"Would it?" said Erica, smiling, as she slipped her hand into his.
Haeberlein had taken a newspaper out of his pocket, and was searching for something. The gas light fell on his clean-shaven face, revealing a sweet-tempered mouth, keen blue eyes, a broad German forehead, and closely cropped iron-gray hair. Erica thought him scarcely altered since their last meeting. He threw down his newspaper as she approached.
"Well, my Herzblattchen!" he exclaimed, saluting her with a double kiss, "so you are not ashamed of your old friend? So," holding her at arms"
length and regarding her critically, "Potztausend! The English girls do beat ours all to nothing. Well, my Liebchen, dost thou remember the day when thou carried the Casati dispatches in thy geography book under the very nose of a spy? It was a brave deed that, and it saved a brave man"s life."
Erica smiled and colored. "I was not so brave as I seemed," she said.
"My heart was beating so loud, I thought people must hear it."
"Has thou never heard the saying of the first Napoleon, "The bravest man is he who can conceal his fear?" I do not come under that category, for I never had fear never felt it. Thou wouldst not dream, Herzblattchen, that spies are at this moment d.o.g.g.i.ng my steps while I jest here with thee?"
"Is that indeed true?" exclaimed Erica.
They explained to her a little more of Haeberlein"s errand and the risk he ran; he alluded to his hopes that Raeburn might not be involved in any unpleasant consequences. Erica grew pale at the bare suggestion.
"See," exclaimed Haeberlein, "the little one cares more for your reputation than you do yourself, my friend. See what it is to have a daughter who can be afraid for you, though she can not be afraid for herself! But, Liebchen, Thou must not blame me for coming to see him.
Think! My best friend, and unseen for seven years!"
"It is worth a good deal of risk," said Erica, brightly. But as the terror or having her father"s name mentioned in connection with Herr Kellner"s once more returned to her, she added, pleadingly, "And you WILL be careful when you leave the house?"
"Yes, indeed," said Haeberlein. "See what a disguise I have."
He hastily donned the black wig, mustache and eyebrows, and the long Italian cloak.
Erica looked at him critically.
"Art thou not satisfied?" he asked.
"Not a bit," she said, promptly. "In London every one would turn to look twice at such a dress as that, which is what you want to avoid. Besides, those eyebrows are so outrageous, so evidently false."
She thought for a minute.
"My brown Inverness," suggested Raeburn.
"Too thick for a summer night," said Erica, "and" glancing from her father to Haeberlein "too long to look natural. I think Tom"s ulster and traveling hat would be better."
"Commend me to a woman when you want sound advice!" cried Haeberlein.
Erica went to search Tom"s room for the ulster, and in the meantime Haeberlein showed his friend a paragraph in one of the evening papers which proved to Raeburn that the risk was indeed very great. They were discussing things much more gravely when Erica returned.
"The stations will be watched," Haeberlein was saying.
"What station do you go to?" asked Erica.
"I thought of trying Cannon Street," replied the German.
"Because," continued Erica, "I think you had better let me see you off.
You will look like a young Englishman, and I shall do all the talking, so that you need not betray your accent. They would never dream of Herr Haeberlein laughing and talking with a young girl."
"They would never dream that a young girl would be brave enough to run such a risk!" said Haeberlein. "No, my sweet Herzblattchen, I could not bring thee into danger."
"There will be none for me," said Erica, "and it may save you from evil and my father from suspicion. Father, if you will let me, it would be more of a disguise than anything."
"You might meet some one you know," said Raeburn.
"Very unlikely," she replied. "And even if I did, what would it matter?
I need not tell them anything, and Herr Haeberlein would get off all the same."
He saw that she was too pure and too unconventional to understand his objection, but his whole heart rebelled against the idea of letting her undertake the task, and it was only after much persuasion that she drew from him a reluctant consent. After all, it would be a great safeguard to Haeberlein, and Haeberlein was his dearest friend. For no one else could he have risked what was so precious to him. There was very little time for discussion. The instant his permission was given, Erica ran upstairs to Tom"s private den, lighted his gas stove, and made a cup of chocolate, at the same time blackening a cork very carefully. In a few minutes she returned to the study, carrying the chocolate and a plate of rusks, which she remembered were a particular weakness of Herr Haeberlein"s. She found that in her absence the two had been discussing matters again, for Haeberlein met her with another remonstrance.
"Liebe Erica," he began, "I yielded just now to thy generous proposal; but I think it will not do. For myself I can be rash, but not for thee.
Thou art too frail and lovely, my little one, to get mixed up with the grim realities of such a life as mine."
She only laughed. "Why, I have been mixed up with them ever since I was a baby!"
"True; but now it is different. The world might judge thee harshly, people might say things which would wound thee."
"They say! "LET them say!"" quoted Erica, smiling, "mens conscia recti will carry one through worse things than a little slander. No, no, you must really let me have my own way. It is right, and there"s an end of it!"
Raeburn let things run their course; he agreed with Erica all the time, though his heart impelled him to keep her at home. And as to Eric Haeberlein, it would have needed a far stronger mind than that of the sweet-tempered, quixotic German to resist the generous help offered by such a lovely girl.
There was no time to lose; the latest train for the Continent left at 9:25, and before Haeberlein had adjusted his new disguise the clock struck nine. Erica very carefully blackened his eyebrows and ruthlessly sheared the long black wig to an ordinary and unnoticeable length, and, when Tom"s ulster and hat were added, the disguise was so perfect, and made Haeberlein look so absurdly young, that Raeburn himself could not possibly have recognized him.
In past years Raeburn had often risked a great deal for his friend. At one time his house had been watched day and night in consequence of his well-known friendship with the Republican Don Quixote. Unfortunately, therefore, it was only too probable that Haeberlein in risking his visit this evening might have run into a trap. If he were being searched for, his friend"s house would almost inevitably be watched.
They exchanged farewells, not without some show of emotion on each side, and just at the last Raeburn hastily bent down and kissed Erica"s forehead, at his heart a sickening sense of anxiety. She too was anxious, but she was very happy to have found on the evening of her baptism so unusual a service to render to her father, and, besides, the consciousness of danger always raised her spirits.
When, as they had half expected, they found the would-be natural-looking detective prowling up and down the cul-de-sac, it was no effort to her to begin at once a laughing account of a school examination which Charles Osmond had told her about, and so naturally and brightly did she talk that, though actually brushing past the spy under the full light of the street lamp., she entirely disarmed suspicion.
It was a horrible moment, however. Her heart beat wildly as they pa.s.sed on, and every moment she thought she should hear quick steps behind them. But nothing came of it, and in a few minutes they were walking down Southampton Row. When this was safely pa.s.sed, she began to feel comparatively at ease. Haeberlein thought they might take a cab.
"Not a hansom," she said, quickly, as he was on the point of hailing one. "You would be so much more exposed, you know!"
Haeberlein extolled her common sense, and they secured a four-wheeler and drove to Cannon Street.
Talking now became more possible. Haeberlein leaned far back in the corner, and spoke in low tones.
"Thou has been my salvation, Erica," he said, pressing her hand. "That fellow would never have let me pa.s.s in the Italian costume. Thou wert right as usual, it was theatrical how do you call stagey, is it not?
"I am a little troubled about your mouth," said Erica, smiling, "the mustache doesn"t disguise it, and it looks so good-tempered and like itself. Can"t you feel severe just for half an hour?"
Haeberlein smiled his irresistibly sweet smile, and tried to comply with her wishes, but not very successfully.
"I think," said Erica, presently, "it will be the best way, if you don"t mind, for you just to stroll through the booking office while I take your ticket. I can meet you by the book stall and I will still talk for us both in case you betray your accent."
"HERZBLATTCHEN!" exclaimed Haeberlein, "how shall I ever repay thee!
Thou art a real canny little Scot! I only wish I had half thy caution and forethought!"
"Don"t look like that!" said Erica, laughing, as the benignant expression once more came over his lips. "You really must try to turn down the corners! Your character is a silent, morose misanthrope. I am the chatter box, pure and simple."