russian conducted himself in his lodgings.
This she admitted, but promptly asked how she was to know she mightn"t have her throat cut some night? And what was the use of her talking to him, when he didn"t know two words of a Christian language?
They gathered from this that the good woman had been lecturing her docile lodger, and had been seriously hurt because of his inattention.
However, she at last consented to give them the name of the particular public-house in which he was likely to be found, and they again set off in quest of him.
They found him easily. He was seated in a corner of the crowded and reeking bar-room by himself, nursing a gla.s.s of gin-and-water with his two trembling hands. When they entered, he looked up and regarded them with bleared, sunken eyes, evidently recognized them, and then turned away sullenly.
"Tell him I am not come to bully him," said Brand quickly. "Tell him I am come about some work. I want a cabinet made by a first-cla.s.s workman like himself."
Edwards went forward and put his hand on the man"s shoulder and spoke to him for some time; then he turned to Brand.
"He says, "No use; no use." He cannot work any more. They won"t give him help to kill Pavel Michaieloff. He wishes to die."
"Ask him, then, what the young lady who gave him her portrait will think of him if she hears he is in this condition. Ask him how he has dared to bring her portrait into a place like this."
When this was conveyed to Kirski, he seemed to arouse himself somewhat; he even talked eagerly for a few seconds; then he turned away again, as if he did not wish to be seen.
"He says," Edwards continued, "that he has not, that he would not bring that portrait into any such place. He was afraid it might be found--it might be taken from him. He made a small casket of oak, carved by his own hands, and lined it with zinc; he put the photograph in it, and hid himself in the trees of St. James"s Park--at least, I imagine that St.
James"s Park is what he means--at night. Then he buried it there. He knows the place. When he has killed Michaieloff he will come back and dig it up."
"The poor devil--his brain is certainly going, drink or no drink. What is to be done with him, Edwards?"