The Wiles of the Wicked
Page 36
rings.
"I want to appeal to your generosity. I want you to assist me."
"In what manner?"
"As before."
"As before!" I repeated, greatly surprised. "I have no knowledge ofhaving assisted you before."
"What?" she cried. "Is your memory so defective that you do notrecollect your transactions with those who waited upon you--those whokept the previous appointments of which you have spoken?"
"I assure you, madam," I said, quite calmly, "I have not the least ideaof what you mean."
"Mr Heaton!" she cried. "Have you really taken leave of your senses?Is it actually true what your butler has said of you--that on the dayyou left Denbury you behaved like a madman?"
"I am no madman!" I cried with considerable warmth. "The truth is thatI remember nothing since one evening, nearly six years ago, when I wassmoking with--with a friend--in Chelsea, until that day to which myservant has referred."
"You remember nothing? That is most extraordinary."
"If strange to you, madam, how much more strange to me? I have told youthe truth, therefore kindly proceed to explain the object of theseprevious visits of persons you have apparently sent to me."
"I really think that you must be joking," she said. "It seemsimpossible that you should actually be unaware."
"I tell you that I have no knowledge whatsoever of their business withme."
"Then if such is really the case, let me explain," she said. "First, Ithink you will admit that your financial transactions with ourGovernment have brought you very handsome profits."
"I am not aware of having had any transactions with the BritishGovernment," I answered.
"I refer to that of Bulgaria," she explained. "Surely you are awarethat through my intermediary you have obtained great concessions--thedocks at Varna, the electric trams at Sofia, the railway from Timova tothe Servian frontier, not to mention other great undertakings which havebeen floated as companies, all of which are now earning handsomeprofits. You cannot be ignorant of that!"
I remembered that Gedge had shown me some official parchment which hehad explained were concessions obtained from Prince Ferdinand ofBulgaria. That this woman had been the means of securing to me thegreater part of the enormous profits which I had apparently made withinthe past five years was certainly surprising.
"On the day I recovered consciousness--the day of my departure fromDenbury--I was shown some documents, but took but little heed of them,"I said.
"You admit, however, that the employment of British capital in Bulgariahas realised a very handsome profit, and that the greater part of it hasgone into your own pockets?"
"I suppose that is so," I responded. "Is it to you that I am indebtedfor those concessions?"
"Certainly."
"Are you, then, an ambassadress of the Principality of Bulgaria?"
"Well, yes--if you choose to put it so."
"Then, as I understand, it is with some further financial object thatyou have sought me this evening?"
"Exactly."
This latest development of the affair was certainly most remarkable. Ihad never dreamed that to this hitherto unknown woman I had beenindebted for the unparalleled success which had attended my careerduring those past six years. Yet, from the facts she subsequentlyplaced before me, it would seem that it was at her instigation that Ifirst dabbled in finance. She, or rather her agents, had obtained forme the negotiation of a substantial loan to Prince Ferdinand, and thishad been followed by all sorts of concessions, not one of which hadtuned out badly.
The mysterious Edna, whom I had always believed to be a typicalblouse-and-bicycle girl of the true Kensington type, was actually apolitical agent of that most turbulent of all the European States.
I sat looking at her in wonderment. She possessed a superb carriage, asmart, well-dressed figure, a smiling, intelligent face, white, eventeeth, a complexion just a trifle dark, but betraying no trace offoreign birth. Her English was perfect, her manner purely that of thepatrician, while her surprising tact possessed all the _finesse_ of anaccomplished diplomatist.
"I confess that I have all along been in entire ignorance of myindebtedness to you," I said, after listening to her while she explainedhow obediently I had followed the instructions contained in the letterssigned "Avel," and how I had so materially advanced the interests of thePrincipality that the thanks of the Bulgarian Parliament, or Sobranjehad been tendered to me, and the Prince himself had a couple of yearsago conferred upon me the highest distinction within his power.
Yet it was more than strange that while this shrewd grey-eyed woman, thepossessor of the secret of that puzzling crime, held aloof from me, shehad ingeniously contrived that I should become the unwitting catspaw ofan unstable State.
I was thinking of Mabel--my thoughts were always of my lost love--and Iwas wondering how I might obtain from this woman the secret of herwhereabouts.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
EDNA MAKES A PROPOSAL.
"Well," I inquired at last; "and your reason for seeing me thisevening?"
She hesitated, as though uncertain in what manner to place her projectbefore me. She moved uneasily, and, rising, drew forth a largedispatch-box from its leathern case and placed it upon the table. Inoticed that the outer case bore a count's coronet with a cipherbeneath.
Having opened the box with a tiny gold master-key which hung upon herbracelet, she drew forth some official-looking papers, and with themreturned to her chair.
"You have already been entrusted with a secret, which you have notbetrayed--the secret of that unfortunate occurrence on the evening whenaccident first brought us together," she commenced gravely. "ThereforeI feel convinced that any further confidence placed in you will not beabused."
"I am honoured to think, madam, that you should entertain such anopinion of me," I said, not, however, without the slightest touch ofsarcasm.
I did not forget that she had only rescued me from my enemies in returnfor my silence. She was not a woman to act without strong motives.Moreover, she had admitted knowledge of that strange midnight crime atThe Boltons, and was, therefore, an accessory after the fact.
"You are the Prince's confidential agent here, in London, and I come toyou on a mission direct from His Serene Highness."
"From Bulgaria?" I inquired.
"Yes. I left Sofia a week ago," she answered. "It was at firstproposed to place the matter in the hands of Guechoff, our diplomaticrepresentative at the Court of St James's, but, on consideration, HisSerene Highness, knowing that with the present state of high feeling inthe Sobranje a single hint leaking out might prove disastrous, to thedynasty, and perhaps to the nation, resolved to place the matterunreservedly in my hands. The Prince did me the honour of referring interms of praise to my previous dealings with you, and instructed me tolose no time in seeing you and invoking your aid."
"In what direction?" Was it not amazing that I should awake from myyears of unconsciousness to find myself so powerful in the world offinance that reigning princes sought my assistance?
"I have here a letter from His Serene Highness;" and she handed me anote which bore the Bulgarian royal arms, and had apparently beenwritten by the Prince's own hand. It was merely a formal note asking meto consider the secret proposals which would be placed before me by thebearer.
"Well?" I inquired, when I had read it. "Explain."
"Briefly," she said, "the facts are as follows: The throne of Bulgaria,never very safe owing to the eternal bickering between St Petersburgand the Porte, is at this moment in imminent danger. The People's Partyin the Sobranje have been defeated, and the police have learnt of aprojected popular uprising against His Highness in favour of a republic,the agitation being, of course, caused by paid agents of Russia. It isan open secret that Russia, at the first sign of an outbreak, wouldendeavour to annex the country, hence the position of the throne growseach moment more perilous. Fear of giving offence to Russia preventsorders being issued for the arrest of the secret
agitators, and it seemstherefore as though a revolution cannot long be delayed. It is your aidHis Serene Highness seeks--your aid to negotiate a loan of half amillion sterling."
"Half a million!" I ejaculated. "A large sum! It seems incrediblethat I should be a dealer in millions."
"A large sum, certainly, but you can easily obtain it," she quicklyassured me. "I have all the necessary preliminaries of the securitieshere;" and she pointed to the pile of papers at her side.
"I take it that the money is required for the Prince's private purse?"
"No; solely for defence--to purchase arms and ammunition; to pay thearmy the arrears due,