The House of Whispers

by William Le Queux

  CHAPTER XVII

  DESCRIBES A FRENCHMAN'S VISIT

  "Monsieur Goslin, Sir Henry," Hill announced, entering his master's roomone morning a fortnight later, just as the blind man was about todescend to breakfast. "He's in the library, sir."

  "Goslin!" exclaimed the Baronet, in great surprise. "I'll go to him atonce; and Hill, serve breakfast for two in the library, and tell MissGabrielle that I do not wish to be disturbed this morning."

  "Very well, Sir Henry;" and the man bowed and went down the broad oakstaircase.

  "Goslin here, without any announcement!" exclaimed the Baronet, speakingto himself. "Something must have happened. I wonder what it can be." Hetugged at his collar to render it more comfortable; and then, with agroping hand on the broad balustrade, he felt his way down the stairsand along the corridor to the big library, where a stout, grey-hairedFrenchman came forward to greet him warmly, after carefully closing thedoor.

  "Ah, _mon cher ami_!" he began; and, speaking in French, he inquiredeagerly after the Baronet's health. He was rather long-faced, with beardworn short and pointed, and his dark, deep-set eyes and his countenanceshowed a fund of good humour. "This visit is quite unexpected,"exclaimed Sir Henry. "You were not due till the 20th."

  "No; but circumstances have arisen which made my journey imperative, soI left the Gare du Nord at four yesterday afternoon, was at CharingCross at eleven, had half-an-hour to catch the Scotch express at King'sCross, and here I am."

  "Oh, my dear Goslin, you always move so quickly! You're simply a marvelof alertness."

  The other smiled, and, with a shrug of the shoulders, said, "I reallydon't know why I should have earned a reputation as a rapid traveller,except, perhaps, by that trip I made last year, from Paris toConstantinople, when I remained exactly thirty-eight minutes in theSultan's capital. But I did my business there, nevertheless, even thoughI got through quicker than _messieurs les touristes_ of the mostestimable Agence Cook."

  "You want a wash, eh?"

  "Ah, no, my friend. I washed at the hotel in Perth, where I took mymorning coffee. When I come to Scotland I carry no baggage save mytooth-brush in my pocket, and a clean collar across my chest, its endsheld by my braces."

  The Baronet laughed heartily. His friend was always most resourceful andingenious. He was a mystery to all at Glencardine, and to Lady Heyburnmost of all. His visits were always unexpected, while as to who hereally was, or whence he came, nobody--not even Gabrielle herself--knew.At times the Frenchman would take his meals alone with Sir Henry in thelibrary, while at others he would lunch with her ladyship and herguests. On these latter occasions he proved himself a most amusingcosmopolitan, and at the same time exhibited an extreme courtlinesstowards every one. His manner was quite charming, yet his presence therewas always puzzling, and had given rise to considerable speculation.

  Hill came in, and after helping the Frenchman to take off his heavyleather-lined travelling-coat, laid a small table for two and preparedbreakfast.

  Then, when he had served it and left, Goslin rose, and, crossing to thedoor, pushed the little brass bolt into its socket. Returning to hischair opposite the blind man (whose food Hill had already cut up forhim), he exclaimed in a very calm, serious voice, speaking in French, "Iwant you to hear what I have to say, Sir Henry, without excitingyourself unduly. Something has occurred--something very strange andremarkable."

  The other dropped his knife, and sat statuesque and expressionless. "Goon," he said hoarsely. "Tell me the worst at once."

  "The worst has not yet happened. It is that which I'm dreading."

  "Well, what has happened? Is--is the secret out?"

  "The secret is safe--for the present."

  The blind man drew a long breath. "Well, that's one thing to be thankfulfor," he gasped. "I was afraid you were going to tell me that the factswere exposed."

  "They may yet be exposed," the mysterious visitor exclaimed. "That'swhere lies the danger."

  "We have been betrayed, eh? You may as well admit the ugly truth atonce, Goslin!"

  "I do not conceal it, Sir Henry. We have."

  "By whom?"

  "By somebody here--in this house."

  "Here! What do you mean? Somebody in my own house?"

  "Yes. The Greek affair is known. They have been put upon their guard inAthens."

  "By whom?" cried the Baronet, starting from his chair.

  "By somebody whom we cannot trace--somebody who must have had access toyour papers."

  "No one has had access to my papers. I always take good care of that,Goslin--very good care of that. The affair has leaked out at your end,not at mine."

  "At our end we are always circumspect," the Frenchman said calmly. "Restassured that nobody but we ourselves are aware of our operations orintentions. We know only too well that any revelation would assuredlybring upon us--disaster."

  "But a revelation has actually been made!" exclaimed Sir Henry, bendingforward. "Therefore the worst is to be feared."

  "Exactly. That is what I am endeavouring to convey."

  "The betrayal must have come from your end, I expect; not from here."

  "I regret to assert that it came from here--from this very room."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Because in Athens they have a complete copy of one of the documentswhich you showed me on the last occasion I was here, and which we havenever had in our possession."

  The blind man was silent. The allegation admitted of no argument.

  "My daughter Gabrielle is the only person who has seen it, and sheunderstands nothing of our affairs, as you know quite well."

  "She may have copied it."

  "My daughter would never betray me, Goslin," said Sir Henry in a hard,distinct voice, rising from the table and slowly walking down the long,book-lined room.

  "Has no one else been able to open your safe and examine its contents?"asked the Frenchman, glancing over to the small steel door let into thewall close to where he was sitting.

  "No one. Though I'm blind, do you consider me a fool? Surely I recogniseonly too well how essential is secrecy. Have I not always taken the mostextraordinary precautions?"

  "You have, Sir Henry. I quite admit that. Indeed, the precautions you'vetaken would, if known to the world, be regarded--well, as simplyamazing."

  "I hope the world will never know the truth."

  "It will know the truth. They have the copies in Athens. If there is atraitor--as we have now proved the existence of one--then we can neverin future rest secure. At any moment another exposure may result, withits attendant disaster."

  The Baronet halted before one of the long windows, the morning sunshinefalling full upon his sad, grey face. He drew a long sigh and said,"Goslin, do not let us discuss the future. Tell me exactly what is thepresent situation."

  "The present situation," the Frenchman said in a dry, matter-of-factvoice, "is one full of peril for us. You have, over there in your safe,a certain paper--a confidential report which you received direct fromVienna. It was brought to you by special messenger because its naturewas not such as should be sent through the post. A trusted official ofthe Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought it here. To whom did hedeliver it?"

  "To Gabrielle. She signed a receipt."

  "And she broke the seals?"

  "No. I was present, and she handed it to me. I broke the seals myself.She read it over to me."

  "Ah!" ejaculated the Frenchman suspiciously. "It is unfortunate that youare compelled to entrust our secrets to a woman."

  "My daughter is my best friend; indeed, perhaps my only friend."

  "Then you have enemies?"

  "Who has not?"

  "True. We all of us have enemies," replied the mysterious visitor. "Butin this case, how do you account for that report falling into the handsof the people in Athens? Who keeps the key of the safe?"

  "I do. It is never out of my possession."

  "At night what do you do with it?"

  "I hide it in a secret place
in my room, and I sleep with the doorlocked."

  "Then, as far as you are aware, nobody has ever had possession of yourkey--not even mademoiselle your daughter?"

  "Not even Gabrielle. I always lock and unlock the safe myself."

  "But she has access to its contents when it is open," the visitorremarked. "Acting as your secretary, she is, of course, aware of a gooddeal of your business."

  "No; you are mistaken. Have we not arranged a code in order to preventher from satisfying her woman's natural inquisitiveness?"

  "That's admitted. But the document in question, though somewhat guarded,is sufficiently plain to any one acquainted with the nature of ournegotiations."

  The blind man crossed to the safe, and with the key upon his chainopened it, and, after fumbling in one of the long iron drawers revealedwithin, took out a big oblong envelope, orange-coloured, and securedwith five black seals, now, however, broken.

  This he handed to his friend, saying, "Read it again, to refresh yourmemory. I know myself what it says pretty well by heart."

  Monsieur Goslin drew forth the paper within and read the lines of close,even writing. It was in German. He stood near the window as he read,while Sir Henry remained near the open safe.

  Hill tapped at the bolted door, but his master replied that he did notwish to be disturbed. "Yes," the Frenchman said at last, "the copy theyhave in Athens is exact--word for word."

  "They may have obtained it from Vienna."

  "No; it came from here. There are some pencilled comments in yourdaughter's handwriting."

  "They were dictated by me."

  "Exactly. And they appear in the copy now in the hands of the people inAthens! Thus it is doubly proved that it was this actual document whichwas copied. But by whom?"

  "Ah!" sighed the helpless man, his face drawn and paler than usual,"Gabrielle is the only person who has had sight of it."

  "Mademoiselle surely could not have copied it," remarked the Frenchman."Has she a lover?"

  "Yes; the son of a neighbour of mine, a very worthy young fellow."

  Goslin grunted dubiously. It was apparent that he suspected her oftrickery. Information such as had been supplied to the Greek Governmentwould, he knew, be paid for, and at a high price. Had mademoiselle'slover had a hand in that revelation?

  "I would not suggest for a single moment, Sir Henry, that mademoiselleyour daughter would act in any way against your personal interests;but--"

  "But what?" demanded the blind man fiercely, turning towards hisvisitor.

  "Well, it is peculiar--very peculiar--to say the least."

  Sir Henry was silent. Within himself he was compelled to admit thatcertain suspicion attached to Gabrielle. And yet was she not his mostdevoted--nay, his only--friend? "Some one has copied the report--that'sevident," he said in a low, hard voice, reflecting deeply.

  "And by so doing has placed us in a position of grave peril, SirHenry--imminent peril," remarked the visitor. "I see in this an attemptto obtain further knowledge of our affairs. We have a secret enemy, who,it seems, has found a vulnerable point in our armour."

  "Surely my own daughter cannot be my enemy?" cried the blind man indismay.

  "You say she has a lover," remarked the Frenchman, speaking slowly andwith deliberation. "May not he be the instigator?"

  "Walter Murie is upright and honourable," replied the blind man. "Andyet--" A long-drawn sigh prevented the conclusion of that sentence.

  "Ah, I know!" exclaimed the mysterious visitor in a tone of sympathy."You are uncertain in your conclusions because of your terribleaffliction. Sometimes, alas! my dear friend, you are imposed upon,because you are blind."

  "Yes," responded the other, bitterly. "That is the truth, Goslin.Because I cannot see like other men, I have been deceived--foully andgrossly deceived and betrayed! But--but," he cried, "they thought toruin me, and I've tricked them, Goslin--yes, tricked them! Have no fear.For the present our secrets are our own!"