"You"ll be welcome," said the other grimly. "By the way, here"s a map."
He made a quick sketch on the back of an envelope. "I"ll be there at work most of to-morrow. Au revoir." He rose and started down the hill.
"Better keep to yourself this evening," he warned. "Take a dilute carbolic bath. You"ll be all right, I think."
Slowly and thoughtfully the Southerner made his way back to the hotel.
After dining in his own room, he found time heavy on his hands; so, dispatching a note of excuse to Miss Brewster on the plea of personal business, he slipped out into the city. Wandering idly toward the hills, he presently found himself in a familiar street, and, impelled by human curiosity, proceeded to turn up the hill and stop opposite the blank door.
Here he was puzzled. To go in and inquire, even if he cared to and could make himself understood, would perhaps involve further risk of infection. While he was considering, the door slowly opened, and the leather-skinned crone appeared. Her eyes were swollen. In her hand she carried a travesty of a wreath, done in whitish metal, which she had interwoven with her own black mantilla, the best subst.i.tute for c.r.a.pe at hand. This she undertook to hang on the door. As Carroll crossed to address her, a powerful, sullen-faced man, with a scarred forehead and the insignia of some official status, apparently civic, on his coat, emerged from a doorway and addressed her harshly. She raised her reddened eyes to him and seemed to be pleading for permission to set up the little tribute to her dead. There was the exchange of a few more words. Then, with an angry exclamation, the official s.n.a.t.c.hed the wreath from her. Carroll"s hand fell on his shoulder. The man swung and saw a stranger of barely half his bulk, who addressed him in what seemed to be politely remonstrant tones. He shook himself loose and threw the wreath in the crone"s face. Then he went down like a log under the impact of a swinging blow behind the ear. With a roar he leaped up and rushed. The foreigner met him with right and left, and this time he lay still.
Hanging the tragically unsightly wreath on the door, through which the terrified mourner had vanished, Carroll returned to the Gran Hotel Kast, his perturbed and confused thoughts and emotions notably relieved by that one comforting moment of action.
X
THE FOLLY OF PERK
Of the comprehensive superiority of the American Legation over the Gran Hotel Kast there could be no shadow of a doubt. From the moment of their arrival at noon of the day after the British Minister"s warning, the refugees found themselves comfortable and content, Miss Brewster having quietly and tactfully taken over the management of internal affairs and reigning, at Sherwen"s request, as generalissima. No disturbance had marked the transfer to their new abode. In fact, so wholly lacking was any evidence of hostility to the foreigners on the part of the crowds on the streets that the Brewsters rather felt themselves to be extorting hospitality on false pretenses. Sherwen, however, exhibited signal relief upon seeing them safely housed.
"Please stay that way, too," he requested.
"But it seems so unnecessary, and I want to market," protested Miss Polly.
"By no means! The market is the last place where any of us should be seen. It is in that section that Urgante has been doing his work."
"Who is he?"
"A wandering demagogue and cheap politician. Abuse of the "Yankis"
is his stock in trade. Somebody has been furnishing him money lately.
That"s the sole fuel to his fires of oratory."
"Bet the bills smelled of sauerkraut when they reached him," grunted Cluff, striding over to the window of the drawing-room, where the informal conference was being held.
"They may have had a Hochwaldian origin," admitted Sherwen. "But it would be difficult to prove."
"At least the Hochwald Legation wouldn"t shed any tears over a demonstration against us," said Carroll.
"Well within the limits of diplomatic truth," smiled the American official.
"Pooh!" Mr. Brewster puffed the whole matter out of consideration. "I don"t believe a word of it. Some of my acquaintances at the club, men in high governmental positions, a.s.sure me that there is no anti-American feeling here."
"Very likely they do. Frankness and plain-speaking being, as you doubtless know, the distinguishing mark of the Caracunan statesman."
The sarcasm was not lost upon Mr. Brewster, but it failed to shake his skepticism.
"There are some business matters that require that I should go to the office of the Ferro carril del Norte this afternoon," he said.
"I beg that you do nothing of the sort," cried Sherwen sharply.
The magnate hesitated. He glanced out of the window and along the street, close bounded by blank-walled houses, each with its eyes closed against the sun. A solitary figure strode rapidly across it.
"There"s that bug-hunting fellow again," said Mr. Brewster. "He"s an American, I guess,--G.o.d save the mark! n.o.body seems to be interfering with HIM, and he"s freaky enough looking to start a riot on Broadway."
Further comment was checked by the voice of the scientist at the door, asking to see Mr. Sherwen at once. Miss Polly immediately slipped out of the room to the patio, followed by Carroll and Cluff.
"My business, probably," remarked Mr. Brewster. "I"ll just stay and see." And he stayed.
So far as the newcomer was concerned, however, he might as well not have been there; so he felt, with unwonted injury. The scientist, disregarding him wholly, shook hands with Sherwen.
"Have you heard from Wisner yet?"
"Yes. An hour ago."
"What was his message?"
"All right, any time to-day."
"Good! Better get them down to-night, then, so they can start to-morrow morning."
"Will Stark pa.s.s them?"
"Under restrictions. That"s all been seen to."
At this point it appeared to Mr. Brewster that he had figured as a cipher quite long enough.
"Am I right in a.s.suming that you are talking of my party"s departure?"
he inquired.
"Yes," said Sherwen. "The Dutch will let you through the blockade."
"Then my cablegram reached the proper parties at Washington," said the magnate, with an I-knew-it-would-be-that-way air.
"Thanks to Mr. Perkins."
"Of course, of course. That will be--er--suitably attended to later."
The Unspeakable Perk turned and regarded him fixedly; but, owing to the goggles, the expression was indeterminable.
"The fact is it would be more convenient for me to go day after to-morrow than to-morrow."
"Then you"d better rent a house," was the begoggled one"s sharp and brief advice.
"Why so?" queried the great man, startled.
"Because if you don"t get out to-morrow, you may not get out for months."