The Red Symbol

by John Ironside

  CHAPTER XXXV

  A BAFFLING INTERVIEW

  "It is less safe than the streets of London, perhaps," I said quietly,in Russian. "But what of that? And how long is it since you left there,my friend?"

  He peered at me suspiciously, and spread his free hand with the quaint,graceful gesture he had used before. I'd have known the man anywhere bythat alone; though in some ways he looked different now, less frail andemaciated than he had been, with a wiry vigor about him that made himseem younger than I had thought him.

  "The excellency mistakes!" he said. "How should such an one as I get toLondon?"

  "That is for you to say. I know only that you are the man who wanted tosee Vladimir Selinski. And now you've got to come and see me, at once,at the inn kept by Moses Barzinsky."

  "Speak lower, Excellency," he stammered, glancing nervously around. "InGod's name, go back to your inn. You are in danger, as all strangers arehere; yea, and all others! That is why I warned you. But you mistake. Iam not the man you think, so why should I come to you? Permit me to goon my way."

  He made as if to move on, and I couldn't detain him forcibly and insiston his accompanying me, for that would have drawn attention to us.Fortunately there were few people hereabouts, but those few werealready looking askance at us.

  An inspiration came to me. I thought of the red symbol that had dangledfrom the key of Cassavetti's flat that night, and of the signal andpassword Mishka had taught me in Petersburg.

  In two strides I caught up with him, touched his shoulder with the fiverapid little taps, thumb and fingers in succession, and said in his ear:"You will come to Barzinsky's within the hour,--'For Freedom.' Youunderstand?"

  I guessed that would fetch him, for I felt him thrill--it was scarcely astart--under the touch.

  "I will come, Excellency; I will not fail," he answered promptly. "Butgo you now,--not hurriedly."

  I hadn't the least intention of hurrying, but passed on without furtherparley, and reached the inn unhindered. Mishka had not yet returned, andI told the landlord a pedler was coming to see me, and he was to bebrought up to my room at once.

  As I closed the shutters I wondered if he would come, or if he'd give methe slip as he did in Westminster, but within half an hour Barzinskybrought him up. The landlord looked quite scared, his ear-locks werequivering with his agitation.

  "Yossof is here, Excellency," he announced, so he evidently knew my man.

  I nodded and motioned him out of the room, for he hovered around as ifhe wanted to stay.

  Yossof stood at the end of the room, in an attitude of humility, hisgray head bowed, his dingy fur cap held in his skinny fingers; but hispiercing dark eyes were fixed earnestly on my face, and, when Barzinskywas gone and the door was shut, he came forward and made his obeisance.

  "I know the Excellency now, although the beard has changed him," he saidquietly. His speech was much more intelligible than it had been thattime in Westminster. "I remember his goodness to me, a stranger in theland. May the God of our fathers bless him! But I knew not then that healso was one of us. Why have you not the new password, Excellency?"

  "I have but now come hither from England at the peril of my life, and asyet I have met none whom I knew as one of us," I answered evasively."What is this new word? It is necessary that I should learn it," Iadded, as he hesitated.

  "I will tell you its meaning only," he answered, watching me closely."It means 'in life and in death,'--but those are not the words."

  "Then I know them: _a la vie et a la mort_; is it not so?" I asked,remembering the moment he spoke the names by which Anne was known toothers besides members of the League; for the police officer who hadsuperintended the searching of my rooms at Petersburg, and later, youngMirakoff, had both mentioned one of them.

  I had hit on the right words first time, and Yossof, evidently relieved,nodded, and repeated them after me, giving a queer inflection to theFrench.

  "And where is she,--the gracious lady herself?" I asked. It was with aneffort that I forced myself to speak quietly; for my heart was thumpingagainst my ribs, and my throat felt dry as bone dust. What could--orwould--this weird creature tell me of Anne's present movements; andcould--or would--he tell me the secret of Cassavetti's murder? Throughall these weeks I had clung to the hope, the belief, that he himselfstruck the blow, and now, as he stood before me, he appeared morecapable, physically, of such a deed than he had done then. But yet Icould scarcely believe it as I looked at him.

  He met my question with another, as Mishka so often did.

  "How is it you do not know?"

  "I have told you I have but now come to Russia."

  He spread his hands with a deprecatory gesture as if to soften hisreply, which, however, was spoken decisively enough.

  "Then I cannot tell you. Remember, Excellency, though you seem to be oneof us, I have little knowledge of you. In any matter touching myself Iwould trust you; but in this I dare not."

  He was right in a way. Such knowledge as I had of the accursed Leaguewas gained by trickery; and to question him further would arouse hissuspicion of that fact, and I should then learn nothing at all.

  "Listen," I said slowly and emphatically. "You may trust me to the deathin all matters that concern her whom you call your gracious lady. I wasbeside her, with her father and one other, when the Five condemnedher,--would have murdered her if we had not defended her. She escaped,God be thanked, but that I only learned of late. I was taken, throwninto prison, taken thence back to England, to prison again, accused ofthe murder of Vladimir Selinski,--of which I shall have somewhat more tosay to you soon! When I was freed, for I am innocent of that crime, asyou well know, I set out to seek her, to aid her if that might be; and,if she was beyond my aid, at least to avenge her. I was about to startalone when I heard that she was no longer threatened by the League; thatshe was, indeed, once more at the head of it; but I failed to learnwhere I might find her. Therefore I go to join one who is her goodfriend, in the hope that I may through him be yet able to serve her. Forthe League I care nothing,--all my care is for her. And therefore, as Ihave said, you may trust me."

  He watched me fixedly as I spoke, but his gaunt face remainedexpressionless; though his next words showed that he had understood mewell enough.

  "I can tell you nothing, Excellency. You say you care for her and notfor the League. That is impossible, for she is its life; her life isbound up in it; she would wish your service for it,--never for herself!This I will do. If she does not hear otherwise that you are at Zostrov,as you will be to-morrow--though it is unlikely that she will not haveheard already--I will see that she has word. That is all I can do."

  "That must serve. You will not even say if she is near at hand?"

  "Who knows? She comes and goes. One day she is at Warsaw; the next atWilna; now at Grodno; again even here. Yes, she has been here no longerthan a week since, though she is not here now."

  So I had missed her by one week!

  "I do not know where she is to-day, nor where she will be to-morrow; inthis I verily speak the truth, Excellency," he continued. "Though Ishall perchance see her, when my present business is done. Be patient.You will doubtless have news of her at Zostrov."

  "How do you know I am going there?"

  "Does not all the countryside know that a foreigner rides with MishkaPavloff? God be with you, Excellency."

  He made one of his quaint genuflexions and backed rapidly to the door.

  "Here, stop!" I commanded, striding after him. "There is more,--muchmore to say. Why did you not keep your promise and return to me inLondon? What do you know of Selinski's murder? Speak, man; you havenothing to fear from me!"

  I had clutched his shoulder, and he made no attempt to free himself, butdrooped passively under my hand. But his quiet reply was inflexible.

  "Of all that I can tell you nothing, Excellency. It is best forgotten."

  There was a heavy footstep on the stair and next moment the door wastried, and Mishka's voice exclaimed: "It is I. Open t
o me, Herr Gould."

  There was no help for it, so I drew back the bolt. The door had nolock,--only bolts within and without.

  As Mishka entered, the Jew bowed low to him, and slipped through thedoorway. Mishka glanced sharply at me, muttered something aboutreturning soon, and followed Yossof, closing the door behind him andshooting the outer bolt.