CHAPTER XXXIII
LAVERICK S ARREST
"At last, David!"
Louise welcomed her visitor eagerly with outstretched hands, whichBellamy raised for a moment to his lips. Then she turned toward thethird person, who had also risen at the opening of the door--ashort, somewhat thick-set man, with swarthy complexion, close-croppedblack hair, and upturned black moustache.
"You remember Prince Rosmaran?" she said to Bellamy. "He leftServia only the day before yesterday. He has come to England on aspecial mission to the King."
Bellamy shook hands.
"I think," he remarked, "I had the honor of meeting you once before,Prince, at the opening of the Servian Parliament two years ago. Itwas just then, I believe, that you were elected to lead the patrioticparty."
The Prince bowed sadly.
"My leadership, I fear," he declared, "has brought little good tomy unhappy country."
"It is a terrible crisis through which your nation is passing,"Bellamy reminded him sympathetically. "At the same time, we mustnot despair. Austria holds out her clenched hands, but as yet shehas not dared to strike."
The face of the Prince was dark with passion.
"As yet, no!" he answered. "But how long--how long, I wonder--beforethe blow falls? We in Servia have been blamed for armingourselves, but I tell you that to-day the Austrian troops are beingsecretly concentrated on the frontier. Their arsenals are workingnight and day. Her soldiers are manoeuvering almost within sightof Belgrade. We have hoped against hope, yet in our hearts we knowthat our fate was sealed when the Czar of Russia left Vienna lastweek."
"Nothing is certain," Bellamy declared restlessly. "England hasbeen ill-governed for a great many years, but we are not yet anegligible Power."
Louise leaned a little towards him.
"David," she whispered, "the compact!"
He answered her unspoken question.
"It is arranged," he said,--"finished. To-morrow morning at nineo'clock I receive it."
"You are sure?" she begged. "Why need there be any delay?"
"It is locked up in a powerful safe," he explained, "and the clerkwho has the combination will not be on duty again till nine.Laverick is there simply waiting for the hour. You were right,Louise, as usual. I should have trusted him from the first."
The Prince had been listening to their conversation with undisguisedinterest.
"There is a rumor," he said, "that some secret information concerningthe compact of Vienna has found its way to this country."
Bellamy smiled.
"Hence, I presume, your mission, Prince."
"We three have no secrets from one another," the Prince declared."Our interests in this matter are absolutely identical. What yousuggest, Mr. Bellamy, is the truth. There is a rumor that theChancellor, in the first few moments of his illness, gave valuableinformation to some one who is likely to have communicated it to theGovernment here. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. That, Iknow, is one of your own mottoes. So I am here to know if there isanything to be learned."
Bellamy nodded.
"Your arrival is not inopportune, Prince. When did you come?"
"I reached Charing Cross at midnight," the Prince answered. "Ourtrain was an hour late. I am presenting my credentials early thismorning, and I am hoping for an interview during the afternoon."
Bellamy considered for a moment.
"It is true!" he said. "Between us three there is indeed no needfor secrecy. The information you speak of will be in our handswithin a few hours. I have no doubt whatever but that your Ministerwill share in it."
"You know of what it Consists?" the Prince inquired curiously.
"I think so," Bellamy answered, glancing at the clock. "For my ownpart, although the information itself is invaluable, I see anotherand a profounder source of interest in that document. If, indeed,it is what we believe it to be, it amounts to a casus belli."
"You mean that you would provoke war?" Prince Rosmaran asked.
Bellamy shrugged his shoulders.
"I," said he,--"I am not even a politician. But, you know, thelookers-on see a good deal of the game, and in my opinion there isonly one course open for this country,--to work upon Russia sothat she withdraws from any compact she may have entered into withAustria and Germany, to accept Germany's cooperation with Austriain the despoilment of your country as a casus belli, and to declarewar at once while our fleet is invincible and our Colonies freefrom danger."
The Prince nodded.
"It is good," he admitted, "to hear man's talk once more. Whereverone moves, people bow the head before the might of Germany andAustria. Let them alone but a little longer, and they will indeedrule Europe."
Three o'clock struck. The Prince rose.
"I go," he announced.
"And I," Bellamy declared. "Come to my rooms at ten o'clocktomorrow morning, Prince, and you shall hear the news."
Bellamy lingered behind. For a moment he held Louise in his armsand gazed sorrowfully into her weary face.
"Is it worth while, I wonder?" he asked bitterly.
"Worth while," she answered, opening her eyes and looking at him,"to feel the mother love? Who can help it who would not be ignoble?"
"But yours, dear," he murmured, "is all grief. Even now I am afraid."
"We can do no more than toil to the end," she said. "David, you aresure this time?"
"I am sure," he replied. "I am going back now to the hotel whereLaverick is staying. We are going to sit together and smoke untilthe morning. Nothing short of an army could storm the hotel. Iwas with them all only an hour ago,--Streuss, that blackguardLassen, and Adolf Kahn, the police spy. They are beaten men andthey know it. They had Laverick, had him by a trick, but I made adramatic entrance and the game was up."
"Telephone me directly you have taken it safely to Downing Street,"she begged.
"I will," he promised.
Bellamy walked from Dover Street to the Strand. The streets werealmost brilliant with the cold, hard moonlight. The air seemedcuriously keen. Once or twice the fall of his feet upon the pavementwas so clear and distinct that he fancied he was being followed andglanced sharply around. He reached the Milan Hotel, however,without adventure, and looked towards the little open space in thehall where he had expected to find Laverick. There was no onethere! He stood still for a moment, troubled with a sudden senseof apprehension. The place was deserted except for a couple ofsleepy-looking clerks and a small army of cleaners busy with theirmachines down in the restaurant, moving about like mysteriousfigures in the dim light.
Bellamy turned back to the hall-porter who had admitted him.
"Do you happen to know what has become of the gentleman whom I waswith about an hour ago?" he asked,--"a tall, fair gentleman--Mr.Laverick his name was?"
The hall-porter recognized Bellamy and touched his hat.
"Why, yes, sir!" he answered with a somewhat mysterious air. "Mr.Laverick was sitting over there in an easy-chair until abouthalf-an-hour ago. Then two gentle-men arrived in a taxicab andinquired for him. They talked for a little time, and finally Mr.Laverick went away with them."
Bellamy was puzzled.
"Went away with them?" he repeated. "I don't understand that,Reynolds. He was to have waited here till I returned."
The man hesitated.
"It didn't strike me, sir," he said, "that Mr. Laverick was verywishful to go. It seemed as though he hadn't much choice about thematter."
Bellamy looked at him keenly.
"Tell me what is in your mind?" he asked.
"Mr. Bellamy, sir," the hall-porter replied, "I knew one of thosegentlemen by sight. He was a detective from Scotland Yard, and theone who was with him was a policeman in plain clothes."
"Good God!" Bellamy exclaimed. "You think, then,--"
"I am afraid there was no doubt about it, sir," the man answered."Mr. Laverick was arrested on some charge."
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