"The police?" she broke in. It was almost a scream.
"Not the police. But, of course, a man can"t let any one attempt his life and just sit down under it. I have a very influential friend----"
I paused intentionally.
"Who is that?" came like a pistol shot.
"Baron von Gratzen; and he----"
"Did you tell him about me?"
"He knows of it. He is greatly interested in me because this unfortunate affair about my treatment of you will affect all he can do for my future. His wife and daughter were present yesterday when you recognized me. Of course he questioned me all about it and declared that he would have the fullest investigation made at once."
That seemed to break her right up. Von Gratzen"s reputation caused the collapse. She had stiffened in alarm at the mention of his name, had listened with parted lips and straining features to every syllable about his interest in me, and when she knew that his people were going to take up the investigation, she was utterly overcome.
With a m.u.f.fled cry of despair, she fell back in her chair in a half-fainting condition, her hands pressed to her face, moaning distractedly. She remained in this state for several minutes, the effort to regain self-control being quite beyond her, and at length sprang to her feet, saying she must go out at once.
"You"d better tell me everything before you go, Anna," I said. Knowing that she had been driven into the deception by von Erstein, I pitied her sincerely. She was like a wild thing in her panic, shaking her head and flourishing her arms hysterically.
"No, no. To-morrow."
"It may be too late then. I have great influence with the Baron and can put the matter to him in a way to help you. It will be useless to try that to-morrow."
"Not now. Not yet. I can"t. I can"t. Let me go. Let me go, I say!"
I persisted, however; and at length she consented to my seeing her again that afternoon at five o"clock. I had to be content with that, and as soon as we reached the street she hurried off.
She was going to von Erstein of course, and I would have given something to be able to hear what pa.s.sed. She was in deadly fear of him. Her manner had shown that; and considering what the man was, her news would probably give him an equally bad attack of nerves. He would not relish von Gratzen"s intervention any better than she had.
On the whole the interview had turned out well enough. It would have been better if I had been able to drag the truth out of her at once, of course; but I was confident that I should get it all in the afternoon.
That would still give me time to carry the news to von Gratzen and satisfy him that the obstacle to my leaving was removed.
The "third wheel" must none the less be in working order. Nessa must be prepared to leave, and I went to the Karlstra.s.se to see her. She was out with Lottchen, however, and I only saw Rosa, who was delighted to hear that von Gratzen had arranged for us to leave.
"It"s very lucky, too, because Oscar has left Berlin for a day or two without having been able to do anything about the other scheme. You won"t need it now, of course."
"I wish I was sure; but I"m not. Von Gratzen may still raise some objection; things are so mixed up. But I mean to go to-night in any event, with or without his permit. Rotten luck that Feldmann"s away."
"He was afraid you might do something like that, so he gave me the name of a man who can do what you want, but I wasn"t to tell you about it unless it was absolutely necessary."
"It is necessary, as you can see for yourself. Who"s the man and what is he? I"ll go to him straight off."
"David Graun is the name; he lives at 250, Futtenplatz. He"s a Jew; a very shady character, and Oscar said you"d have to be awfully careful how you handled him."
"Where"s the Futtenplatz?"
"It"s in a low quarter across the river;" and she told me how to find it. "Oscar says he bears the worst of characters and does all sorts of shady things under the cloak of a second-hand clothes" dealer."
"He"s sure that the man can get me what I want?"
"Oh yes; positive, if you handle him right; but you must be awfully cautious. He"ll ask much more at first than he expects."
"He"s a Jew, of course."
"It isn"t only that. It"s his way of testing any one who goes to him.
If you agree to pay it, you won"t get anything out of him except promises. Oscar said I"d better tell you this to put you on your guard; and you mustn"t let him think it"s for yourself under any circ.u.mstances."
"Do you know how much I ought to pay him?"
"Only a few marks, ten or fifteen at the outside. He"ll probably ask a hundred or even more."
"I understand. But it"s odd that Feldmann should know all this about him."
She smiled. "That"s what I thought, and Oscar said I might tell you the real reason. The fact is this Graun works with the police. He got into trouble once and they made things easy for him on his promise to act as their spy. There"s a lot of this false identification card business done, and he reports every transaction to them, and they are able to watch all the people who go to him. When any one is wanted, they give him a description, and he just keeps the man waiting while he communicates with them."
"That"s cheerful. He"ll tell them about me, then."
"Oscar says you needn"t worry about it. So long as any one is not known to be an alien or a criminal, nothing happens; but you"re to be careful to get the things at once."
"I don"t quite see why."
"I didn"t quite understand it, either. Oscar only told me at the last minute just as he was hurrying away. I fancy he said something about a second visit being risky, lest the man should have one of the police there to have a look at you."
"I"ll be off then. Tell Nessa I"ll see her as soon as possible and tell her everything."
"Oh, I do hope you"ll get away safely. If the Baron lets you have the permit and tickets, I"ll never say another word against him as long as I live," she declared as we shook hands.
"It will be all right one way or the other."
"Yes; but if you could really travel by the mail a few hours would end everything. I shall be so anxious."
"Of course your mother mustn"t know anything about Nessa leaving."
"She"s in bed, after yesterday"s upset. So that will be all right."
"Not really ill?"
"Oh, no; only a bad headache. Nessa and I are booked for a concert this evening, and I shall tell the servants not to sit up for us, so that she won"t be missed till to-morrow morning; and by that time you two ought to be in Holland;" and with that I set off to interview the tricky old Jew in the Futtenplatz.
CHAPTER XVIII
A SINISTER DEVELOPMENT
On the way to the Futtenplatz I made up a little fairy tale to account for my visit to the Jew, Graun. I didn"t like the job, and what Rosa had told me about his relations with the police didn"t make it any pleasanter.
A very little knowledge of German police ways was enough to render it quite credible. It was just the sort of low cunning which would chime with their methods. There were plenty of people, besides aliens, who were anxious to get out of Berlin at such a time, and it would suit the authorities admirably to have this secret means of finding out who they were and acting accordingly.