"The story I told you of the impersonation and attempted murder of Mr Alexander Burnett," he began, "was simply a repet.i.tion of the tale told me by Adolph Tiel at Inverness--where, by the way, he was arrested."
Von Belke started violently.
"So!" he cried. "Then--then you never were Tiel?"
"I am thankful to say I never was, for a more complete scoundrel never existed. He and his friend Schumann actually did knock Mr Burnett on the head, tie a stone to his feet, and pitch him over the cliff.
Unfortunately for them, they made a bad job of the knot and the stone came loose. In consequence, Mr Burnett floated long enough to be picked up by a patrol boat, which had seen the whole performance outlined against the sky at the top of the cliff above her. By the time they had brought him back to a certain base, Mr Burnett had revived and was able to tell of his adventure. The affair being in my line, was put into my hands, and it didn"t take long to see what the rascals" game was."
"No," commented Phipps; "I suppose you spotted that pretty quick."
"Practically at once. A clergyman on his way here--clothes and pa.s.sport stolen--left for murdered--chauffeur so like him that the minister noticed the resemblance himself in the instant the man was knocking him down,--what was the inference? Pretty obvious, you"ll agree. Well, the first step was simple. The pair had separated; but we got Tiel at Inverness on his way North, and Schumann within twenty-four hours afterwards at Liverpool."
"Good business!" said Phipps. "I hadn"t heard about Schumann before."
"Well," continued Blacklock, "I interviewed Mr Tiel, and I found I"d struck just about the worst thing in the way of rascals it has ever been my luck to run up against. He began to bargain at once. If his life was spared he would give me certain very valuable information."
"Mein Gott!" cried Belke. "Did a German actually say that?"
"Tiel belongs to no country," said Blacklock. "He is a cosmopolitan adventurer without patriotism or morals. I told him his skin would be safe if his information really proved valuable; and when I heard his story, I may say that he did save his skin. He gave the whole show away, down to the pa.s.swords that were to pa.s.s between you when you met."
He suddenly turned to Phipps and smiled.
"It"s curious how the idea came to me. I"ve done a good bit of secret service work myself, and felt in such a funk sometimes that I"ve realised the temptation to give the show away if I were nailed. Well, as I looked at Tiel, I said to myself, "There, but for the grace of G.o.d, stands Robin Blacklock!" And then suddenly it flashed into my mind that we were really not at all unlike one another--same height, and tin-opener nose, and a few streaks of anno domini in our hair, and so on."
"I know, old thing," said his friend, "it"s the wife-poisoning type.
You see "em by the dozen in the Chamber of Horrors."
Their Teutonic captive seemed to wax a little impatient.
"What happened then?" he demanded.
"What happened was that I decided to continue Mr Tiel"s journey for him. The arrest and so on had lost a day, but I knew that the night of your arrival was left open, and I had to risk it. That splash of salt water on your motor bike, and your resource in dodging pursuit, just saved the situation, and we arrived at the house on the same night."
"So that was why you were late!" exclaimed von Belke. "Fool that I was not to have questioned and suspected!"
"It might have been rather a nasty bunker," admitted Blacklock, "but luckily I got you to lose your temper with me when I reached that delicate part of my story, and you forgot to ask me."
"You always were a tactful fellow, Robin," murmured Phipps.
"Of course," resumed Blacklock, "I was in touch with certain people who advised me what scheme to recommend. My only suggestion was that the officer sent to advise us professionally should be one whose appearance might lead those who did not know him to suspect him capable of treasonable inclinations. My old friend, Captain Phipps----"
"Robin!" roared his old friend, "I read your bloomin" message. You asked for the best-looking officer on the staff, and the one with the nicest manners. Get on with your story!"
These interludes seemed to perplex their captive considerably.
"You got a pretended traitor? I see," he said gravely.
"Exactly. I tried you first with Ashington of the _Haileybury_--whom I slandered grossly by the way. If you had happened to know him by sight I should have pa.s.sed on to another captain, till I got one you didn"t know. Well, I needn"t recall what happened at our council of war, but now we come to rather a----" he hesitated and glanced for an instant at Miss Holland,--"well, rather a delicate point in the story. I think it"s only fair to those concerned to tell you pretty fully what happened. I believe I am right in thinking that they would like me to do so."
Again he glanced at the girl, and this time she gave a little a.s.senting nod.
"That night, after you left us, Mr Belke, Captain Phipps and I had a long discussion over a very knotty point. How were we to get you back again here after you had delivered your message to your submarine?"
"I do not see exactly why you wished me to return?" said von Belke.
"There were at least three vital reasons, In the first place some one you spoke to might have known too much about Tiel and have spotted the fraud. Then again, some one might easily have known the real Captain Ashington, and it would be a little difficult to describe Captain Phipps in such a way as to confound him with any one else. Finally, we wished to extract a little more information from you."
Von Belke leapt from his seat with an exclamation.
"What have I not told you!" he cried hoa.r.s.ely. "Mein Gott, I had forgotten that! Give me that pistol! Come, give it to me! Why keep me alive?"
"I suppose because it is an English custom," replied Commander Blacklock quietly. "Also, you will be exceedingly glad some day to find yourself still alive. Please sit down and listen. I am anxious to explain this point fully, for a very good reason."
With a groan their captive sat down, but with his head held now between his hands and his eyes cast upon the floor.
"We agreed that at all costs this must be managed, and so I tried my hand at exercising my authority over you. I saw that was going to be no good, and gave it up at once for fear you"d smell a rat. And then I thought of Miss Holland."
Von Belke looked up suddenly.
"Ah!" he cried, "so that is why this lady appeared--this lady I may not call a decoy!"
"That is why," said Blacklock.
II.
THE LADY.
Lieutenant von Belke looked for a moment at the lady who had enslaved him, but for some reason he averted his gaze rather quickly. Then with an elaborate affectation of sarcastic politeness which served but ill to conceal the pain at his heart and the shock to his pride, he inquired--
"May I be permitted to ask what agency supplies ladies so accomplished at a notice so brief?"
"Providence," said Blacklock promptly and simply. "Miss Holland had never undertaken any such work before, and her name is on the books of no bureau."
"I believe you entirely," said von Belke ironically. "You taught her her trade then, I presume?"
"I did."
The German stared at him.
"Is there really any need to deceive me further?" he inquired.
"I am telling you the simple truth," said Blacklock unruffled. "I had the great good fortune to make Miss Holland"s acquaintance on the mail-boat crossing to these islands. She was going to visit Mr Craigie--that intellectual gentleman you met yesterday--under the precise circ.u.mstances he described. I noticed Miss Holland the moment she came aboard the boat." He paused for a moment, and then turned to Eileen with a smile. "I have a confession to make to you, Miss Holland, which I may as well get off my chest now. My mind, naturally enough perhaps, was rather running on spies, and when I discovered that you were travelling with a suit-case of German manufacture I had a few minutes" grave suspicion. I now apologise."
Eileen laughed.
"Only a few minutes!" she exclaimed. "It seems to me I got off very easily!"