"But why should you wait?"
He looked at me seriously and said deliberately--
"I have other schemes in my head--something even bigger. It is too early to talk yet, but it is worth running a little risk for."
I looked at this astonishing man with unconcealed admiration.
Regulations, authorities, precautions, dangers, he seemed to treat as almost negligible. And I had seen how he could contrive and what he could effect.
"I am afraid I shall have to ask you to stay with me for a few days longer," he added.
I don"t think I ever got a more unpleasant shock.
"You mean you wish me _not_ to rejoin my ship to-morrow night?"
"I know it is asking a great deal of you; but, my dear Belke, duty is duty."
"My duty is with my ship," I said quickly. "Besides, it is the post of danger--and of honour. Think of Thursday night!"
"Do you honestly think you are essential to the success of a torpedo attack?"
"Every officer will be required."
"My dear Belke, you didn"t answer my question. Are you _essential_?""
"My dear Tiel," I replied firmly, for I was quite resolved I should not remain cooped up in this infernal house, exposed to hourly risk of being shot as a spy, while my ship was going into action, "I am sorry to seem disobliging; but I am a naval officer, and my first duty is quite clear to me."
"Pardon me for reminding you that you are at present under my orders,"
said he.
"While this affair is being arranged only."
"But I say that I have not yet finished my arrangements."
I saw that I was in something of a dilemma, for indeed it was difficult to say exactly how my injunctions met the case.
"Well," I said, "I shall tell you what I shall do. I shall put it to my superior officer, Commander Wiedermann, and ask him whether he desires me to absent myself any longer."
This was a happy inspiration, for I felt certain what Wiedermann would say.
"Then I shall not know till to-morrow night whether to count on you--and then I shall very probably lose you?"
I shrugged my shoulders, but said nothing. Suddenly his face cleared.
"My dear fellow," he said, "I won"t press you. Rejoin your ship if you think it your duty."
By mutual consent we changed the subject, and discussed the question of submarines _versus_ surface ships, a subject in which Tiel showed both interest and ac.u.men, though I had naturally more knowledge, and could contribute much from my own personal experience. I must add that it is a pleasure to discuss such matters with him, for he has a frank and genuine respect for those who really understand what they are talking about.
Towards evening I went back to my room, and fell to writing this narrative again, but about ten o"clock I had another visit from Tiel; and again he disconcerted me, though not so seriously this time.
"I had a message from Ashington, asking to see me," he explained, "and I have just returned from a meeting with him. He tells me that the date of the fleet"s sailing will probably be altered to Friday, but he will let me know definitely to-morrow or Tuesday."
"Or Tuesday!" I exclaimed. "Then I may have to stay here for another night!"
"I"m sorry," said he, "but I"m afraid it can"t be helped."
"But can we ever be sure that the fleet will keep to a programme? I have just been thinking it over, and the question struck me--why are they making this arrangement so far ahead?"
"That struck me too," said Tiel, "and also Ashington. But he has found out now. There is some big scheme on. Some think it is Heligoland, and some think the Baltic. Anyhow, there is a definite programme, and they will certainly keep to it. The only uncertain thing is the actual day of sailing."
"It is a plan which will be nicely upset if we get our torpedoes into three or four of their super-dreadnoughts!" I exclaimed.
He nodded grimly.
"And for that, we want to have the timing exact" he said. "Be patient, my friend; we shall know by Tuesday morning at the latest."
I tried to be as philosophical as I could, but it was a dreary evening, with the rain still beating on my window and another day"s confinement to look forward to.
V.
A MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURE.
Monday morning broke wet and windy, but with every sign of clearing up.
Tiel looked in for a very few minutes, but he was in his most uncommunicative mood, and merely told me that he would have to be out for the first part of the day, but would be back in the afternoon. I could not help suspecting that he was still a little sore over my refusal to remain with him, and was paying me out by this display of secrecy. Such petty affronts to officers from those unfortunate enough to be outside that cla.s.s are not unknown. I was of course above taking offence, but I admit that it made me feel less anxious to consult his wishes at every turn.
In this humour I wrote for a time, and at last got up and stared impatiently out of the window. It had become quite a fine day, and the prospect of gazing for the greater part of it at a few acres of inland landscape, with that fascinating spectacle to be seen from the front windows, irritated me more and more. And then, to add to my annoyance, I heard "Boom! Boom! Boom!" crashing from the seaward side, and shaking the very foundations of the house. I began to feel emphatically that it was my duty to watch the British fleet at gunnery practice.
Just then two women appeared, walking slowly away from the house. One had an ap.r.o.n and no hat, and though I had only once caught a fleeting glimpse of the back view of our servant, I made quite certain it was she. I watched them till they reached a farm about quarter of a mile away, and turned into the house, and then I said to myself--
"There can be no danger now!"
And thereupon I unlocked my door, walked boldly downstairs, and went into the front parlour.
I saw a vastly different scene from yesterday. A fresh breeze rippled the blue waters, patches of sunshine and cloud-shadow chased each other over sea and land, and distinct and imposing in its hateful majesty lay the British fleet. A light cruiser of an interesting new type was firing her 6-inch guns at a distant target, and for about five minutes I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And then I heard a sound.
I turned instantly, to see the door opening; and very hurriedly I stepped back behind the nearest window curtain. And then in came our servant--_not_ the lady I had seen departing from the house, I need scarcely say! I was fully half exposed and I dared not make a movement to draw the curtain round me; in fact, even if I had, my feet would have remained perfectly visible. All I could do was to stand as still as a statue and pray that Heaven would blind her.
She walked in briskly, a middle-aged capable-looking woman, holding a broom, and glanced all round the room in a purposeful way. Among the things she looked at was me, but to my utter astonishment she paid no more attention than if I had been a piece of furniture. For a moment I thought she was blind; but her sharp glances clearly came from no sightless eyes. Then I wondered whether she could have such a horrible squint that when she seemed to look at me she was really looking in another direction. But I could see no sign of a cast in those eyes either. And then she picked up an armful of small articles and walked quickly out, leaving the door wide open.
What had saved me I had no idea, but I was resolved not to trust to that curtain any longer. In the middle of the room was a square table of moderate size with a cloth over it. Without stopping to think twice, I dived under the cloth and crouched upon the floor.
The next instant in she came again, and I found that my table-cloth was so scanty that I could follow her movements perfectly. She took some more things out, and then more again, and finally she proceeded to set the furniture piece by piece back against the wall, till the table was left lonely and horribly conspicuous in the middle of the floor. And then she began to sweep out that room.
There was small scope for an exhibition of resource, but I was as resourceful as I was able. I very gently pulled the scanty table-cloth first in one direction and then in the other, according to the side of the room she was sweeping, and as noiselessly as possible I crept a foot or two farther away from her each time. And all the while the dust rose in clouds, and the hateful broom came so near me that it sometimes brushed my boots. And yet the extraordinary woman never showed by a single sign that she had any suspicion of my presence!
At last when the whole floor had been swept--except of course under the table--she paused, and from the glimpse I could get of her att.i.tude she seemed to be ruminating. And then she stooped, lifted the edge of the cloth, and said in an absolutely matter-of-fact voice--