CHAPTER XXXII.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 382, 6 July 1889, Page 3

CHAPTER XXXII.

AN ARISTOCRATIC SCOUNDREL. ?Now,' said Wat, addressing the duke, when the countess had closed her door, • ask me what you wish to know.'

n ' How much of what you told us at th< meeting is true.' !e *It is all true, and this much more. Tin ,c Countess Sofia is ready, for her own end* i- to betray Chernigoff and his plot againsi both nihilists and government.' c ' Kas she done so ye 4 t; r db"y.o i u ''think'?' h 'I think she has accused' 'Chernigoff oi being a nihilist, but I do not think she has c done any more.' ,f ' Why do you think so ?' I ' The Grand Duke Vladimir was with hei c during her interview with the Czar." As Wat said this, in a confidential-mannei s he watched his man narrowly. The Duke looked releived, and said : 1 ' Ah !' a • Aad, the Grand Duke did not leave her 3 until she wasin her carriage, or his rather,' said Wat. ) ' But she may have returned to the O<:ar 3 and' told him.' ) 'It is posbible ; but I am inclined to think she did not, for she was too hot in her I pursuit of us to care for anything else.' . ' ' Bub since your escape ? 'She may not know of that yet.' [ ' True ; but when she does know of it, she may go to the Czar to buy his greater ( activity by telling him her greatest piece of news.' . ' Likely enough, for thero is •nothing she would not do to accomplish the death of 1 Vera Radolinski.' ' ' I am going to look for her.' [ ' ]£or "ft hat purpose ?' * If she Ivejd -your life in her hand, and [, was.-a.bout to throw it away, what would 'yjJjjJtfiHjb^r bu'tfor? 5 • < « i ' ' '-Yoq'kiean to kill her before she.gets the i ehaa'qe, j;o. betray you ?' • , ' lf,&omebody must die, I would rather it , were n pel.' , ' Suppose you cannot find hei ?' 'I will find her.' 'Do you care to hear any advice Irom me ?' , ;.; * ' ' 1 shall be only too glad -to hear it.' * Of course, ono who is engaged in such plots as you are must have every provision made ior a hasty flight '?' ' Yes, my pas&port'is made out, and I can leave at any time. ' * Then go to-night ; for if Sofia has not already betrayed you, she will to-morrow.' ■ 'Do you think so?' 'If she has any notion that she can ac complish her end by betraying you, she will not hesitate.' 'You are light, I believe, and I will go seek her. . If I fail to find her, then 1 will return and flee.' ' Do not lose too much time.' 'No.' 'In the meantime, this will not be a safe place for me ; so I had better find another hiding-place.' ' You will be sale until I have decided what to do/ ' Yes ;\ but suppose >ou should forget to warn ,me' y ? I hayfe known of such things as people forgetting "others for themselves.' ' But I must return here, and I give you word that I will no't^orget yo^a.' ' You promise me that ?' 'Faithfully.' ' 'Very well, then, and I shall sleep in peace. But please to remember one thing.' ' What is that;?' ' I am the wrong man to trifle with." ' You need say nothing to impress me with the greatest respect tor you. I have had proof of what you are capable of.' 'Then good-night.' ' Good-night.' The duke left the room, and Wat listened to his steps as they echoed along the waxed floor of the hall. Then Wat softly opened his own door and otole out aft-er his host. 'Did you- think tid fool, me sq easily?' muttered Wat. "'' • ' ' •-* - He saw the duke enter the room on the same floor, and hastening to it, stooped and looked through the keyhole. The duke sat down at onco to bistable, and taking writing mateiials from a drawer, wrote hastily at some length. Reading the letter over, he-nodded his head, with a smile, and folded the sheet and nut it in an envelope. Then ho wrote a shorter letter, and put that in an envelope. 'I would like to see those letters,' said Wat, to himself. 'Indeed, I must see them.' And, without more ado, he knocked at the door of the room. ' Come !' called the duke. Wat opened the door hurriedly, and ran in, a* if in great anxiety. ' How fortunate to find your room !' he exclaimed, as he walked up to the duke. ' Yes. How did you find it ? What is the matter ? What can Ido for you ?' 'You can give me those two letters,' answered Wat. And as he spoke he caught the duke by the throat, and by a dextrous twist had him on the floor. The duke struggled madly, trying at once to cry out and to escape from the icon grasp of his assailant. He was powerless, however, to do either the one or the other, and in a few minutes he was gasrged and tied so that he could not escape. Then Wat got up and said : ' I have a burning desire to know what sort of a letter a traitor would write when he found himself in a strait.' He took the letters from the floor where they had fallen, and tore them open. Selecting the longest one, he read it aloud. ; My Dear Vladimir :— Here is a nice mess ! Did you know that Sofia was bent on hnving the little Radolinaki's blood at any cost? As you know, for you were present, she had denounced Chernigoff as a nihilist; but. as you may ;not know, she i 6 willing to betray a greater man and plot than either nihilism or Che mi go It. I have Radolinski and an American detective here in my house and in my power, and if you think best they can bo delivered over to her. What do you say? Here is a letter for Sofia in case you should think it well to propitiate her. Make haste, Jor the American is very suspicious. In any event, he must not be allowed to fall into qic hands of the authorities. He had better be shot while escaping, or allowed to go free. ~ • 1 Hastily yours, Kalouga.' ' What a nice man you are !' said Wat, sarcastically, when he had come to the end of this letter. He now opened the other letter, and read it, too, aloud. It ran as follows ir~ . ' DEAR Countess, -R^dolinski is in my house. You may have her. Call on me before taking delivery of the i<oods. ' With the assurance, etc., Kalouga.' ' Well, you are a nice man !' «said Wat. ''I, never saw such a nice man I What do you suppose, now, that lam going to do with you? Bh? You can't answer with Mi*>t handkerchief in your mouth, can you ? Well, I'll tell you. I'm not going to kill you. Killing is altogether too good for you. I'm going to <<aye you for hotter things than that. I'm goins: to bundle you up carefully, and put you away where you won't be in anybody's way for some time. Do you think you can get along for a day or so without anything to eat ? You'll try anyhow, won't you ?' And bantering him thus, Wat tied him more securely and readjusted -the gag. Then ho laid him on the floor and began to search through ,the drawers of. the table. Not finding what he wanted there, he was about to look for some other secure place, when an idea struck him. 'I wonder, now, if you would not be likely to have that little paper in your pocket ?' he said. Acting on that idea, he emptied the coat-

c pocket of the duke, and searched amonj several papers there for what he wanted, c ' Ah, here we have it ! Passport for Duki >, of Kalouga and wife. I did not know yoi it were m arried. How fortunate it is !' And disregarding scowl- of the proe trate duke, Wat' laid -the $,as,sport aside anc f began to dverhaul the wardrobe in the ad s joining room. ' Returning in a few minutes, with an arm ful of clothing, he locked the door, saying r ' 'How convenient it is that your valel does; not come in now. J use let him wait c r few minutes and he may come artd wel come.' Divesting himself of coat, vest, and ti'ousers, Wat put on the clothing of the r dake which he had taken from the ward- ' robe. ' A little snug for me, but that is a trifle, r The friend 3 of 1 the duke will think he has grown stouter, that is all. Let me see— you j wear a high collar, don't you ?' c Wat took off his ojvn collar, and standing before the glass, took off every particle oi miko-upfrom his* face. , i Then he retrimmed his moustache to , the shape of the* duke's/ and otherwise • made himself look like that unfortunate f . person. ', When he Was through, he turned to the i duke, and said : ! : 'Don't you think I 'shall pass muster as Kalouga ? If .1 find I am 'likely to be suspected as an impostor, 1 will do some mean, contemptible thing, and nobody will doubt longer ,that lam you. Now . to stow you a wajr 'income aafe, nook.' , In the room bbyondl itfierp was a large i closot, with the key in the dpor. It was so lai-go that there would be , no 'likelihood that the duke would stiflo in it, so Wat carried him to it and locked him in. > .. . ' Then he deared'aw&y *ever-y sifjn of anything unusual having tak'ehV pla.ee.) &nrl finally -locked xthe doo*K>f th'e'tnhe'r'r6o H n^. : "" * Now,' he muttered, ' if. 1 Sofia has not yet betrayed her confederates, we will be able to geb well on our way out of the country before the duke is found. He hastened back to Vera, and. knocked at her door. It was opened at once. 4 You, sir,' said Vera, indignantly, at sight of the false duke, 'what do you wish ? Whereas my friend, my protector !' ' He's all right,' said Wat, taking? the voice of the duke. 'He's gone on ahead, and I'm to follow with you ' ' Never ! You have betrayed him, as I feared. Do not come a step nearer to me ! I am aimed !' ' She drew the dagger Wat had' given her, and with an. air that told what she was capable of, stepped back a pace. Wat laughed. * ' Then my disguise is a good one ?' he said. ' You ?' cried Vera, in amazement. '" ' Yes, it is I.- But we must lose no time. I have taken the duke's passport from him, and, much as you seem to dislike him, you, must pass for his wife for a little while, ' And must I disguise myself, too ?' • No, but if you have any notion where in j this great house his ujifo keeps herself, I will try to get you a hat and cloak. ' 'I don't know positively, but it is sure' to be in the main building somewhere.' ' Wait here, then, and I will try to find the things for you,' This was not so easy a task as it might have been, but it was indispensable that Vera should have the things, so Wat went on a voyage of discovery. Ho had no great difficulty in finding the duchess's apartments, for they were far more full ot life-thaii the duke's. The latter had his o>vn reasons for having 'his part ot tlte 'palace l as little frequented'^ as might be. ". - * ' Wat hailed a maid as soon as he sa\v one, and that one happened fortunately to be a vain, pretty little creature. ' Will you do me a favour, my little beauty ?' asked Wat, retiring as much as possible into the shadow. ' Yes, your grace, if I may,' was the .answer, in a coqudttish tone. Wat chucked her under the chin, and slipped a piece of gold into her hand. 'All I want is a kiss.' Wat thought he might play the duke's part properly, so he took a kiss at onee — • and-one of the duchess's hats and cloaks. Will you get; bhem for me ?' ' What would her grace say if she knew ?' cried the girl, with a rosy blush. 'About the kiss do you mean? If you are wise, you'll never say a word about it.' ' No. I mean if I take the hat and cloak.' ' She will not mind. I give you permission to say I took them.' ' Where shall I find you ?' ' Here, if you can be quick.' ' I'll nob be five minutes.' She ran off, and was as good as her word, for in less than the five minutes she was back with the desired., articles. True to his part, and perhaps to himself, too, Wat again kissed the girl, gave her another piece of money, and returned to Vera.