The Red Symbol

by John Ironside

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE DROSHKY DRIVER

  Inside were two officials busily engaged in a systematic search of myeffects. Truly the secret police had lost no time!

  I had already decided on the attitude I must adopt. It was improbablethat they would arrest me openly; that would have involved trouble withthe Embassies, but they could, if they chose, conduct me to the frontieror give me twenty-four hours' notice to quit Russia, as they had to VonEckhardt, and that was the very last thing I desired just now.

  "Good evening, gentlemen," I said amiably. "You seem to be pretty busyhere. Can I give you any assistance?"

  I spoke in French, as I didn't want to air my Russian for theiredification, though I had improved a good deal in it.

  One of them, who seemed boss, looked up and said brusquely, though notexactly uncivilly: "Ah, Monsieur, you have returned somewhat sooner thanwe expected. We have a warrant to search your apartment."

  "That's all right; pray continue, though I give you my word you won'tfind anything treasonable. I'm a foreigner, as of course you know; and Ihaven't the least wish or intention to mix myself up with Russianaffairs."

  "And yet you correspond with the Grand Duke Loris," he said dryly.

  "I don't!" I answered promptly. "I've never written a line to thatgentleman in my life, nor he to me."

  "There are other ways of corresponding than by writing," he retorted. Iguessed I had been watched to the cafe after all, but I maintained anair of innocent unconcern, and, after all, his remark might be merely a"feeler." I rather think now that it was. One can never be sure how muchthe Russian Secret Police do, or do not, know; and one of their pettricks is to bluff people into giving themselves away.

  So I ignored his remark, selected a cigarette, and, seeing that he hadjust finished his--I've wondered sometimes if a Russian official sleepswith a cigarette between his lips, for I fear he wouldn't sleepcomfortably without!--handed him the case, with an apology for myremissness. He accepted both the apology and the cigarette, and lookedat me hard.

  "I said, Monsieur, that there are other ways of corresponding than bywriting!" he repeated with emphasis.

  "Of course there are," I assented cheerfully. "But I don't see what thathas to do with me in the present instance. I only know the Grand Dukevery slightly. I was hurt in that railway accident last month, and hisHighness was good enough to order one of his servants to look after me;and he also called to see me at an hotel in Dunaburg. I thought it verycondescending of him. Though I don't suppose I'd have the chance ofmeeting him again, as there are no Court festivities now; or if thereare, we outsiders aren't invited to them. Won't your friend accept oneof my cigarettes?"

  This was addressed to the other man, who seemed to be doing all thework, and was puzzling over some pencil notes in English which hehad picked out of my waste-paper basket. They were the draft ofmy yesterday's despatch to the _Courier_, a perfectly innocuouscommunication that I had sent openly; it didn't matter whether itarrived at its destination or not. As I have said, Petersburg wasquiet to stagnation just now; though one never knew when the materialfor some first-class sensational copy might turn up.

  "I'll translate that for you right now, if you like," I said politely."Or you can take it away with you!"

  I think they were both baffled by my apparent candor and nonchalance;but the man who was bossing the show returned to the chargepersistently.

  "Ah, that railway accident. Yes. But surely you have made a slightmistake, Monsieur? You incurred your injuries, from which, I perceive,you have so happily recovered."

  He bowed, and I bowed. If I hadn't known all that lay behind, thisexchange of words and courtesy--a kind of fencing, with both of uspretending that the buttons were on the foils--would have tickled meimmensely. Even as it was I could appreciate the funny side of it. I wasplaying a part in a comedy,--a grim comedy, a mere interlude intragedy,--but still comic.

  "You incurred these, I say, not in the accident, but while gallantlydefending the Grand Duke from the dastards who assailed him later!"

  I worked up a modest blush; or I tried to.

  "I see that it is useless to attempt to conceal anything from you,Monsieur; you know too much!" I confessed, laughing. "But I'm a modestman; besides, I didn't do very much, and his Highness seemed quitecapable of taking care of himself."

  I saw a queer glint in his eyes, and I guessed then that the attempt onthe life of the Grand Duke had been engineered by the police themselves,and not, as I had first imagined, by the revolutionists.

  My antagonist waved his hand with an airy gesture of protestation.

  "You underrate your services, Monsieur Wynn! I wonder if you would havedevoted them so readily to his Highness if--"

  He paused portentously.

  "If?" I inquired blandly. "Do have another cigarette!"

  "If you had known of his connection with the woman who is known as _LaMort_?"

  That wasn't precisely what he said. I don't choose to write the words inany language; but I wanted to knock his yellow teeth down his throat; tochoke the life out of him for the vile suggestion his words contained! Idared not look at him; my eyes would have betrayed everything that hewas seeking to discover. I looked at the end of the cigarette I waslighting, and wondered how I managed to steady the hand that held thematch.

  "I really do not understand you!" I asserted blandly.

  "Perhaps you may know her as Anna Petrovna?" he suggested.

  "Anna Petrovna!" I repeated. "Now, that's the second time to-day I'veheard the lady's name; and I can't think why you gentlemen shouldimagine it means anything to me. Who is she, anyhow?"

  I looked at him now, fair and square; met and held the gimlet gaze ofhis eyes with one of calm, interested inquiry. We were fighting a duel,to which a mere physical fight is child's play; and--I meant to win!

  "You do not know?" he asked.

  "I do not; though I'd like to. The officer at the bureau this morning--Idon't suppose I need tell you that I was arrested and detained for atime--seemed to think I should know her; but he wouldn't give me anyinformation. You've managed to rouse my curiosity pretty smartly betweenyou!"

  "I fear it must remain unsatisfied, Monsieur, so far as I am concerned,"he said suavely. "Well, we will relieve you of our presence. Icongratulate you on the admirable order in which you keep your papers."

  His subordinate had risen, with an expressive shrug of his shoulders. Iknew their search must be futile, since I had fortunately destroyed MaryCayley's letter the day I received it; and there was nothing among mypapers referring either directly or indirectly to Anne.

  "You'll want to see this, of course," I suggested, tendering mypassport. He glanced through it perfunctorily, and handed it back with aceremonious bow. So far as manners went, he certainly was an improvementon the official at the bureau; and of course he already knew that mypersonal papers were all right.

  He gave me a courteous "good evening," and the other man, who hadn'tuttered a syllable the whole time, saluted me in silence. I heard one ofthem give an order to the guards outside, and then the heavy tramp oftheir feet descending the staircase.

  I started tidying up; it would help to pass the time until I mightexpect some message from the Grand Duke. Mishka had said nine o'clock,and it was not yet seven.

  Presently there came a knock at my door. I wondered if this might beanother police visitation; but it was only one of the hotel servants tosay a droshky driver was below, demanding to see me. He produced a dirtyscrap of paper with my name and address scrawled on it, which the manhad brought. I thought at once of the man who had driven me in themorning, and wondered how on earth he got my name and address. I wassure it must be he when I heard that he declared "the excellency hadtold him to call for payment." This was awkward; the fellow must beanother police spy, probably doing a bit of blackmailing on his ownaccount. Well, I'd better see him, anyhow. I told the man to bring himup.

  "He is a dangerous looking fellow," he demurred.

  "That'
s my lookout and not yours," I said. "If he wants to see me he'sgot to come up. I'm certainly not going down to him."

  He went off unwillingly, and a minute or two later returned, showing inmy queer visitor, a big burly chap who seemed civil and harmless enough.

  I didn't think at first sight he was the man who drove me, but they alllook so much alike in their filthy greatcoats and low-crowned hats. Hehad a big grizzled beard and a thatch of matted hair, from which hislittle swinish eyes peered out with a leer. Yes, he looked exactly likeany other of his class, but--

  As he entered behind the servant, touched his greasy hat, and growled aguttural greeting, he opened his eyes full and looked at me for barely asecond, but it was sufficient.

  "Oh, it is you, Ivan; why didn't you send your name up?" I said roughly."How much is it I owe you? Here, wait a minute; as you are here, you cantake a message for me. Wait here while I write it. It's all right; Iknow the fellow," I added to the servant. "You needn't wait."

  He went out, and for a minute my visitor and I stood silently regardingeach other. His disguise was perfect; I should never have penetrated itbut for the warning he had flashed from those bright blue eyes, thatnow, leering and nearly closed, looked dark and pig-like again.

  The droshky driver was the Grand Duke Loris himself.