CHAPTER XIV
BAFFLED!
Meanwhile, the Countess Saens had departed from Merehaven House with asmiling assurance to the effect that she did not anticipate any seriousloss in consequence of the very mysterious robbery. She looked easyenough as she stepped into her brougham, drawn by the splendid bays thatLondon knew so well by sight, and kissed her fingers gaily to hercavalier. But the brightness left her eyes when once she was alone.There was a keen, eager expression on her face then, a look of mingledanxiety and anger in her dark eyes. The most fascinating woman in Londonwould have surprised her many admirers had they chanced to see her atthat moment. She looked old and haggard; the smiling mouth had grownhard as a steel trap. She did not wait for the footman to open the door;she ran up the steps with a curt command that the carriage must wait, asshe was presently going out again.
The trembling maid was upstairs awaiting the coming of her mistress. Shehad very little to add to what she had already said. Nothing appeared tohave been disturbed. There was no sign of a robbery anywhere, save thatone of the drawers in a dressing table had been turned out and thecontents scattered on the floor.
"Now listen to me," the countess said. "Who paid for you to take thosepapers?"
"I know nothing of any papers, _non, non_!" the maid replied. "I takenothing. If madame wishes to suggest that I am a thief, I go. I leaveto-night."
The girl paced up and down the room, her pale face held high. She wasnot used to being called a thief. If madame was not satisfied she woulddepart at once. The countess changed her tone.
"Now listen to me," she said more gently. "Just before dinner to-night Iam in receipt of certain papers. Nobody knows that I possess them. Forsafe keeping I place them in that drawer and lock it up. Some time lateryou come to me with this story of the burglary. If jewels had beenstolen, or money, I would have perhaps understood it, though your taleis so extraordinary that----"
"Not at all, madame," the maid cried hotly. "No more strange than thestories one reads every day in the newspapers. And there are no jewelsmissing."
"No, and that makes the affair all the more suspicious in my eyes.Nobody could have known about those papers, and yet the thief takesnothing else. A woman walks into the house as if it belonged to her, shegoes direct to that drawer, and there you are! You say you saw thewoman?"
The maid nodded sulkily; she did not look in the least guilty.
"I have already told madame so," she said. "I saw the woman twiceto-night. The first time was when she was here, the second time at theresidence of my Lord Merehaven. It was the lady in the satin dress whostood in the hall." The girl spoke in tones of perfect confidence. Noridicule on the part of the countess could shake her belief in thestatement.
"But it is impossible," the latter said. "You are speaking of MissGalloway. I saw Miss Galloway several times during the evening. If youare correct, she must have slipped away and changed her dress, committedthe robbery, and be back here and changed her dress again--all in aquarter of an hour."
"Nevertheless, it was the same woman," the maid said with a stubbornair.
With a gesture of contempt the countess dismissed the girl. It wasimpossible to believe that she had had a hand in the disappearance ofthose precious papers. Perhaps the hall porter might have something tosay in the matter. In the opinion of Countess Saens, the thief wasnon-existent. At any rate, the hall porter would be able to say.
The hall porter had not much to tell, but that little was to the point.Certainly, about the time mentioned by the maid a woman had come intothe house. She had opened the hall door and had walked in herself as ifshe were quite at home there. She was plainly dressed in black and worea veil. Then she proceeded to walk upstairs.
"You mean to say that you did nothing to interfere?" the countess asked.
"Well, no, madame," the hall porter admitted. "The young woman appearedto be quite at home; evidently she had been here many times before, andI thought she was a friend of Annette's. Friends of hers do come heresometimes after you have gone out, and one or two of them walk in. So Itook no notice whatever. A little time after, the young woman came backas if she were in a hurry, and hastened out of the house. Just as shewas gone I heard Annette call out. Thinking that something was thematter, I rushed up the stairs. When I knew what was wrong it was toolate to go after the thief."
So Annette had been telling the truth, the countess thought. She wasfuriously angry at her loss, but it was impossible to blame anybody. Itwas a stroke of the sword after the countess's own heart. But there weredisquieting circumstances behind it that frightened her.
"You had better send again to the nearest police-station," she said."Let them know that I have gone out and shall not be back for somelittle time."
With a frown between her delicate brows the countess drove away. In allher bold, dashing, adventurous life she had never been confronted by amore difficult problem than this. She was playing for tremendously highstakes, and her share of the victory was the price of a throne. Oncethis thing was accomplished, she had no need ever to plot or scheme ortrick again. A fortune would be hers, and she would sit secure as aleader of fashion for the rest of her days.
An hour ago and the game was as good as won. Everything had been done sosecretly; nobody guessed anything. Another day, and nothing could savethe crown in question. And yet in a moment the whole dream had beenshattered. Somebody knew exactly what was going on, somebody was at workto checkmate the dark design. And that somebody was bold and daring to adegree. If the countess only knew who the other woman was! It wasmaddening to work in the dark against so clever a foe. If your enemyknows you and you don't know your enemy, he has a tremendous advantage.The countess clenched her teeth together viciously as she thought of it.
The carriage stopped at length outside the Carlton Hotel, and almostimmediately Hunt, the editor of the _Evening Mercury_, appeared. Helooked uneasy and anxious.
"Your message came all right," he said. "I came here at once and orderedsupper, though we shall not have much time to talk."
"Then let us go into the room at once," the countess said; "though as toappetite, why----"
"But I ordered the supper in a private room," Hunt protested. "One neverknows what people may hear. What is the use of arguing? The supper isall ready for us."
They were in the private room at length. They made some pretence ofeating and drinking till the two waiters had for the time beingdeparted. Then Hunt turned to his companion.
"What has happened?" he asked. There was nothing of deference in hismanner. It was quite evident that the smart little American editor wasno squire of dames. "Your manner was so mysterious. And it is time youdid something for your money. Two thousand pounds is a deal to payfor----"
"Such information as I have already given you?" the countessinterrupted. "I don't think so, seeing what a tremendous sensation yousecured to-night."
"But those other papers," Hunt protested. "You promised me the fulldetails of that private understanding between England and Asturia. Ihave told my readers boldly that they shall have it in the morning issueof my paper to-morrow morning. If you want the extra money----"
"Man, I want it as an old man wants youth. It is vitally necessary tome. And can't you see that it is to my interest that those papersshould be published to the world? It will be a staggering blow toEngland, and a corresponding advantage to Russia. I should have seenthat those papers saw the light whether I was paid for them or not. Butthey are worth a great deal to you, and that is why I approached you inthe matter."
"Yes, yes," Hunt said impatiently. "Please get on. I came here toreceive those papers--in fact, the _Mercury_ is waiting for them at thismoment. If you will hand them over to me you shall have the other chequefor five thousand posted to you to-night. Where are they?"
The countess laughed derisively. There was a gleam of wild fury in herdark eyes.
"It is impossible," she said. "Out of the question. Strange as it mayseem, those papers were stolen from my house to-night by
some woman whomI would give five years of my life to know."
The Weight of the Crown Page 14