by Guy Boothby
CHAPTER VIII.
A QUEER SURPRISE.
Within a week of our leaving the island behind us, as narrated in theprevious chapter, we had brought the Madura coast well abeam, and weredodging along it waiting for darkness to fall in order to get intoProbolingo Harbour. Here it was arranged I should leave the yacht andtravel by the Nederlands-India line of steamers to Batavia. A vesselof this line, so we had discovered, called at Probolingo about the endof each month, and for this reason our arrival was timed for theafternoon of the day of her departure.
Shortly before three o'clock we brought up at the anchorage, about amile from the shore. It was a lovely afternoon, and I could see thatthe steamer, which was to carry me on, was already preparing for herdeparture. The boat was alongside, my traps were safely stowed in her,and nothing remained but to bid Alie good-bye. As soon as this wasaccomplished I went down the gangway, took my seat in the stern, andwe pushed off. Ten minutes later I was on board the steamer _VanTromp_, had paid my passage-money, secured my berth, and was waitingto see what the next item of the programme would be.
From the deck of the Dutch vessel, as she swept by us under full sail,her course set for Batavia, the _Lone Star_ looked as pretty a craftas any man could wish to see. I noticed, however, that during thethree months she had been in her own harbour her colour, and indeedher whole appearance, had been entirely changed. When first I had madeher acquaintance she was white as the driven snow; now she was apeculiar shade of red. Her bows seemed bluffer than when I had seenher last, indeed from the present shape and construction of her mastsand gear it would have been extremely difficult to tell her for thesame vessel.
At six o'clock, and in the eye of a glorious sunset, we got up ourpressure and steamed out to sea. Of that voyage there is little totell. The _Van Tromp_ was a clumsy old tub of an almost obsoletepattern, and by the time we reached Tanjong Priok, as the seaport ofBatavia is called, I had had about enough of her.
Once there, I repacked my bag and stepped on to the wharf, resolved totake the first train to the city. Arriving there I drove direct to thehotel whose name Alie had given me and booked my room.
Batavia is a pretty place, and at the time of our visit was lookingits best. So far I had seen nothing of Alie, and I did not like tomake inquiries concerning her lest by so doing I might excitesuspicion. To while away the time till dinner I lit a cigar, andseating myself in the long verandah that surrounded the house, read mybook, keeping a watchful eye on the folk about me all the time.
Shortly before five o'clock, I noticed that the Dutch ladies in myneighbourhood ordered afternoon tea, and partook of it in theverandah. Not to be outdone, I followed their example. But just as Iwas about to pour myself out a cup an interruption occurred whichpresently assumed annoying proportions.
The table, on which my Malay boy had placed the tray, stood in thefull glare of the afternoon sun, and this being hotter than I liked, Ibade him move it nearer to the wall, and to facilitate matters, myselftook up the tray on which my cup stood, brimming full. Just as he wasputting the table down, however, two strange ladies turned the cornerof the verandah and came towards us. The taller, and younger of thetwo, was a fine dark woman, with a wealth of beautiful brown hairrolled tightly behind her head. She was dressed in a well-fittingtravelling dress, wore, what I believe is called, a sailor hat, andwalked with a carriage that would have even attracted attention in themost crowded street in the world. Her companion was an older woman,and, if one might judge by appearances, nearer sixty than fifty, witha fine, aristocratic face, and a considerable quantity of grey hairheaped in little corkscrew curls all over her head.
When they came level with where I stood, I stepped back to let thempass, but in doing so came into collision with the younger lady. Howit happened I cannot say, but the result was in every way disastrous;the tray slipped, and would have fallen had I not caught it in time,but the cup of tea was too quick for me, and fell to the ground,splashing the young lady's pretty grey dress beyond hope of remedy inits descent. The cup and saucer were broken into a hundred pieces. Fora moment the fair sufferer stood silent, hardly, I suppose, knowingwhat to say; but when I commenced my apologies and wanted to run tomy room for a cloth with which to wipe her dress, she found her voice,and said with a strong American accent--
"You must do nothing of the kind. It was all my fault. I declare I'mdownright sorry."
It would have been one of the prettiest voices I had ever heard butfor the Yankee twang that spoiled it. I hastened to assure her that Icould not let her take the blame upon herself, and once more begged tobe allowed to sponge the tea off her dress. This, however, she wouldnot permit me to do.
"It won't hurt," she assured me for the twentieth time, "and if itdid, it's an old dress, so don't bother yourself. But now, look here,you've been deprived of your tea, and that's not fair at all. Say,won't you come right along to our verandah and take a cup with us?You're English, I know, and it's real nice to have somebody who speaksour own tongue to talk to. Promise 'Yes' right away and we'll be off."
There was something so frank about her that, though I didn't at allwant to go, I could not resist her. So putting the remnants of the cupand saucer back upon the tray I accepted the invitation andaccompanied them round the hotel garden to their own verandah on theother side. As I went I kept my eyes open for any sign of Alie, butthough I thought I saw her once I presently found I was mistaken. Icould not help wondering what she would think if she met me in thisgirl's company. However, as I had let myself in for it I had nobody tothank but myself.
When we reached the ladies' quarters we found tea prepared. Before wesat down, however, the younger lady said, without a shadow ofembarrassment--
"I reckon, before we begin, we'd better do a little introducing, don'tyou? This lady (she pointed to her companion) is my very kind friendMrs. Beecher, of Boston, with whom I am travelling; you've probablyheard of Beecher's patent double-action sofa springs, I reckon? I amKate Sanderson, of New York, only daughter of millionaire Sanderson,of Wall Street, whom I guess you've heard all about too. So you seewe're both of the United States of America, and very much at yourservice."
"I am very glad to have met you," I answered. "My name is DeNormanville, and I hail from London."
"Not Dr. De Normanville, of Cavendish Square, surely?"
"Yes, the same. Cavendish Square was my London address two years ago.But how do you come to know it?"
"Well, now, if that isn't real extraordinary! I thought I recognisedyou directly I set eyes on you. But it's mighty plain you don'tremember me! That's not much of a compliment any way you look at it.Is it, Mrs. Beecher?"
The elder declined to commit herself, so Miss Sanderson once moreturned to me.
"Just think now, Dr. De Normanville," she said. "Look at me well, andtry to remember where we have met before."
I looked and looked, but for the life of me I could not recall herface, and yet somehow it seemed strangely familiar to me. All the timeI was watching her she sat gazing at me with an amused smile upon herface, and when she saw that it was useless my cudgelling my brainsany more, gave another little silvery laugh, and said--
"Do you remember, just three years ago, being called in to the LanghamHotel to attend a young American lady who had a fish-bone stuck in herthroat?"
"I remember the circumstance perfectly," I answered, "but that younglady was only one or two and twenty."
"You think then I look older than that? Well! I reckon you are reallynot very complimentary. But you must remember that that was threeyears ago, and I was only a girl then. When once we get grown up, andpast a certain point, over on our side, we age pretty fast. That's so,I reckon. Well now you know me, don't you? What a day that was, to besure, wasn't it? Lor! how pap and mammie did go on! Anybody'd havethought I was going to Kingdom Come right away to have heard them.D'you know, I reckon I must have got the marks of that bone in mythroat to this day."
"It was a very nasty scratch, if I remember rightly," I answered, gladto
have at last discovered who this talkative creature was, and whereI had seen her face before.
"Are you remaining very long in Java, Mrs. Beecher?" I asked the elderlady, feeling that so far she had been rather neglected.
"No, I think not," she answered thoughtfully; "we are trying to makeup our minds whether to take a British India steamer home from here,or to go up to Singapore and intercept a Peninsular and Orientalthere. Miss Sanderson has taken a great fancy to the East, and I mustconfess I am very loth to leave it."
"You are quite right," I said. "I can fully sympathise with yourfeelings. I am sadly reluctant to go back to foggy old England myself,after my trip out here."
"And do you intend going back very soon?" asked Miss Sanderson, whohad been smoothing out her gloves upon her knee.
"Within the next month or so," I answered, with a sigh. "My businessin the East is at an end, and I have no excuse for staying longer."
From this point the talk drifted on to general topics, and when teawas finished I seized the first opportunity that presented itself,and, making an excuse, withdrew. Just as I stepped from the verandah,one of the small native _dos-a-dos_ carts entered the grounds and drewup near the end of my corridor. Two ladies descended from it, and,having paid the driver, entered their rooms. One was tall, and theother rather shorter. At last I felt convinced Alie had arrived.
As they disappeared the gong warned us to prepare for dinner; but,heedless of my costume, I seated myself outside my door and waited.Though I remained there for some time, however, they did not emergeagain, and at last I was compelled to go in and make myselfpresentable without having seen them.
At dinner, which was served in the palatial marble dining saloonstanding in the centre of the gardens, I discovered to my annoyancethat my place was laid at a long table at the further end, exactlyopposite those occupied by the American ladies with whom I had takentea.
From where I sat it was quite impossible for me to see all over theroom, and, in consequence, I could not tell whether Alie was presentor not. As soon, however, as the meal was over I rose, and, beforewalking out, looked about me. Some of the residents were still dining,and at the end of the middle table, farthest from me, were, withoutdoubt, the two ladies whom I had seen arrive. At the distance I wasfrom them it was quite impossible to tell who they were, but from thepoise of her head and the shape of her beautiful arms and shoulders, Ifelt convinced that the taller of the two was the woman I loved, andwhom I had all the afternoon been so anxiously expecting.
Seeing, however, that it was just possible I might be mistaken, andremembering the instruction Alie had given me to let our meetingappear accidental, I could not walk down the length of the room andaccost her, so I betook myself into the marble portico and waited forthem to come out. But, as it happened, Miss Sanderson and her friendwere the first to emerge, and the voluble young American took me bystorm at once. From what she told me I gathered two things, first,that hitherto she had found her evenings dull, and, second, that onthis particular occasion there was to be an open-air concert on theKing's Plain, distant about a mile from the hotel. She and her friendhad intended going, if they could find an escort, and there and thenshe asked me if I would officiate in that capacity. I did not knowwhat to say. They were women, and I could not be rude; and, moreoveras they had evidently set their hearts upon going, and I was notpositively certain that Alie had arrived, I felt I had no right todecline the honour of escorting them. Accordingly I assented, and wentacross the garden to get my hat. Five minutes later they met me at thegates, and we strolled down the road together towards the plain.
There are few prettier places in the world than Batavia, and I havemet with few handsomer girls than the distinguished-looking Americanby my side; but for all that I was not contented with my lot. I wantedto be back in the verandah at the hotel watching for Alie.
Leaving a handsome street behind us we passed on to the plain, where alarge crowd of people were promenading to the strains of a militaryband. At any other time the music would have been inspiriting, but, inthe humour I was in, the gayest marches sounded like funeral dirges.For over an hour we continued to promenade, until I began really tothink that I should have to ask my friends to accompany me home orremain where they were without me. But at last the concert came to anend, and we once more turned our faces in the direction of our hotel.
"You have been very quiet this evening," said Miss Sanderson to me aswe left the turf and stepped on to the road again.
"I hope my being so has not spoilt your enjoyment," I said, trying tobeg the question.
"Oh; dear no!" Then, as if something had suddenly struck her, "Do youexpect to see anyone in Batavia? I have noticed that you scan everylady we pass as if you were on the look-out for an acquaintance."
"I _did_ expect to see someone, I must confess," I answered. "You havesharp eyes, Miss Sanderson."
"They have been trained in a sharp school," was her brief reply.
By this time we were within five minutes walk of home, and in the actof crossing one of the numerous bridges that, in Dutch fashion, graceBatavia's streets. We paused for a few moments and leaned over theparapet to look down at the star-spangled water oozing its silent waytowards the sea. It was all very quiet, and as far as we could see wehad the street to ourselves. Suddenly Miss Sanderson dropped herAmerican accent, and said in quite a different voice--
"Dr. De Normanville, this has gone far enough. Do you know me now?"
_It was Alie!_
To say that I was taken by surprise would not be to express mycondition at all. I was simply overwhelmed with astonishment, and forsome seconds could only stand and stare at her in complete amazement.Her disguise was so perfect, her American accent was so real, heracting had been so wonderfully maintained, that I never for an instantsuspected the trick she had been playing upon me.
"You! Alie," I cried when at last I found my voice. "Is it possiblethat Miss Sanderson has been a myth all the time?"
"Not only quite possible, but a fact," she answered, with a laugh."Yes! I am Alie, and no more Miss Sanderson, of New York, than youare. Do me the justice to remember I warned you I was good atdisguising myself. My reason for not revealing my identity to youbefore was that I wanted thoroughly to test the value of the part Iwas playing, and since you, who know me so well, did not recognise me,I am inclined to believe nobody else will."
"It is simply marvellous. If you had not declared yourself I shouldnever have known you. And your companion is therefore not Mrs.Beecher, whose husband's patent double-action sofa springs are sojustly famous, any more than you are Miss Sanderson?"
"No, both the husband and the sofa springs are creations of my ownimagination."
"But the incident you recalled to my memory. The bone in your throatthat I extracted at the Langham, how do you account for that?"
"Easily! One day in your surgery at the settlement you casuallymentioned having extracted a fish bone from a young American lady'sthroat at that hotel. I thought it unlikely, as it was the only timeyou ever saw her, that you would remember her name or face, so Iassumed that character in order to try the effect of my disguise uponyou."
"You are a wonderful actress; you would make your fortune on thestage."
"Do you think so? What a sensation it would cause in the East. Underthe patronage of His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong, the Admiraland Commander-in-Chief, the Beautiful White Devil as Ophelia, orDesdemona shall we say, why, what houses I should draw. But now tobusiness. As we may not have another opportunity, let us see that ourplans coincide. By the way, the French boat leaves to-morrow afternoonfor Singapore. You have booked your passage, of course?"
I nodded assent, and she continued--
"You must board her alone. We shall join just before she sails. Whenwe get to Singapore we must drive separately to the Mandalay Hotel,and figure there in the light of casual travelling acquaintances.Before you have been in the place half a day you will probably havebeen introduced to Mr. Ebbington, the man we want. He
will see youtalking to me, and by hook or crook you must introduce him to me.Whatever you do, don't forget, however, that my name is Sanderson.Having done this, leave the rest to me. Do you think you thoroughlyunderstand?"
"Thoroughly."
"That's right. Now let us be getting home. To-morrow we must be earlyastir."
We continued our walk, and in five minutes had bade each othergood-night in the hotel gardens, and separated.
By sundown next day we were on board the Messageries MaritimesCompany's boat, steaming out of Tanjong Priok Harbour, bound forSingapore. I joined the steamer some time before her advertisedsailing hour, but it was close upon the time of her departure whenAlie and her companion made their appearance.
In my capacity of casual acquaintance I raised my hat to them as theycame up the gangway, but did not do more. They went below, while Istayed on deck, watching the business of getting under way.
Just as the last sign of the coast line disappeared beneath the wavessomeone came up and stood beside me. On looking round I discoveredthat it was Alie!
"So you managed to get on board safely," she said, after the usualpolite preliminaries had been gone through. "Our enterprise has nowfairly started, and if we have ordinary luck we ought to be able tocarry it through successfully."
"Let us hope we _shall_ have that luck then," I answered. "But Iconfess I tremble when I think of the risk you are running inappearing in a place like Singapore, where you have so many enemies."
"Even disguised as Miss Sanderson, the American heiress? No, youcannot mean it. If you think that, what will you say to another plot Iam hatching?"
"Another? Good gracious! and what is this one to be?"
"Listen, and you shall learn. Three years ago, in a certain island ofthe South Pacific, there was a man--an official holding a high officeunder Government--who very nearly got into serious trouble. The chargeagainst him was that by his orders two native women had been floggedto death. By some means he managed to disprove it and to escapepunishment, but the feeling against him was so bitter that it wasthought advisable to transfer him elsewhere. You would have imaginedthat that lesson would have been enough for him. Not a bit. On the newisland he began his reign of tyranny again, and once more a deathoccurred; this time, however, the victim was a man. The authorities athome were immediately appealed to, with the result that an inquiry washeld and his retention on that island was also considered injudicious.He was removed from his high estate. That was all; he had murdered, Irepeat it, deliberately murdered three people; in fact, flogged thelives out of two women and one man, and the only sentence passed uponhim was that he should be transferred elsewhere. It makes my bloodboil to think of it."
"I can quite understand it."
"Yes. That was all, nothing more was done. The man went free. The poorwretches were only natives, you must understand. And who cares about afew natives? No one. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I am not. Nowit so happens that I have an agent living on that very island whom Ican perfectly trust. He was a witness on the inquiry commission, hesaw the flogging in question, and in due course he reported the factsto me. I must also tell you that that man boasted publicly that if hecaught me he would--but there, I dare not tell you what he said hewould do. Now his friends have used their influence and he has beenappointed to a post in one of the treaty ports of China. I hear he isa passenger on the mail boat touching at Singapore next week."
"And what do you intend to do?"
"It is my intention, if possible, to catch him, to punish him as hedeserves, and, by so doing, to teach him a lesson he will remember allhis life."