CHAPTER XVIII
"HE HAS GONE TO THE EMPEROR!"
The Ambassador, when he left Mr. Sabin's house, stepped into a hiredhansom and drove off towards Arlington Street. A young man who hadwatched him come out, from the other side of the way, walked swiftly tothe corner of the street and stepped into a private brougham which waswaiting there.
"To the Embassy," he said. "Drive fast!"
The carriage set him down in a few minutes at the house to which Denshamand Harcutt had followed Mr. Sabin on the night of their first meetingwith him. He walked swiftly into the hall.
"Is his Excellency within?" he asked a tall servant in plain dress whocame forward to meet him.
"Yes, Monsieur Felix," the man answered; "he is dining very lateto-night--in fact, he has not yet risen from the table."
"Who is with him?" Felix asked.
"It is a very small party. Madame la Princesse has just arrived fromParis, and his Excellency has been waiting for her."
He mentioned a few more names; there was no one of importance. Felixwalked into the hall-porter's office and scribbled a few words on half asheet of paper, which he placed in an envelope and carefully sealed.
"Let his Excellency have this privately and at once," he said to theman; "I will go into the waiting room."
The man withdrew with the note, and Felix crossed the hall and entereda small room nearly opposite. It was luxuriously furnished with easychairs and divans; there were cigars, and cigarettes, and decanters upona round table. Felix took note of none of these things, nor did he sitdown. He stood with his hands behind him, looking steadily into thefire. His cheeks were almost livid, save for a single spot of burningcolour high up on his cheek-bone. His fingers twitched nervously, hiseyes were dry and restlessly bright. He was evidently in a state ofgreat excitement. In less than two minutes the door opened, and a tall,distinguished-looking man, grey headed, but with a moustache stillalmost black, came softly into the room. His breast glittered withorders, and he was in full Court dress. He nodded kindly to the youngman, who greeted him with respect.
"Is it anything important, Felix?" he asked; "you are looking tired."
"Yes, your Excellency, it is important," Felix answered; "it concernsthe man Sabin."
The Ambassador nodded.
"Well," he said, "what of him? You have not been seeking to settleaccounts with him, I trust, after our conversation, and your promise?"
Felix shook his head.
"No," he said. "I gave my word and I shall keep it! Perhaps you may someday regret that you interfered between us."
"I think not," the Prince replied. "Your services are valuable to me, mydear Felix; and in this country, more than any other, deeds of violenceare treated with scant ceremony, and affairs of honour are notunderstood. No, I saved you from yourself for myself. It was anexcellent thing for both of us."
"I trust," Felix repeated, "that your Excellency may always think so.But to be brief. The report from Cartienne is to hand."
The Ambassador nodded and listened expectantly.
"He confirms fully," Felix continued, "the value of the documents whichare in question. How he obtained access to them he does not say, but hisreport is absolute. He considers that they justify fully the man Sabin'sversion of them."
The Prince smiled.
"My own judgment is verified," he said. "I believed in the man from thefirst. It is good. By the bye, have you seen anything of Mr. Sabinto-day?"
"I have come straight," Felix said, "from watching his house."
"Yes?"
"The Baron von Knigenstein has been there alone, incognito, for morethan an hour. I watched him go in--and watched him out."
The Prince's genial smile vanished. His face grew suddenly as dark asthunder. The Muscovite crept out unawares. There was a fierce light inhis eyes, and his face was like the face of a wolf; yet his voice whenhe spoke was low.
"So ho!" he said softly. "Mr. Sabin is doing a little flirting, is he?Ah!"
"I believe," the young man answered slowly, "that he has advanced stillfurther than that. The Baron was there for an hour. He came out walkinglike a young man. He was in a state of great excitement."
The Prince sat down and stroked the side of his face thoughtfully.
"The great elephant!" he muttered. "Fancy such a creature callinghimself a diplomatist! It is well, Felix," he added, "that I hadfinished my dinner, otherwise you would certainly have spoilt it. Ifthey have met like this, there is no end to the possibilities of it. Imust see Sabin immediately. It ought to be easy to make him understandthat I am not to be trifled with. Find out where he is to-night, Felix;I must follow him."
Felix took up his hat.
"I will be back," he said, "in half an hour."
The Prince returned to his guests, and Felix drove off. When he returnedhis chief was waiting for him alone.
"Mr. Sabin," Felix announced, "left town half an hour ago."
"For abroad!" the Prince exclaimed, with flashing eyes. "He has gone toGermany!"
Felix shook his head.
"On the contrary," he said; "he has gone down into Norfolk to playgolf."
"Into Norfolk to play golf!" the Prince repeated in a tone of scornfulwonder. "Did you believe a story like that, Felix? Rubbish!"
Felix smiled slightly.
"It is quite true," he said. "Labanoff makes no mistakes, and he saw himcome out of his house, take his ticket at King's Cross, and actuallyleave the station."
"Are you sure that it is not a blind?" the Prince asked incredulously.
Felix shook his head.
"It is quite true, your Excellency," he said. "If you knew the man aswell as I do, you would not be surprised. He is indeed a veryextraordinary person--he does these sort of things. Besides, he wants tokeep out of the way."
The Prince's face darkened.
"He will find my way a little hard to get out of," he said fiercely."Go and get some dinner, Felix, and then try and find out whetherKnigenstein has any notion of leaving England. He will not trust amatter like this to correspondence. Stay--I know how to manage it. Iwill write and ask him to dine here next week. You shall take theinvitation."
"He will be at Arlington Street," Felix remarked.
"Well, you can take it on to him there," the Prince directed. "Go firstto his house and ask for his whereabouts. They will tell you ArlingtonStreet. You will not know, of course, the contents of the letter youcarry; your instructions were simply to deliver it and get an answer.Good! you will do that."
The Prince, while he talked, was writing the note.
Felix thrust it into his pocket and went out. In less than half an hourhe was back. The Baron had returned to the German Embassy unexpectedlybefore going to Arlington Street, and Felix had caught him there. ThePrince tore open the answer, and read it hastily through.
"THE GERMAN EMBASSY, "_Wednesday evening._
"Alas! my dear Prince, had I been able, nothing could have given me so much pleasure as to have joined your little party, but, unfortunately, this wretched climate, which we both so justly loathe, has upset my throat again, and I have too much regard for my life to hand myself over to the English doctors. Accordingly, all being well, I go to Berlin to-morrow night to consult our own justly-famed Dr. Steinlaus.
"Accept, my dear Prince, this expression of my most sincere regret, and believe me, yours most sincerely,
"KARL VON KNIGENSTEIN."
"The doctor whom he has gone to consult is no man of medicine," thePrince said thoughtfully. "He has gone to the Emperor."
Mysterious Mr. Sabin Page 19