by Robert Barr
CHAPTER XVIII. JENNIE ENDURES A TERRIBLE NIGHT JOURNEY.
Jennie went early to the station on the night of the 21st and enteredthe sleeping car as soon as she was allowed to do so. The conductorseemed unaccountably flustered at her anxiety to get to her room, and heexamined her ticket with great care; then, telling her to follow him,brought her to Room B, in which were situated berths 5 and 6, upper andlower. The berths were not made up, and the room showed one seat, madeto accommodate two persons. The conductor went out on the platformagain, and Jennie, finding herself alone in the carriage, walked up anddown the narrow passage-way at the side, to get a better idea of hersurroundings.
PLAN OF SLEEPING CAR.]
Room C, next to her own, was the one taken by the British Embassy. RoomD, still further on, was the one that appeared to have been retained bythe police. She stood for a few moments by the broad plate-glass windowthat lined the passage and looked out at the crowded platform. For atime she watched the conductor, who appeared to be gazing anxiouslytowards the direction from which passengers streamed, as if looking forsomeone in particular. Presently a big man, a huge overcoat belted roundhim, with a stern bearded face--looking, the girl thought, typicallyRussian--strode up to the conductor and spoke earnestly with him. Thenthe two turned to the steps of the car, and Jennie fled to her narrowlittle room, closing the door all but about an inch. An instant laterthe two men came in, speaking together in French. The larger man hada gruff voice and spoke the language in a way that showed it was notnative to him.
"When did you learn that he had changed his room?" asked the man withthe gruff voice.
"Only this afternoon," replied the conductor.
"Did you bore holes between that and the adjoining compartment?"
"Yes, Excellency; but Azof did not tell me whether you wanted the holesat the top or the bottom."
"At the bottom, of course," replied the Russian. "Any fool might haveknown that. The gas must rise, not fall; then when he feels its effectand tumbles down, he will be in a denser layer of it, whereas, if we putit in the top, and he fell down, he would come into pure air, and somight make his escape. You did not bore the hole over the top berth, Ihope?"
"Yes, Excellency, but I bored one at the bottom also."
"Oh, very well, we can easily stop the one at the top. Have you fastenedthe window? for the first thing these English do is to open a window."
"The window is securely fastened, your Excellency, unless he breaks theglass."
"Oh, he will not think of doing that until it is too late. The Englishare a law-abiding people. How many other passengers are there in thecar?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Excellency, the Room B has been taken by anEnglish lady, who is there now."
"Ten thousand devils!" cried the Russian in a hoarse whisper. "Why didyou not say that before?"
The voices now fell to so low a murmur that Jennie could not distinguishthe words spoken. A moment later there was a rap at her door, and shehad presence of mind enough to get in the further corner, and say in asleepy voice,--
"Come in!"
The conductor opened the door.
"_Votre billet, s'il vous plait, madame."_
"Can't you speak English?" asked Jennie.
The conductor merely repeated his question, and as Jennie was shakingher head the big Russian looked over the conductor's shoulder and saidin passable English,--
"He is asking for your ticket, madam. Do you not speak French?" Inanswer to this direct question Jennie, fumbling in her purse for herticket, replied,--
"I speak English, and I have already shown him my ticket." She handedher broad-sheet sleeping-car ticket to the Russian, who had pushed theconductor aside and now stood within the compartment.
"There has been a mistake," he said. "Room C is the one that has beenreserved for you."
"I am sure there isn't any mistake," said Jennie. "I booked berths5 and 6. See, there are the numbers," pointing to the metallic plates bythe door, "and here are the same numbers on the ticket."
The Russian shook his head.
"The mistake has been made at the office of the Sleeping Car Company. Iam a director of the Company."
"Oh, are you?" asked Jennie innocently. "Is Room C as comfortable asthis one?"
"It is a duplicate of this one, madam, and is more comfortable, becauseit is nearer the centre of the car."
"Well, there is no mistake about my reserving the two berths, is there?"
"Oh, no, madam, the room is entirely at your disposal."
"Well, then, in that case," said Jennie, "I have no objection to makinga change."
She knew that she would be compelled to change, no matter what herticket recorded, so she thought it best to play the simple maidenabroad, and make as little fuss as possible about the transfer. She hadto rearrange the car in her mind. She was now in Room C, which had beenfirst reserved by the British Embassy. It was evident that at thelast moment the messenger had decided to take Room A, a four-berthcompartment at the end of the car. The police then would occupy Room B,which she had first engaged, and, from the bit of conversation she hadoverheard, Jennie was convinced that they intended to kill or renderinsensible the messenger who bore the important letter. The police werethere not to protect, but to attack. This amazing complication in theplot concentrated all the girl's sympathies on the unfortunate man whowas messenger between two great personages, even though he travelledapparently under the protection of the British Embassy at St.Petersburg. The fact, to put it baldly, that she had intended to robhim herself, if opportunity occurred, rose before her like an accusingghost. "I shall never undertake anything like this again," she criedto herself, "never, never," and now she resolved to make reparation tothe man she had intended to injure. She would watch for him until hecame down the passage, and then warn him by relating what she had heard.She had taken off her hat on entering the room; now she put it onhurriedly, thrusting a long pin through it. As she stood up, there was ajolt of the train that caused her to sit down again somewhat hurriedly.Passing her window she saw the lights of the station; the train was inmotion. "Thank Heaven!" she cried fervently, "he is too late. Thoseplotting villains will have all their trouble for nothing."
She glanced upwards towards the ceiling and noticed a hole about an inchin diameter bored in the thin wooden partition between her compartmentand the next. Turning to the wall behind her she saw that another holehad been bored in a similar position through to Room B. The car had beenpretty thoroughly prepared for the work in hand, and Jennie laughedsoftly to herself as she pictured the discomfiture of the conspirators.The train was now rushing through the suburbs of St. Petersburg, whenJennie was startled by hearing a stranger's voice say in French,--
"Conductor, I have Room A; which end of the car is that?"
"This way, Excellency," replied the conductor. Everyone seemed to be"Excellency" with him. A moment later, Jennie, who had again risen toher feet, horrified to learn that, after all, the messenger had come,heard the door of his room click. Everything was silent save the purringmurmur of the swiftly moving train. She stood there for a few momentstense with excitement, then bethought herself of the hole between herpresent compartment and the one she had recently left. She sprang upon the seat, and placing her eye with some caution at the hole, peeredthrough. First she thought the compartment was empty, then noticed therehad been placed at the end by the window a huge cylinder that reachednearly to the ceiling of the room. The lamp above was burning brightly,and she could see every detail of the compartment, except towards thefloor. As she gazed a man's back slowly rose; he appeared to have beenkneeling on the floor, and he held in his hand the loop of a rubbertube. Peering downwards, she saw that it was connected with thecylinder, and that it was undoubtedly pouring whatever gas the cylindercontained through the hole into Room A. For a moment she had difficultyin repressing a shriek; but realizing how perfectly helpless she was,even if an alarm were raised, she fought down all exclamation. She sawthat the man who was regulating
the escape of gas was not the one whohad spoken to the conductor. Then, fearing that he might turn his headand see her eye at the small aperture, she reached up and covered thelamp, leaving her own room in complete darkness. The double covering,which closed over the semi-globular lamp like an eyelid, kept every rayof light from penetrating into the compartment she occupied.
As Jennie turned to her espionage again, she heard a blow given to thedoor in Room A that made it chatter, then there was a sound of a heavyfall on the floor. The door of Room B was flung open, the head of thefirst Russian was thrust in, and he spoke in his own language a singlegruff word. His assistant then turned the cock and shut off the gas fromthe cylinder. The door of Room B was instantly shut again, and Jennieheard the rattle of the key as Room A was being unlocked.
Jennie jumped down from her perch, threw off her hat, and, with aslittle noise as possible, slid her door back an inch or two. Theconductor had unlocked the door of Room A, the tall Russian standingbeside him saying in a whisper,--
"Never mind the man, he'll recover the moment you open the door andwindow; get the box. Hold your nose with your fingers and keep yourmouth shut. There it is, that black box in the corner."
The conductor made a dive into the room, and came out with an ordinaryblack despatch-box.
The policeman seemed well provided with the materials for hisburglarious purpose. He selected a key from a jingling bunch, tried it;selected another; then a third, and the lid of the despatch-box wasthrown back. He took out a letter so exactly the duplicate of the oneJennie possessed that she clutched her own document to see if it werestill in her pocket. The Russian put the envelope between his knees andproceeded to lock the box. His imagination had not gone to any suchrefinement as the placing of a dummy copy where the original had been.Quick as thought Jennie acted. She slid open the door quietly andstepped out into the passage. So intent were the two men on their workthat neither saw her. The tall man gave the box back to the conductor,then took the letter from between his knees, holding it in his righthand, when Jennie, as if swayed by the motion of the car, lurchedagainst him, and, with a sleight of hand that would have made herreputation on a necromantic stage, she jerked the letter from the amazedand frightened man; at the same moment allowing the bogus document todrop on the floor of the car from her other hand. The conductor had justemerged from Room A, holding his nose and looking comical enough as hestood there in that position, amazed at the sudden apparition of thelady. The Russian struck down the conductor's fingers with his righthand, and by a swift motion of the left closed the door of CompartmentA, all of which happened in a tenth of the time taken to tell it.
"Oh, pardon me!" cried Jennie in English, "I'm afraid a lurch of the carthrew me against you."
The Russian, before answering, cast a look at the floor and saw thelarge envelope lying there with its seal uppermost. He quietly placedhis huge foot upon it, and then said, with an effort at politeness,--
"It is no matter, madam. I fear I am so bulky that I have taken up mostof the passage."
"It is very good of you to excuse me," said Jennie; "I merely came outto ask the conductor if he would make up my berth. Would you be goodenough to translate that to him?"
The Russian surlily told the conductor to attend to the wants of thelady. The conductor muttered a reply, and that reply the Russiantranslated.
"He will be at your service in a few moments, madam. He must first makeup the berth of the gentleman in Room A."
"Oh, thank you very much," returned Jennie. "I am in no hurry; any timewithin the hour will do."
With that she retired again into her compartment, the real letterconcealed in the folds of her dress, the bogus one on the floor underthe Russian's foot. She closed the door tightly, then, taking care thatshe was not observed through either of the holes the conductor had boredin the partition, she swiftly placed the important document in a deepinside pocket of her jacket. As a general rule, women have insidepockets in their capes, and outside pockets in their jackets; butJennie, dealing as she did with many documents in the course of herprofession, had had this jacket especially made, with its deep and roomyinside pocket. She sat on a corner of the sofa, wondering what was tobe the fate of the unfortunate messenger, for, in spite of the suddenshutting of the door by the Russian, she caught a glimpse of the manlying face downwards on the floor of his stifling room. She also hadreceived a whiff of the sweet, heavy gas which had been used, thatseemed now to be tincturing the whole atmosphere of the car, especiallyin the long narrow passage. It was not likely they intended to killthe man, for his death would cause an awkward investigation, while hisstatement that he had been rendered insensible might easily be denied.As she sat there, the silence disturbed only by the low, soothing rumbleof the train, she heard the ring of the metal cylinder against thewoodwork of the next compartment. The men were evidently removingtheir apparatus. A little later the train slowed, finally coming to astandstill, and looking out of the window into the darkness, she foundthey were stopping at an ill-lighted country station. Covering the lightin the ceiling again, the better to see outside, herself, unobserved,she noted the conductor and another man place the bulky cylinder on theplatform, without the slightest effort at concealment. The tall Russianstood by and gave curt orders. An instant later the train moved onagain, and when well under way there was a rap at her door. When sheopened it, the conductor said that he would make up her berth now, if itso pleased her. She stood out in the corridor while this was deftlyand swiftly done. She could not restrain her curiosity regarding themysterious occupant of Room A, and to satisfy it she walked slowly upand down the corridor, her hands behind her, passing and repassing theopen door of her room, and noticing that ever and anon the conductorcast a suspicious eye in her direction.
The door of Room A was partly open, but the shaded lamp in theceiling left the interior in darkness. There was now no trace of theintoxicating gas in the corridor, and as she passed Room A she noticedthat a fresh breeze was blowing through the half open doorway, thereforethe window must be up. Once as she passed her own door she saw theconductor engaged in a task which would keep him from looking into thecorridor for at least a minute, and in that interval she set herdoubts at rest by putting her head swiftly into Room A, and as swiftlywithdrawing it. The man had been lifted on to his sofa, and lay with hisface towards the wall, his head on a pillow. The despatch-box rested ona corner of the sofa, where, doubtless, he had left it. He was breathingheavily like a man in a drunken sleep; but the air of the room was sweetand fresh, and he would doubtless recover.
Jennie still paced up and down, pondering deeply over what had happened.At first, when she had secured the important document, she had made upher mind to return it to the messenger; but further meditation inducedher to change her mind. The messenger had been robbed by the Russianpolice; he would tell his superiors exactly what had happened, and yetthe letter would reach its destination as speedily as if he had broughtit himself--as if he had never been touched. Knowing the purpose whichMr. Hardwick had in his mind, Jennie saw that the letter now was oftenfold more value to him than it would have been had she taken it fromthe messenger. It was evident that the British Embassy, or the messengerhimself, had suspicions that an attempt was to be made to obtain thedocument, otherwise Room C of the sleeping car would not have beenchanged for Room A at the very last moment. If, then, the editor couldsay to the official, "The Russian police robbed your messenger in spiteof all the precautions that could be taken, and my emissary cozened theRussians; so, you see, I have accomplished what the whole power of theBritish Government was powerless to effect; therefore it will be wisdomon your part to come to terms with me."
Jennie resolved to relate to Hardwick exactly how she came intopossession of the document, and she knew his alert nature well enough tobe sure he would make the most of the trump card dealt to him.
"Your room is ready for you," said the conductor in French.
She had the presence of mind enough not to comprehend his phrase unti
l,with a motion of his hand, he explained his meaning. She entered hercompartment and closed the door.
Having decided what disposal to make of the important document, therenow arose in her mind the disquieting problem whether or not it would beallowed to remain with her. She cogitated over the situation and triedto work out the mental arithmetic of it. Trains were infrequent on theRussian railways, and she had no means of estimating when the burlyruffian who had planned and executed the robbery would get back to St.Petersburg. There was no doubt that he had not the right to open theletter and read its contents; that privilege rested with some higherofficial in St. Petersburg. The two men had got off at the firststopping place. It was quite possible that they would not reach thecapital until next morning, when the Berlin express would be well on itsway to the frontier. Once over the frontier she would be safe; but themoment it was found that the purloined envelope merely contained acopy of an English newspaper, what might not happen? Would the Russianauthorities dare telegraph to the frontier to have her searched, orwould the big official who had planned the robbery suspect that she, bylegerdemain, had become possessed of the letter so much sought for? Evenif he did suspect her, he would certainly have craft enough not to admitit. His game would rather be to maintain that this was the veritabledocument found in the Englishman's despatch-box; and it was more thanlikely, taking into consideration the change of room at the last moment,which would show the officials the existence of suspicion in themessenger's mind, or in the minds of those who sent him, the naturalsurmise would be that another messenger had gone with the real document,and that the robbed man was merely a blind to delude the Russian police.In any case, Jennie concluded, there was absolutely nothing to do butto remain awake all night and guard the treasure which good luckhad bestowed upon her. She stood up on her bed, about to stuff herhandkerchief into the hole bored in the partition, but suddenly pausedand came down to the floor again. No, discomforting as it was to remainin a room under possible espionage, she dared not stop the openings, asthat would show she had cognisance of them, and arouse the conductor'ssuspicion that, after all, she had understood what had been said;whereas, if she left them as they were, the fact of her doing so wouldbe strong confirmation of her ignorance. She took from her bag a scarf,tied one end round her wrist and the other to the door, so that it couldnot be opened, should she fall asleep, without awakening her. Beforeentrenching herself thus, she drew the eyelids down over the lamp, andleft her room in darkness. Then, if anyone did spy upon her they wouldnot see the dark scarf which united her wrist with the door.
In spite of the danger of her situation she had the utmost difficulty inkeeping awake. The rumble of the train had a very somnolent effect, andonce or twice she started up, fearing that she had been slumbering. Onceshe experienced a tightening sensation in her throat, and sprang to thefloor, seeing the rising gas somehow made visible, the colour of blood.The scarf drew her to her knees, and for a moment she thought someoneclutched her wrist. Panting, she undid the scarf and flooded the roomwith light. Her heart was beating wildly, but all was still, save theever-present rumble of the train rushing through the darkness over theboundless plains of Russia. She looked at her tiny watch, it was twoo'clock in the morning. She knew then that she must have fallen asleepin spite of her strong resolutions. The letter was still in the insidepocket of her jacket, and all was well at two in the morning. No eyeappeared at either of the apertures, so she covered up the light oncemore and lay down again, sighing to think how rumpled her dainty costumewould look in the morning. Now she was resolved not to go to sleep, ifforce of will could keep her awake. A moment later she was startled bysomeone beating down the partition with an axe. She sprang up, and againthe scarf pulled her back. She untied it from her wrist and noticedthat daylight flooded the compartment. This amazed her; how could itbe daylight so soon? Had she been asleep again, and was the fanciedbattering at the door with an axe merely the conclusion of a dreamcaused by the conductor's knock? After a breathless pause there came agentle rap on her door, and the voice of the conductor said,--
"Breakfast at Luga, madame, in three-quarters of an hour."
"Very good," she replied in English, her voice trembling with fear.Slowly she untied the scarf from the door and placed it in her handbag.She shivered notwithstanding her effort at self-control, for she knewshe had slept through the night, and far into the morning. In agitationshe unbuttoned her jacket. Yes; there was the letter, just where she hadplaced it. She dare not take it out and examine it, fearing still thatshe might be watched from some unseen quarter, but "Thank God," shesaid to herself fervently, "this horrible night is ended. Once over thefrontier I am safe." She smoothed and brushed down her dress as well asshe was able, and was greatly refreshed by her wash in cold water, whichis one of the luxuries, not the least acceptable, on a sleeping car.