CHAPTER L
A CASE OF RECOGNITION
Every one in our party at the Hotel Grenade rose very early the nextmorning. That day was to be one of activity and event. Mrs. Cliff, whohad not slept one wink during the night, but who appeared almostrejuvenated by the ideas which had come to her during her sleeplessness,now entered a protest against the proposed marriage at the Americanlegation. She believed that people of the position which Edna and thecaptain should now assume ought to be married in a church, with allproper ceremony and impressiveness, and urged that the wedding bepostponed for a few days, until suitable arrangements could be made.
But Edna would not listen to this. The captain was obliged, byappointment, to be in London on the morrow, and he could not know howlong he might be detained there, and now, wherever he went, she wished togo with him. He wanted her to be with him, and she was going. Moreover,she fancied a wedding at the legation. There were all sorts ofregulations concerning marriage in France, and to these neither she northe captain cared to conform, even if they had time enough for thepurpose. At the American legation they would be in point of law uponAmerican soil, and there they could be married as Americans, by anAmerican minister.
After that Mrs. Cliff gave up. She was so happy she was ready to agree toanything, or to believe in anything, and she went to work with heart andhand to assist Edna in getting ready for the great event.
Mrs. Sylvester, the wife of the secretary, received a note from Ednawhich brought her to the hotel as fast as horses were allowed to travelin the streets of Paris, and arrangements were easily made for theceremony to take place at four o'clock that afternoon.
The marriage was to be entirely private. No one was to be present butMrs. Cliff, Ralph, and Mrs. Sylvester. Nothing was said to Cheditafa ofthe intended ceremony. After what had happened, they all felt that itwould be right to respect the old negro's feelings and sensibilities.Mrs. Cliff undertook, after a few days had elapsed, to explain the wholematter to Cheditafa, and to tell him that what he had done had not beenwithout importance and real utility, but that it had actually united hismaster and mistress by a solemn promise before witnesses, which in someplaces, and under certain circumstances, would be as good a marriage asany that could be performed, but that a second ceremony had taken placein order that the two might be considered man and wife in all places andunder all circumstances.
The captain had hoped to see Shirley and Burke before he left Paris, butthat was now impossible, and, on his way to his hotel, after breakfastingat the Hotel Grenade, he telegraphed to them to come to him in London.He had just sent his telegram when he was touched on the arm, and,turning, saw standing by him two police officers. Their manner was verycivil, but they promptly informed him, the speaker using very fairEnglish, that he must accompany them to the presence of a policemagistrate.
The captain was astounded. The officers could or would give him noinformation in regard to the charge against him, or whether it was acharge at all. They only said that he must come with them, and thateverything would be explained at the police station. The captain's browgrew black. What this meant he could not imagine, but he had no time towaste in imaginations. It would be foolish to demand explanations of theofficers, or to ask to see the warrant for their action. He would notunderstand French warrants, and the quicker he went to the magistrate andfound out what this thing meant, the better. He only asked time to send atelegram to Mr. Wraxton, urging him to attend him instantly at the policestation, and then he went with the officers.
On the way, Captain Horn turned over matters in his mind. He could thinkof no cause for this detention, except it might be something which hadturned up in connection with his possession of the treasure, or perhapsthe entrance of the _Arato_, without papers, at the French port. Butanything of this kind Wraxton could settle as soon as he could be madeacquainted with it. The only real trouble was that he was to be marriedat four o'clock, and it was now nearly two.
At the police station, Captain Horn met with a fresh annoyance. Themagistrate was occupied with important business and could not attend tohim at present. This made the captain very impatient, and he sentmessage after message to the magistrate, but to no avail. And Wraxton didnot come. In fact, it was too soon to expect him.
The magistrate had good reason for delay. He did not wish to haveanything to do with the gentleman who had been taken in custody until hisaccuser, Banker by name, had been brought to this station from his placeof confinement, where he was now held under a serious charge.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, twenty-five minutes, passed, and themagistrate did not appear. Wraxton did not come. The captain had neverbeen so fiercely impatient. He did not know to whom to apply in thisserious emergency. He did not wish Edna to know of his trouble until hefound out the nature of it, and if he sent word to the legation, he wasafraid that the news would speedily reach her. Wraxton was his man,whatever the charge might be. He would be his security for any amountwhich might be named, and the business might be settled afterwards, if,indeed, it were not all a mistake of some sort.
But Wraxton did not appear. Suddenly the captain thought of one man whomight be of service to him in this emergency. There was no time fordelay. Some one must come, and come quickly, who could identify him, andthe only man he could think of was Professor Barre, Ralph's tutor. He hadmet that gentleman the evening before. He could vouch for him, and hecould certainly be trusted not to alarm Edna unnecessarily. He believedthe professor could be found at the hotel, and he instantly sent amessenger to him with a note.
It took a good deal of time to bring the prisoner Banker to the station,and Professor Barre arrived there before him. The professor was amazed tofind Captain Horn under arrest, and unable to give any reason for thisstate of things. But it was not long before the magistrate appeared, andit so happened that he was acquainted with Barre, who was a well-knownman in Paris, and, after glancing at the captain, he addressed himself tothe professor, speaking in French. The latter immediately inquired thenature of the charges against Captain Horn, using the same language.
"Ah! you know him?" said the magistrate. "He has been accused of beingthe leader of a band of outlaws--a man who has committed murders andoutrages without number, one who should not be suffered to go at large,one who should be confined until the authorities of Peru, where hiscrimes were committed, have been notified."
The professor stared, but could not comprehend what he had heard.
"What is it?" inquired Captain Horn. "Can you not speak English?"
No, this Parisian magistrate could not speak English, but the professorexplained the charge.
"It is the greatest absurdity!" exclaimed the captain. "Ralph told methat a man, evidently once one of that band of outlaws in Peru, had beenarrested for assaulting Cheditafa, and this charge must be part of hisscheme of vengeance for that arrest. I could instantly prove everythingthat is necessary to know about me if my banker, Mr. Wraxton, were here.I have sent for him, but he has not come. I have not a moment to wastediscussing this matter." The captain gazed anxiously toward the door,and for a few moments the three men stood in silence.
The situation was a peculiar one. The professor thought of sending to theHotel Grenade, but he hesitated. He said to himself: "The lady'stestimony would be of no avail. If he is the man the bandit says he is,of course she does not know it. His conduct has been very strange, andfor a long time she certainly knew very little about him. I don't see howeven his banker could become surety for him if he were here, and hedoesn't seem inclined to come. Anybody may have a bank-account."
The professor stood looking on the ground. The captain looked at him,and, by that power to read the thoughts of others which an importantemergency often gives to a man, he read, or believed he did, the thoughtsof Barre. He did not blame the man for his doubts. Any one might havesuch doubts. A stranger coming to France with a cargo of gold must expectsuspicion, and here was more--a definite charge.
At this moment there came a message from the banking hou
se: Mr. Wraxtonhad gone to Brussels that morning. Fuguet did not live in Paris, and thecaptain had never seen him. There were clerks whom he had met inMarseilles, but, of course, they could only say that he was the man knownas Captain Horn.
The captain ground his teeth, and then, suddenly turning, he interruptedthe conversation between the magistrate and Barre. He addressed thelatter and asked, "Will you tell me what this officer has been sayingabout me?"
"He says," answered Barre, "that he believes you know nobody in Parisexcept the party at the Hotel Grenade, and that, of course, you may havedeceived them in regard to your identity--that they have been here a longtime, and you have been absent, and you have not been referred to bythem, which seems strange."
"Has he not found out that Wraxton knows me?"
"He says," answered Barre, "that you have not visited that banking housesince you came to Paris, and that seems strange also. Every travellergoes to his banker as soon as he arrives."
"I did not need to go there," said the captain. "I was occupied withother matters. I had just met my wife after a long absence."
"I don't wonder," said the professor, bowing, "that your time wasoccupied. It is very unfortunate that your banker cannot come toyou or send."
The captain did not answer. This professor doubted him, and why should henot? As the captain considered the case, it grew more and more serious.That his marriage should be delayed on account of such a preposterous andoutrageous charge against him was bad enough. It would be a terrible blowto Edna. For, although he knew that she would believe in him, she couldnot deny, if she were questioned, that in this age of mail and telegraphfacilities she had not heard from him for nearly a year, and it would behard for her to prove that he had not deceived her. But the mostunfortunate thing of all was the meeting with the London lawyers the nextday. These men were engaged in settling a very important questionregarding the ownership of the treasure he had brought to France, andhis claims upon it, and if they should hear that he had been charged withbeing the captain of a band of murderers and robbers, they might wellhave their suspicions of the truth of his story of the treasure. In fact,everything might be lost, and the affair might end by his being sent aprisoner to Peru, to have the case investigated there. What might happenthen was too terrible to think of. He turned abruptly to the professor.
"I see that you don't believe in me," he said, "but I see that you are aman, and I believe in you. You are acquainted with this magistrate. Useyour influence with him to have this matter settled quickly. Do as muchas that for me."
"What is it that you ask me to do?" said the other.
"It is this," replied the captain. "I have never seen this man who sayshe was a member of the Rackbirds' band. In fact, I never saw any of thosewretches except dead ones. He has never met me. He knows nothing aboutme. His charge is simply a piece of revenge. The only connection he canmake between me and the Rackbirds is that he knew two negroes were oncethe servants of his band, and that they are now the servants of my wife.Having never seen me, he cannot know me. Please ask the magistrate tosend for some other men in plain clothes to come into this room, and thenlet the prisoner be brought here, and asked to point out the man hecharges with the crime of being the captain of the Rackbirds."
The professor's face brightened, and without answer he turned to themagistrate, and laid this proposition before him. The officer shook hishead. This would be a very irregular method of procedure. There wereformalities which should not be set aside. The deposition of Bankershould be taken before witnesses. But the professor was interested inCaptain Horn's proposed plan. In an emergency of the sort, when time wasso valuable, he thought it should be tried before anything else was done.He talked very earnestly to the magistrate, who at last yielded.
In a few minutes three respectable men were brought in from outside, andthen a policeman was sent for Banker.
When that individual entered the waiting-room, his eyes ran rapidly overthe company assembled there. After the first glance, he believed that hehad never seen one of them before. But he said nothing; he waited to hearwhat would be said to him. This was said quickly. Banker spoke French,and the magistrate addressed him directly.
"In this room," he said, "stands the man you have accused as a robber anda murderer, as the captain of the band to which you admit you oncebelonged. Point him out immediately."
Banker's heart was not in the habit of sinking, but it went down a littlenow. Could it be possible that any one there had ever led him to deeds ofviolence and blood? He looked again at each man in the room, verycarefully this time. Of course, that rascal Raminez would not come toParis without disguising himself, and no disguise could be so effectualas the garb of a gentleman. But if Raminez were there, he should notescape him by any such tricks. Banker half shut his eyes, and again wentover every countenance. Suddenly he smiled.
"My captain," he said presently, "is not dressed exactly as he was whenI last saw him. He is in good clothes now, and that made it a little hardfor me to recognize him at first. But there is no mistaking his nose andhis eyebrows. I know him as well as if we had been drinking together lastnight. There he stands!" And, with his right arm stretched out, hepointed directly to Professor Barre.
At these words there was a general start, and the face of the magistrategrew scarlet with anger. As for the professor himself, he knit his brows,and looked at Banker in amazement.
"You scoundrel! You liar! You beast!" cried the officer. "To accuse thiswell-known and honorable gentleman, and say that he is a leader of a bandof robbers! You are an impostor, a villain, and if you had beenconfronted with this other gentleman alone, you would have sworn that hewas a bandit chief!"
Banker made no answer, but still kept his eyes fixed upon the professor.Now Captain Horn spoke: "That fellow had to say something, and he made avery wild guess of it," he said to Barre. "I think the matter may now beconsidered settled. Will you suggest as much to the magistrate? Truly, Ihave not a moment to spare."
Banker listened attentively to these words, and his eyes sparkled.
"You needn't try any of your tricks on me, you scoundrel Raminez," hesaid, shaking his fist at the professor. "I know you. I know you betterthan I did when I first spoke. If you wanted to escape me, you ought tohave shaved off your eyebrows when you trimmed your hair and yourbeard. But I will be after you yet. The tales you have told here won'thelp you."
"Take him away!" shouted the magistrate. "He is a fiend!"
Banker was hurried from the room by two policemen.
To the profuse apologies of the magistrate Captain Horn had no time tolisten; he accepted what he heard of them as a matter of course, and onlyremarked that, as he was not the man against whom the charges had beenbrought, he must hurry away to attend to a most important appointment.The professor went with him into the street.
"Sir," said the captain, addressing Barre, "you have been of the mostimportant service to me, and I heartily acknowledge the obligation. Hadit not been that you were good enough to exert your influence with themagistrate, that rascal would have sworn through thick and thin that Ihad been his captain."
Then, looking at his watch, he said, "It is twenty-five minutes to four.I shall take a cab and go directly to the legation. I was on my way to myhotel, but there is no time for that now," and, after shaking hands withthe professor, he hailed a cab.
Captain Horn reached the legation but a little while after the party fromthe Hotel Grenade had arrived, and in due time he stood up beside Edna inone of the parlors of the mansion, and he and she were united in marriageby the American minister. The services were very simple, but thecongratulations of the little company assembled could not have been moreearnest and heartfelt.
"Now," said Mrs. Cliff, in the ear of Edna, "if we knew that that goldwas all to be sunk in the ocean to-morrow, we still ought to be thehappiest people on earth."
She was a true woman, Mrs. Cliff, and at that moment she meantwhat she said.
It had been arranged that the whole party s
hould return to the HotelGrenade, and from there the newly married couple should start for thetrain which would take them to Calais; and, as he left the legationpromptly, the captain had time to send to his own hotel for his effects.The direct transition from the police station to the bridal altar hadinterfered with his ante-hymeneal preparations, but the captain wasaccustomed to interference with preparations, and had long learned todispense with them when occasion required.
"I don't believe," said the minister's wife to her husband, whenthe bridal party had left, "that you ever before married such ahandsome couple."
"The fact is," said he, "that I never before saw standing together such afine specimen of a man and such a beautiful, glowing, radiant woman."
"I don't see why you need say that," said she, quickly. "You and I stoodup together."
"Yes," he replied, with a smile, "but I wasn't a spectator."
The Adventures of Captain Horn Page 50