CHAPTER XXVII
THE PLAN PROSPERS
IF Bremenhof had been less of a coward such a plan as ours would have been absolutely impossible. But the sight of the mob’s fury had so saturated him with fear that it bereft him of the power to make even a show at resistance.
I did my utmost to play on that terror. During the short ride, I sat opposite to him, holding in full sight the revolver which had already done us such conspicuous service; and when we reached our destination I linked my left arm in his as I walked him into the house, taking care that he should see I still held the weapon ready for use.
What I should really have done had he made an effort to escape I don’t know; but I am sure I had convinced him that I should shoot. That fear of me made him my slave. He watched my every gesture, started nervously when I looked at him, and flinched whenever I spoke.
As soon as we were in the house I set him to work to write the official declaration that he had investigated the charges against Volna, and had found them unfounded; and then the full statement of the part he had played throughout.
Volna meanwhile called up the servant at their house, and having ascertained that no police were in possession there, told the girl how to call us up the instant that Madame Drakona should reach home.
There was nothing more to be done but to wait for that message. I left Volna and Ladislas together and remained with Bremenhof.
The extent to which he was subject to my influence during the hours in that house was remarkable. To me quite unaccountable indeed. He was as docile as though I had possessed hypnotic power and had used it to subdue him.
With the revolver always carefully in hand I sat and stared at him steadily, sternly, continuously in one long, tense, dead silence. I concentrated all my thoughts upon the one essential object, to force the conviction upon him that death would be the instant penalty of resistance to my will.
Twice only was the silence broken. Once when he showed me what he had written and I ordered an alteration; and once at the close when I asked him how he was going to get for me the evidence against Madame Drakona.
This was the one thing in which I could not see the way. I must have it before the spell of fear I had cast upon him was broken; and yet I knew, from what Burski had told me on the previous night, the difficulties which were in the way. What Bremenhof said now confirmed this, and he was so panic-saturated that I believed he was past lying. He professed himself as anxious as I was to solve the difficulty.
The problem was this. The papers were in the safe in his library, and there was a man on guard over it; Bremenhof had the key with him; and he had given the most absolute order that no one should even enter the room in his absence.
If I went to the house myself with the key and a written authority from him, it was in the highest degree unlikely, that, being unknown, I should be allowed to get to the safe. It was very likely indeed that, on such a day of tumult, I should fall under suspicion, and be promptly placed under arrest.
Volna was known to the servants and was thus less likely to fail; but I was loath for her to run the risk. Burski might be back at the house, and he knew enough of the matter now to understand that her arrest would checkmate our whole scheme.
Bremenhof protested that if I would let him go, he would give up the papers. “I pledge you my solemn word of honour. I’ll take any oath you please, do anything you ask.”
“To whom can you give them?”
“Come with me, and I will give them to you.”
“Thank you. I know how you keep faith. I won’t walk open-eyed in another of your traps.”
“I’ll send them to you, then.”
“Yes; by a strong body of police with orders to take me back with them. I know the risk I’ve run now in bringing you here, and have no fancy for a march across the plains. You must find some other means. Otherwise I shall hand you over to the strikers to be held until we are out of this cursed country.”
“For God’s sake,” he cried, nerve-racked and abject at the thought; and after that I resumed the silent watch which he found so trying an ordeal.
After a time Volna came in.
“My mother is free, Mr. Anstruther. She is at home; the agent, Burski, took her there and no police are left in the house.”
“You see, I have kept faith,” said Bremenhof eagerly.
“I see that you couldn’t help it, that’s all.”
“On my honour I will do all I have promised.”
“When the devil’s sick he makes an earnest penitent.”
“I renounce all claim to this lady’s hand.”
“What the wolf said when he was in the trap.”
“My God, what do you mean to do then?” he cried, tossing up his hands.
“I mean to have that evidence. I will adopt your own suggestion and go to your house with you.”
“Mr. Anstruther!” protested Volna.
“Leave this to me, please,” I said.
“I pledge my honour you will run no risk,” declared Bremenhof.
Volna’s lip curled at this mention of his honour. “You will not trust him? You cannot. You must not.”
“Let me speak to you,” I said. We went outside leaving the door ajar that I could watch Bremenhof. “I can trust myself in this if not him. Let your mother leave the house for some place where she will be safe until you can join her. You must both remain in hiding, prepared to leave the city the instant we can get you away.”
“But you——” she interposed.
“Please. I shall come to no great harm. We have taken a risk with Bremenhof to-day; but with the proofs against your mother in our hands and with the papers he has signed here to-day, my friends can put up a fight on my account which, even if he dares to face it, will get me out without much trouble.”
“You must not run this risk,” she protested.
“I have put the worst that can happen even if he breaks faith and arrests me; but I have him so frightened, I don’t believe he will dare to attempt any tricks. I have a way to keep him scared, too. Where is Ladislas? I want him to get a sleigh with a driver who can be relied on in an emergency.”
“I don’t like it. We have no right to ask anything of this kind of you.”
“You must do what I ask, please.”
“No, no. I would rather run the risk of arrest myself.”
“That would do no good now. He has all this against me just the same.”
“You can leave the city. Besides, if I agree to do what he——”
“We shall quarrel if you say that again. And I hope we are too good friends for that.”
She placed her hand on my arm and looked earnestly in my eyes. “You don’t know how this tries me.”
“It is for Ladislas’ sake,” I said steadily.
She bit her lip and dropped her eyes. “I would rather anything than this,” she murmured hesitatingly. There was a pause full of embarrassment to me; then, rather to my surprise, she looked up with a smile: “I had forgotten. I agree,” she said.
Her sudden change of manner puzzled me.
She saw my surprise. “You have convinced me, that is all. I had forgotten.”
“Forgotten what?”
“It is never too late to——” She paused.
“To what?”
“To remember what I can still do,” she replied cryptically. “I will tell Ladislas about the sleigh.” And without more she smiled again and left me.
I returned to Bremenhof.
“I have sent for a sleigh to take us to your house. You have given me your word that I shall be safe——”
“I swear it,” he cried eagerly.
“I am going to trust to it, but not without taking a precaution on my own account. My liberty will be in your hands while I am in your house; and you had better know that I would rather lose my life than be sent to your cursed mines in Siberia. Get that clearly into your mind.”
“I swear to you——”
“Never mind about any more swearing. You know by this time that I mean what I say. And I mean this. I know the risk I have run to-day, and rather than let your men make me a prisoner I will blow my brains out. Unlike you, I am not afraid of death. Mark this well, then. I shall not die alone.” I paused, and added with all the tense fierceness I could put into my tone and manner. “If you give me the slightest cause to suspect treachery, even to suspect it, mark you, that instant will be your last in life. From the moment we leave this house together to that when I leave yours with the papers in my possession, I shall be at your side, this barrel against your ribs, and my finger on the trigger. Try to trick me, and by the God that made us both, I swear I’ll shoot you like a dog.”
He gave a deep sigh, the sweat of fear clustered thick on his grey-white forehead, and he sank back in his chair.
He was so drunk with fear that he was past speech. He looked up once or twice as if to speak, and his blanched lips moved; but the moment his eyes met mine he faltered and trembled and looked down, his tongue refusing to frame the words.
Presently Ladislas came in.
“I wish to speak to Colonel Bremenhof,” he said.
“Not now, Ladislas,” I said. I would not have the effect of my threat lessened by any distracting thoughts.
“I wish to make him understand we have done all we can to prevent violence in the city.”
“Go away, please. I have given him all I want him to understand for the present. Let me know when we are to start.”
Greatly wondering, my friend yielded and left us alone again.
With intentional ostentation I looked to the loading of my revolver. Bremenhof watched me furtively; and each time I looked up from the task, he shrank and drooped his head.
At last Ladislas called that the sleigh was waiting. “The driver has his orders,” he whispered, “and will bring you to us afterwards.”
“Come,” I said to Bremenhof, as I rose.
“You are wronging me, Mr. Anstruther,” he stammered, as he got up unsteadily.
“I can apologize afterwards,” said I drily.
As we were leaving the house Volna stood waiting for us, and would have spoken to me; but I would not leave Bremenhof’s side.
I was wearing a long cloak, and as Bremenhof and I crossed the pavement to the sleigh, I pressed close to him and let him feel my weapon against his body.
He started and caught his breath in fear. The strain had told on him. He staggered in his walk, and his face wore the grey look of one on the verge of death.
So long as I could keep him in that mood I was safe enough.
We got into the sleigh in silence, and had barely turned out of the street when a body of troops came in sight riding in our direction.
“This will test your sincerity,” I said. “As well now as later. Remember my oath.”
At a sign from the leader our driver drew to one side and pulled up.
I thrust the barrel of the pistol hard against Bremenhof’s side. The officer recognized him, and with a salute halted his men.
“We are in a hurry and cannot delay,” I whispered.
Bremenhof returned the salute and waved his hand for the troops to pass.
The officer ordered his men to make room for the sleigh and we dashed on at a high speed.
“Good,” I said, suppressing a sigh of relief. “You have learnt your lesson, I see.”