THE "EAGLES"

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 199, 14 October 1909, Page 3

THE "EAGLES"

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A SEiISATiONA : . !■,; / or LOVE A::3 ADVENTURE,

By i'.\i i. i ;■.'-.; n \:.i'.

V.W.T I lI could otn»o*i have fallen on the n».«k „i my lug? f-noler '"«* following morning «Ihii he fetched mi» once again to »It • director's office, r- ' there hnmk.l me over lo n rotipl <»f person* Instead of nn«*. Thnre was some small mercy even In this trifling %*orf«*ty. The omViel sot a* lh- table «* I**fare, .ind the, second man at tin* moment of my entry had hi * ~nrk ,0 " wards me. The director again motioned met«» n sent, and. remarking. "You will ring when yon liovc finished, prince." left the room. 0 Not until the door wo> closed H|H»n u* did the other man turn round, ami thtn with mingled haired nnd relief I recogtii/»*d I'rinee Mirski. I loathed this scheming villain. Imii it wns'something in Itii* icebound place (•> see a mnn of feeling, even if he «.r.- utterly bod and virion*. • \V». meet under M>mc«rhit altered rendition*. Mr- CJaseoigne." he said, inking the vacant scot of the director. "tJnseoigne ' J am glad yon address- me l>y iitv righ» name, nnrl I n<»iiniP win will have the coodneVi to inform the>«> |«.«»pl.- who I am." "Well. ihnt depends." "ivp«-nds » I»o vou in«»»n lo soy that >ou. a gentleman l>> birlh and training, will decline lo l*»>lf> onolh"r gentUman l»y telling the plain truth? How ran such an action de|>end on anything ? It it a duly preliminary, to any communication Irlnrwii us." "Not unite preliminary but I hope consequential." he ."aid with n bland politeness f did not like. "My dear Mr. we are lw»th men of the world. I-et us discuss matters in n common-sense way. You must admit that the circumstances in which >*»«! now lind yourself are the reverse "of pleasant. It is possible tb«t I may l>e able lo help you. but 1 have two requests to make. The one i.t |i»*rsnnal. the other is inditiral. In the lirsl place it has come to my kn«>v»le«lgr—in fact you told me yoiir«Ht*—that >«»« i are on terms of very .-lose intioMt'y with Von t:r"ahaun and 1 his «l««j»-Hfer." • I have known them nil my life." "K\a«-tl>- Aid lifelong friendtfcijw van in iu'ensily. Indeed to (.•nine t». th" point nt urn" I h.ive ol-

r»**vl> «»»M >«"» • «»!-• lielroilwd to Flora Von CSrahntiw." "IrfM-k Hie in lb" five mill lell llie. ».h a tnan. that >»>«» Iwh-v.- in your ntn h«*»rt *he b»*»- \.»»." I *ai«l. leonine forward imiil o;»l> tbe narrow «1.?.k Mootl Ix-iiio-n tw. *'Y«»»r question i* an iiiqwrliriencr. and you know it." be -aid. n tiiway look mining in*i» hi"» rrii.-l «•>.-*. "| mlcr s»«»in«» eircMei .lann-* I admit it might be nn inqvrlin-■ »>'"."" "I'itder nil ciivwi»i-»i«n«"«'* «• «- H «n hftf«'t'f in»'Bt'f f»»r any man to question Another In that *a) wh« n hj«» is told (here i* a formal • •inSi*«em. tit. \mm «H>c»ke jw.«d now aho»«l I ti»- dulie* of a £»'ntlo'nmn. Il to me >on linil F» tti r sln.ly the manners* of a gentlem>m iwfonp you begin to talk of hi* • tulfe*."" I fholl not ronie l«> Prince Mir.*ki to b-nrn either." I *aid. now Ihorudghly «>•«• of t>m|«er. "I t«-II you. «»*•". li>«» I have n right to interfere in this* matter. • «'»•! H" 1 »•«»«! by and •*«•'* tbat \oting girl •wrinreil to anv moN. If il were on no other ground ilinn that of common h»m»ntt> I should be entitled to »n----»Vr»\ Irtil "'—

"lint joil think y«»u have another rlaiin." lie hiw»«il. hi«* saturnine fare I*vml «i»h rnp>-. •'Anil yon say this in spite of the >■«>■! that !»«>''« the lady and her father have given you to understand that your claim is a l>r;i'c of sheer vulgar indolence." licit! he seen Von tirahniin and flora, or *►.*.* tin* a chance shot ? While t was thinking this* over to myself, the prince mastered hi* exriieinent with n marvellous effort, and rising from hi* chair, walked l«» the upright desk ot which he hail titi'D rti.iwliftjj when I came in. For a few moment* neither »»f us spoke, and Hun in n liuril. »ohl voire my tormentur l>.-g:?n again : "lint I mine here to talk business anil it is one of the ironies of life that on*- mwl «l>» business with whomsoever oik* is forced, whatever may I*** one's opinion of th«*ir sense »>f good taste. My first request to \-«n. Mr Oar.-igne, ft that yon will have lh»* good sense In perceive the obvious, ami to cease your attentions to a lady who has no desire to !»* honoured by your afTi-ction. My next request, which possibly yon mav »♦%• fit to consiik«r in conjunction with the other. is that you will tell |ti"' all you know about the myslertou* fei{pw-trnveller with whom you came to St. Petersburg " "Countess Illovosfcl ? '-"

"So. not the countess. I know as much oltoiit her, perha|»s. a* you can tell me. although 1 may have some question* to put to you on that point later. Hut there was somebody plwv * Now, how much had the countess told him * Was ho already Informed n* to the identity of the man to whom I had given my credentials. and did he want to know what 1 had !«•»■« careful to keep from the counl,..,*—t i/.. my reason for believing that the Kmperor desired to travel in ?..i-ret ? Or was he entirely ignorant of the whole affair, and merely «u*pktou» th«l there was some niysterv unrevealed "/ Whichever way It was 1 determined that this unscrupulous scoundrel should gel nothing out of me. "I decline to have anything further to »ay tp you on cither point." 1 •aid, "until I aui released from this unlawful Imprisonment, and then I shall lie pleased to talk to you. or to any of your colleagues, in my own way, either at my hotel or at the British Bmbassy." '•Now, don't he a fool, Mr. (iascolgne." he said, with a bitter laugh. "Try and realize your position. You are in the power of those who have been trained to act with remorseless rigour and to move in absolute secrecy. In half an hour you can t>e seated comfortably in your ~»n h')'e|. an honoured guest in our ,->T.p(';T.I. wwh ,-i->'*'.> rig '-anl about ivh.i' hn-. 'nvwl . "!' 'M 'iiii *>•■ im n-.--lin"-l/ tr.us-U'-"! to Mia' dark

' -.-. ■ : i.r.-iu jmi !.■> inn!'.- I'riim V. iilll ni' !*>>!.ll.ll. !||.' |. 11l suit j : . :nv, the hi.t-i. . oi pl<-<isjint m|>:iiu<ms and iM-mitiftil women -.'ill l.e as far removed a: though ••i lived on another planet. Your .»iiy associate* will he men from bom the sunshine of life has depnrtI for ever—nnd nil because you p-r-----F.-t in a stupid obstinacy that can benefit nobody." I listened lathe prince's description of my future with an heroic effort to repress a shudder, and when Pie had finished 1 looked him squarely in the face. "You h.ve come here," I said, "to nully me. a prisoner, and you call inurself a man." "I have come here," he replied, "to ndvis" for your good Am I to uud'r.*tand that you scorn my ■lp ? Will you. or will you no!, acjvde to my request ? " "I'll srv you in " I stnp|wd suddenly. It was hardly worth while descending to language that might oppear mere blasphemy louever strongly I fell it. for ttie iake of a creature like this. "You may as well finish it," he 4.eid. "I know the place to which ton would assign me. and for your *ood wishes you will now lie eon--v-igm-t! to something that so clo«ely resembles it as any experience on mrlh "■ With that he struck the gong and the officer came in. "Take him away." he said, "ami lit ilure lie no sickly sentimentality wiih him. I.et him feel .the grip of ihe power which our too lender I re.-! eieni of him has taught him to ' PII APT Kit XVI.

J was led Imrk to a cell, a rougher ruder cell than the one I had Iff'., filling weary anil sick of heart. Il wan a very different matter from what I hud expected. My adventures up to now had thrilled rather than alarmed in.-. My fears for Flora had certainly aroused in me am» of foreboding and uneasiness, hut the ?xciuitH»ni id the incidents that had happened sinre my arrival in St. Petersburg had kept the warm blood circling in my vein.*. so that weariness*, exhaustion, and even hunger, had not concerned iw much. Hut now, with those brutal words ringing In my ear* ! knew that the adventure had gone toy«»nd the realms ut ordinary romance and had now entered upon the stage of tragedy. I felt I wa-i hungry : I felt as though ! lonpitl for sleep. My body, bruised and worn, rrii-d otit for the soft tod. and clean sheets to which 1 had I»een accustomed ; instead. I looked round al my cell, with its damp stone walls. The sound of the rell door was the only sound I heard hour afier hour, and that was a r«-»iho in my memory.

What a foolish adventure it was ! I thought to myself. Except for my extraordinary mania for romance, except for that walk after dinner in Paris. I should now have liecn safe back in my quarters at the Embassy, lending an ordinary rouunonplacc existence, instead of tolng shut up In a space not more than eight feel by six feet, that smelt of decay and reminded me more than anything else pf I he Mausoleum in Paris. I tried to summon to myself that stubbornness that was supposed to to characteristic of the Gascoigno family, but in vain. However brave n light in my own mind I tried to put upon the situation, "it seemed no-" thing more than desperate. The thought of Flora in danger, the thought of the foul trick that had lwen plnyiil by the countess, the thought, moreover, of the brutal word* of Princ Mirski. put me now in the depths of despondency, now in n \>-ry fury of blood haired. Could I have mel* Prince Mirski fare to, fac«: then 1 should have doshetl his brains •nil against the wall. I paofl up and down, cursing, with my fists clench'd. my lifts, now and again when words failed me, so lightly press- d together that the blood trickled down my chin. At last I deiermined to sivk rest. With difficulty I stumbled into a corner id the ceil where a stone ledge was let. into the wall. On this I laid myself down and tried to sleep, but my brain was too crowded with images of the last two days to let me court the gi»il of sleep so s|ieedily «» 1 desired For an hour and more T tried all the subterfuges which I had l»een taught to try and seek rest, but in vain. Somehow, by some means or other. I must at last have dozed off. perhaps for longer than I thought, for I rememtor starting up to hear fhe voice of somebody in the cell and I he rattle pf the iron door. .\ liglil appeared across the doorway—a light lhat. though coining from only an ordinary oil lamp ap|»eared to me after those long hours of darkness. :i> bright that my eyes blinked tofore the unaccustomed glare. For a while indeed. I could see nothing, but like a foolish moth, tottered towards the light, to to pulled up suddenly by the harsh voice of the "warder, and the grip of his hand on my shoulder. *"Xow, then, steady, you English swine : that's not the way to to introduced to a lady. Come this way." He pushed me roughly through the door, and then drove me roughly 1h«fprc him down the passage, directing mo with his voici) to turn to Mm right or the left, and riirsfnp me as if I were a coster's donkey unwillingly going to market. I was too sleepy and still too bewildered even to protest, and I otoyed him with a meekness which elicited some unflattering remarks about England - and the Engli.-h. Presently, however, after we had proceeded in this way through some .>■' the most evil-smelling, filthy pupilages I have ever been in, he halt-d in front of a padlocked door, which evidently separated the actual prison part of "the building from the living apartments of the higher officials ; but More he let me pass through this door he bpund my wrists together behind my back with a pair of handctiffs. Then he marched mc into a waiting-room, set me with my bock against the wall, lounged himself into a comfortable chair ami from that restful position proceeded to give his fancy full play as r<gards the state of my body, my mind, my manners, my morals, myself, and my ancestors, and when h* had looked n' nl! th"-s<- things, his con-'hiM-iri ".>•' 'I 1 " 1 !h '' v w '**<> - "Spl-" liv-l; hud H.; had :.</' «j = ii - • - tint ihrwiirh th.:

1.1-- iV.-l .-;:,.< >;.wi.l .'il ai: •::: '. .: •.-.:-,. :i a heavily-veiled la<iy enter.;; ;li.- room. She mad- a sign to him !•>■ sniuti-d i»!i-l i;i-...1: .1 sii.i'ini: <;' i: of the room, closing the door behinc him. For a few seconds I tried to plerct the veil that hid the face of this Strang'.' visitor. I could feel her eyes watching me closely. Then, suddenly, it ramc to in- by telepathy who the woman was. Another second and her voice had betrayed her. "The pose is interesting, and the nttittide. if sriiu-.-uSiut stiff, r.cjl altogether becrniirg. Hut surely you find this room not quite so comfortable as your room at the hotel, Mr, (!ascoi;jne ? " 1 started forward, the blood rushing to my heail with rage, so that I felt almost intoxicated with anger. "You ! " I cried. "No stvnc. 1 beg of you, Mr. CJascoigne," she replied, as, throwing her veil from k: face, she sank back itito a chair. "What's th? usz ?" she allied, with a suggestive look at my mar.aclcd hands. "I have to thank you for remind-, ing me of my position," I said, leaning back once more against the wall with as easy a pose as I could muster, "ami the pleasure of this interview is due to—what, my d.ar countess ? Have you come to gloat or to bargain, or what is it ? " I purposely forced myself to speak with a nonchalance and calmness which I was far from facling for one always likes to make the best of a bad position. My words had their effect upon the rouni«-s. She bad come prepared for a storm. To be ni"t with studied calmness and coldness put her off her guard. fc'he flushed with annoyance. "I have come to save you," she said. "Ah. then, my dear countess, I was not so far out when I suggested that you had come cither to bargain or to gloat. Apparently you have come for both." This was 100 much for her. She rose to her feel in .a very storm of passion. "I didn't come here to gloat. 'As for bargain. Well, many would lie glad of it. I will give you liberty if you will take another gift from me—myself.'-

"Your generosity countess, overwhelms in"-." I said, mockingly. "I feel thai my freedom—great as it may In*—l feel that the absence of llk-so bracelets, which prevent me from slinking you by the hand, arc things too small to to paid for by such a priceless gift as yourself. I gat my freedom, and am allowed to ilo-iliy ordinary business, to occupy myself'on my lawful occasions. I take to myself in holy matrimony a Very charming lady who unites in a very interesting Career the profession of a spy and blackmailer, in whoso favour, two things at least (an he -aid. that the Anarchists dislike her and lhat she herself dislikes St. Petersburg waiters—a very natural objection to my way of thinking.'' As I let these strange words fall from me a very strange change came over her face. At lirst when I spoke of "spy *' and "blackmailer," she smiled somewhat bitterly, and the smile becaino more bitterly cynical when I spoke of Anarchists, but when I concluded my little outburst with what l\,«trposcly intended to be an anti-climax on the subject of -S»t. Petersburg waiters, who indeed — unless they are French —arc neither pleasant or useful, she turned as white as a sheet and stumbled back, gasping, into her chair. "What do you know ? What do you know ? " she cried, her eyes glaring at inc ferociously from hi white face.

"Perhaps more- than you would care for me to know under the circumstances, countess," I replied. "You reject my offer then because " She paused ami 1 filled up the gap with a cryptical statement : "Because of those circumstances, countess. "- All the while I was wondering what the deuce we were talking about. She grasped the arms of her chair tightly, leaning forward. "Only because of those circumstances ? "• she said, eagerly. "Are they not sufficient ? '-■ I retorted, with raised eyebrows •"To some, yes ; but not to us. I can set it aside. I have influence." But I was tired of talking in the dark. I seemed to make no progress. Beyond the fact that she did not like waiters, and lhat the particular waiter whose whisjwring in her ear had sent her off into a fainting lit, I knew nothing. Moreover I was tired of the interview. "Set what aside?" I said, forgetting my usual diplomatic skill. Surprise. astonishment, and relief were \isibly depicted on her face ai this remark of mine, the folly of which I was to understand later. She did not speak for a second r two. and when she did speak, her alarm was all gone , who was even smiling.

"My dear Mr. Gascoigne. what circumstances but.tneSe'.' I ran hav.the decree whicli has .so unfurl una'..ly. incarcerated you in this unpleasany building set aside, and you shall to a free man if " And then she. was (standing before, me. : She cam.- across the floor. She was even—this extraordinary woman —kneeling at my feot. *'lf, Hubert, you will return the love that I bear you. If you will give yourself to me. Whatever .■!-._• I am 1 am a woman capahle of inv. capable oi a passion of ha-red <\s well as love. I have !<,v.->l ;. ~-i -.. r since lhat moment in Par:- and my love has grown every day ut: - :• now it seems like a fury. 11 . r --r ■ . vh-n you saved me that da;.- •;;■■ railway carriage, and ui■■•■<. •••'•;>;■ wood at that hun'mtr I'.'iL'.-. oh, my darling, fored■ ■• ne- .--11 1 "r.av.done ! A silly, fun!:-!. 1 an* —yes. a bad woman ~-i .'.;•.!• .-'.-d with you capal.le oi i:.v!.. i; -'-''' Would give rie- ;../., j- 1- v.-. '!.:-■ :::•' I hate would pa- : ?r' ;.: ' 'l. Hubert, Ilub-rt, hav- ;■:•• '. "- There she wa-. kj.---, -'.-.u, a? :ay fee", While I btoori ;.i;;t.:. ' ' :.•■ wail v. dh the haTideufT- .- .-'::..- :;d'> ::.;. f;.-..sh a ni<-" po^-:- ;..■:■,, indeed, in v.hi<h to listen :.. ..-.; '. a lur.'t >.f pa.-s!'.::. Hut I Vs., ~. 1",.. t:i''d '., n.. p; a yed with, t Lad Lad ..,..,,ueh ~;' •!-,,■- wornun. and ■;.•■ •!;..;;;,(.• oi th- harm she hurl d. !.■• n..- w.-h F!".a hardened a,y ilea:) To 1)0 Conrir.ued.