CHAPTER XIV.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
"What a hard and disagreeable experience," exclaimed Clara, "and sostrange too! You have no occasion to reproach yourself, Mr. Litizki,with any neglect. You did all that any man could do, I am sure, andit may not prove to be unfortunate that Poubalov saw that you werewatching him."
"I wish I could think so," responded the tailor, "and it is wonderfullykind of you to be so patient with my failure. Isn't there somethingthat I can do now? I can do no work until this matter is settled, andit is torture to remain idle."
"I know how true that is," sighed Clara; "yes, there is something Ithink you can do. If Poubalov had not called last evening, and sochanged all our plans, I should have asked you to follow Billings whenhe left the house. I have little faith in him, Mr. Litizki, and itseems to me that on leaving here last night he must have gone directlyto report to his accomplice, or employer. Are you sure that Poubalovspoke to nobody?"
"If he did, it was no more than a passing word. He seemed to know noone."
Clara had to stop and think, for Litizki's story tended to upset hertheories concerning Poubalov's exit and his relations with Billings.Could it be possible, after all, that Billings had not been employedby the spy, and that the latter, therefore, had had nothing to do withIvan's disappearance? Perhaps Poubalov worked through still anotheraccomplice, and, suspecting possible treachery, had been at the painsof secretly following Billings, to learn whether he and the unknownother were faithful.
This seemed rather a wild supposition, for it would not be likePoubalov to admit others into his secret operations.
Had he followed Billings? There was no doubt in Clara's mind that thiswas what he started to do when he leaped over the hedge and ran to theside of the road opposite to where Billings was walking. Had Poubalovlost Billings in the darkness, and, observing Litizki's pursuit,purposely dodged hither and thither, to discomfit the tailor?
From every question Clara turned more puzzled than before. It must bethat she was on the wrong track, else a reasonable answer could befound, a reasonable explanation suggested for every act. Perhaps shewas wrong in obstinately connecting Poubalov with the first act in thetragedy, the disappearance of Ivan; but if so, could his conduct eventhen be explained?
"Mr. Litizki," said Clara, at length, "I want to know all that canpossibly be learned about this man Billings. He gave me his address.Will you undertake to look him up? Unless he is very closely in leaguewith Poubalov, he will not know who you are, and for that matter itprobably won't be necessary for you to meet him. Eventually you mighthave to follow him somewhere, but at the start you might learn a greatdeal from his neighbors."
"I'll do it, Miss Hilman; but I promise you now that every step I takewill be dogged by Poubalov."
"Well, never mind. You will be on your guard against him--and yet, I donot want you to expose yourself to danger," and Clara shuddered as shethought of the long dagger concealed in Poubalov's cane.
"Bah!" returned Litizki, "I care nothing for the danger. My only fearis that the villain will overreach me in anything I may attempt. I amno match for him in skill and cunning, Miss Hilman."
Litizki was woefully dejected. Never did man so long to be possessed ofgenius, or even talent, and the tailor was painfully aware of his owndeficiencies.
"You underestimate yourself," said Clara; "you see that I haveconfidence in you, else I would not ask you to undertake theinvestigation. Will you begin at once?"
"Gladly. You cannot imagine how much courage your good words give me.If I dared to cherish a hope of any kind, it would be that I shouldaccomplish something that would justify your good opinion."
"You have already done so, and will do more, have no doubt of it! I amgoing downtown myself. Suppose you go to the address Billings gave me,make such inquiries there as seem advisable, and, if you see nothing tocommand your immediate attention, come and tell me what you have found.I shall be at Mrs. White's. If you come after I go, you will find someword from me as to where to go next."
She gave him Billings' address, saw him to the door with a cheeringsmile, and then turned to Louise, who had been ready to start forseveral minutes.
"He had what was to him a dismal story to tell," said Clara, "and Iknew he would rather tell it to me alone."
"I supposed so," returned Louise, "and so I took pains not to interruptyou. I wish I could think a quarter as well as you do, dear. I don'tfeel as if I were the least use."
"Don't be silly, Lou," and Clara embraced her cousin affectionately;"if I could think as well as you imagine I do, we should be out of thedifficulty in a day. What do you suppose I should do without you?"
Louise was profoundly convinced that Clara would do exactly as she hadbeen doing all along, but she didn't say so. She would have sympathizedacutely with Litizki's self-abasement had she known how earnestly hehad striven to be of use, and how utterly he had seemed to fail.
They went first to the Park Square Station, Clara, as usual, deeplyabsorbed in studying the strange problems that confronted her. Theimpression she had received this morning that Poubalov might not havebeen associated directly with Ivan's taking off, grew upon her. Howreadily he had abandoned the suggestion of elopement! Abandon? he hadignored it utterly. Not once in her conversation with him had he putthat forth as an explanation worthy of investigation. Could it havebeen his subtle purpose to interest her in a line of inquiry thatshould lead directly away from that? A shiver passed over her frame,and Louise inquired anxiously what was the matter?
"New theories keep occurring to me," responded Clara gravely, "andeach one is a shock worse than the one that preceded it. Let me tellyou this one. Suppose that Lizzie White," Clara spoke with difficulty,every word seemingly dragged forth by a violent effort, "suppose shewere in some way Poubalov's agent; I will not, cannot think thatIvan went away with her, but might it not be possible that thisremarkable man, who has such mastery over ordinary minds, had made heran accomplice? Don't you see the cleverness of the plan? If Ivan wasforced to go to New York, Lizzie's departure for that city the sameday is immediately assumed by everybody to mean that they eloped, andprobably all in Boston who think of the matter at all, suppose thatthey have been married. Ivan may be a prisoner in New York, and Lizziemay be under Poubalov's pay, or influence, the latter more likely, toact, not as his jailer, but as a mask for his presence there.
"Poubalov has some object to attain in keeping him thus guarded, totorture some political secret from him, perhaps. Now what bettercould he do than divert suspicion in my mind from Lizzie to thosewhom he calls Nihilists, or even upon himself? He saw at first glancethat I would not tolerate the thought of an elopement as among thepossibilities, so he had no need to disarm me of suspicion in thatdirection. Has not everything he has done been done with a view tokeeping me in Boston? What does he care how much poor Litizki dogs hissteps, so long as the victim of his intrigue and villainy is hundredsof miles away? His one fear in Boston is that Billings, whom he hiredto help in the abduction, may confess something. Therefore he tried todog Billings' steps last night, and whether he succeeded I do not know."
Much of this was Greek to Louise, and she said so, adding: "What I dounderstand is that you feel now as if it would be necessary to go toNew York."
"I think so. We will see."
"Clara," said Louise, "you will not think that I have suspected Ivanof faithlessness, I am sure; but it has seemed to me that unless hereturned soon, you would have to go to Lizzie White. You cannot leaveany possible explanation unsought. I could not conjecture that she andPoubalov might be concerned together as you have, but I did feel as ifyou ought to look her up."
"I am glad you think so," responded Clara, "for I was afraid you wouldoppose my going."
At the station Clara readily found the Mr. O'Brien to whom Billings hadreferred for corroboration of a part of his story.
"Yes'm," he said in reply to her questions, "I know the Billings youspeak of. I saw him here last Monday. Has he been up to any
thingcrooked?"
"I don't know," said Clara; "it may help to settle that if you willtell me what were the circumstances of his call here."
O'Brien hesitated.
"I don't want to get tangled up in any police business," he declared;"Billings was said to be the man who drove the gent that skipped on hiswedding day early this week."
"Yes," said Clara; "I am Miss Hilman, and I was to be married to thegentleman."
"Sho!" exclaimed O'Brien, sympathetically, "that must have been apretty tough blow," and he scratched his head thoughtfully.
"My inquiry," continued Clara, "has nothing to do with the police. Theyhave abandoned the investigation, I believe. I am trying simply tosatisfy myself, and surely you won't refuse to help."
"No, I won't," replied O'Brien; "but what I can say won't do you nogood. This was how it was. I had to go out to the front of the depotfor something, and just as I got there, Billings drove up a closedcarriage. I thought he nodded as if he wanted me, so I stepped forward.He pulled up further on than where carriages generally stop, and wasin a place all by himself. I was the only one near. 'Hello,' says I,'how long you been driving?' 'Mind your own business,' says he, and hewhipped up and drove off. While I was speaking to him a man had gotout of the carriage and gone into the depot. I didn't see him to knowhim, didn't pay any attention to him, for he went quickly, and I waswondering about Billings."
"He says you came forward to get his passenger's baggage."
"'Tain't so. That ain't my line of work."
"Didn't the passenger pay his fare?"
"Not there. He went straight into the depot."
"Why did you ask Billings that question?"
"'Cause I didn't know he'd got into the cab business. He used to be aporter."
Clara thanked O'Brien, said she might call again if any other questionsoccurred to her, and the young ladies went on to Ashburton Place.Billings had lied, but it might have been Ivan, nevertheless, who wentinto the station from the closed carriage.
Mrs. White's greeting was marked by constraint, and she sat indistressed silence for a moment after Clara and Louise entered. Atlength she said:
"People will talk so! I'm sure you've been very good and brave, MissHilman, but what is one to think?"
"I don't know what you mean, Mrs. White."
"Well, don't you see, lots of my friends have called, seeing Lizzie'sname in the papers, and Mr. Strobel's, and they will have it that theyeloped."
"Do you think so?" asked Clara, and in spite of her effort her tone wascold.
"I don't know what to think," replied the landlady, plaintively.
"You may think what you please," said Clara, her pride mastering herdiplomacy for the moment; "I am going to New York to see your daughter.I called to say that you might write to her freely so far as anywish of mine is concerned, and to ask if I could take a look at Mr.Strobel's room."
"Certainly," answered Mrs. White, uncomfortably. She longed to ask theimperious young lady a host of questions, but she was restrained byClara's hauteur.
The young ladies went up to Ivan's room, and found there his trunk ashe had left it, apparently, and everything in just such condition aswould be expected if a man were about to move and were going to sendfor his effects later.
When they went down again they found Litizki talking with Mrs. White.
"So you are going to New York to-day?" he said with some appearance ofdisappointment.
"Yes," replied Clara, "but I don't care to have that information gofurther. Will you be careful, Mrs. White? Forgive me if I seemed harshjust now. I shall say nothing unkind to your daughter, and I believeless than ever that she eloped with Mr. Strobel. What have you found?"she asked, turning to Litizki.
"Billings doesn't live at that address," he replied, "although heused to. He hasn't been about there for some time, and no one in theneighborhood knew he was a cab-driver."
"Very well," said Clara. "There is nothing more to do in that directionfor the present. I shall return from New York on Saturday morning,probably. I should like to see you then, if possible."
"Yes, Miss Hilman. What train are you to take? I might have somethingto report to you at the last minute."
Clara reflected and answered:
"I shall have to go home first. I don't see how I can go earlier thanby the three o'clock New England train. Will you be there?"
Litizki said he would, and after some further conversation with Mrs.White the young ladies returned to Roxbury. Louise did not prepareto go to New York, the extra expense this journey involved deterringher, for Mr. Pembroke was not one who reveled in great wealth. It wasdecided to apprise him of Clara's coming by telegraph, so that shewould not be without escort in the city.
Litizki was at the train as he promised to be, and assisted Clara toher seat in the drawing-room car. He lingered until the starting signalhad been given and then said "good-by" and jumped off; but insteadof remaining in the depot, he ran forward and boarded the ordinarysmoking-car.
The Mission of Poubalov Page 14
