“He went unsteadily to the door. I followed him and got ready to rush outside. Then he turned once more to me, and with a face burning with shame, confessed the plot. He told me that if I did not act prudently and have confidence in him, the other persons in the place would not allow me to leave like that.... It was Kessel — Von Treischke — who had arranged everything with his confederates, and prepared this nice little surprise-packet for Fritz.
“Once more he shamefacedly asked my forgiveness, informing me that Kessel was a very powerful man whom it was absolutely impossible for him to disobey.... However, if I was sensible, and would try to realise the difficulties of his position, he would assist me to escape, for I was worthy of every sacrifice.
“‘You are a wretch to lend yourself to such an infamous plot,’ I cried. ‘And your Kessel and all your friends are blackguards.’
“‘ Yes, I know,’ he acquiesced... ‘that’s true enough. But we’ve got to get out of the mess. Let me go and see, to begin with, if the door of the house is open, and if my friends are keeping watch at the windows.’
“‘What are you going to say to them?’
“‘Why,’ he said, hanging down his head, ‘I shall tell them what is necessary so that they may let you go.’
“I understood what he meant by ‘tell them what is necessary.’ To rescue me by means of such a cowardly invention was well in keeping with the character of a charming young man who had consented to disgrace me in obedience to orders. The only thing he could think of, to get me out of the predicament, was to sully my character. It was so like a Hun. He would tell them that I had given way, and these gentlemen, satisfied with my dishonour, would let me go.
“‘ Oh, I would rather die,’ I cried. ‘Aren’t there any decent women in your country?’ And I began to shout for help... calling Gabriel like a mad woman.... Yes, at that terrible moment it was my fiancé’s name that I invoked.... But, alas, it did not bring me any luck. I had no sooner cried aloud to him and the heavens than a hideous burst of laughter came in reply from behind the door, and a voice which I shall remember all my life commanded: ‘ Open the door.’
“‘At your orders,’ replied Fritz, who had suddenly turned as pale as death. And he opened the door. The sham Kessel entered, followed by half a dozen of his men, and as these ruffians jeered at Fritz and me with vile jests, he silenced them.
“I had never heard him adopt such an authoritative tone before. Fritz, in front of him, stood to attention like a soldier, and although they spoke in German, I gathered that Kessel was reproaching his subordinate for not ‘carrying out orders.’
“Fritz had turned towards the window and was apparently about to explain that I had threatened to throw myself into the sea. Realising, this time, from the attitude of all of them, that my only hope of escaping from their clutches lay in that direction, I darted quickly to the window and it seemed as if I should be set free from all the evils of this life. But they were too quick for me, and brutally flinging me back into the middle of the room, closed the window.
“Von Treischke turned Fritz into ridicule by asking him if he relied solely on his personal beauty to make me give way to him, whereupon the others burst into laughter again. But once more Von Treischke imposed silence and in his terrible voice of command flung at Fritz’s head, in French, these words, ‘ my orders,’ from which I fully recognised that my hopes had been destroyed. Then bursting into an abominable fit of laughter, he made everybody leave the place except Fritz. And he went out himself, and the door was closed again.
“Already Fritz seemed to have gone clean off his head, for he rushed at me without a word. But almost immediately he sank to the floor grievously wounded. I had struck him in the throat with my pocket scissors which I always carried about with me in the shop, and which, by some oversight, I had brought away with me.
“The blood was gushing out of the wound, and I stood leaning against the wall dazed, staggered, bereft of strength, staring in horror at the great body shaken with convulsions.... How long did it all last? I could not tell you.... Now he was no longer moving. I could almost believe that he was dead. He was but seriously wounded. The door opened and there were loud cries. I was seized violently by many hands, and once more I heard the terrible voice of Von Treischke shouting orders. The window was again opened, and Von Treischke said: ‘Since she wants the sea, she shall have it.’
“At first I did not understand what they intended to do with me. Besides, I hadn’t the strength to resist them. I was fainting with horror and weakness. At last I realised their intentions. They slipped me into a bag. Yes, they fastened me inside one of the mail-bags....”
At this point in Dolores’ story I, Carolus Herbert of Renich, could not repress an indignant exclamation and apparently I cried out too loudly, for she rose quickly to her feet, lifted a curtain, seemed to hear a sound of some sort, and returning to me, said:
“Senor Herbert, you must say good-bye and leave me. We shall never, perhaps, see each other again.... When you get back to your room, you will find, in your wardrobe, a complete Vengeance uniform. Put it on to-night after dinner. The doctor will come for you and take you to the officer of the deck. By two o’clock in the morning you will be at Cadiz. If you love Amalia, strive your utmost to help that wretched Von Treischke to escape from Captain Hyx’s vengeance. I love her already as a sister, and I am willing to forget everything that happened to me for her sake.”
“You are an angel,” I cried. “You have suffered and you know how to forgive.... But tell me, surely those ruffians did not throw you into the sea after they tied you up, in the bag?”
“Yes, Senor, they threw me into the sea.”
“And by what miracle were you saved?”
“By the miracle of the Blessed Virgin and Captain Hyx.... But go... go! I hear footsteps. The doctor will tell you the end of this terrible story. The end did I say? Alas, must one really call it the end? Are we not continuing to live the story over again in a fresh horror?... It is for you, Senor, to save us from the tragedy that is hanging over us. Adios.”
I hurried away.... I wandered about the alley-ways without knowing exactly what I was doing. And then I left the alley-ways, and it seemed to me that they were filled for a moment with one long groan and my hair stood on end.... At last to get away... get away from this submarine nightmare. Was it true that I should soon look upon the pure sweet light of day, above the sea? And walk on the verdant land and see the trees and the roads again?
Nevertheless, I was inclined to reproach myself for the secret joy with which this hope filled me, because the realisation of this splendid plan would take me away from Amalia.... But was not the object of the plan itself to save her? No doubt... but the sweet and adorable creature, and her children, would none the less remain behind at the mercy of the revengeful instincts of the mad Captain Hyx. I should have the courage to go and see her once more before my departure, kiss her beautiful hands, and lie to her by my silence. Dolores had advised me to tell her nothing.... And, in truth, it was better so.
I went to Amalia and remained by her side without saying anything. I kissed her hands and caressed the children’s hair, but I could not prevent myself from breaking down as I thought of the step I was about to take, and Amalia divined that something important had happened. She asked me to talk things over with her, but I shook my head and hurriedly left her.
When I cast my mind back upon this visit, I cannot but regret it, because, truth to tell, it was not calculated to comfort the poor soul, and my stupid display of emotion must have thrown Amalia into greater alarm than ever, and a state of wild perplexity. I said to myself: Surely when she learns that I have gone she will take me for a coward. And this egotistical idea prevented me from watching my actions, and noticing the harm that I was doing without meaning it.
At last evening came. I had already looked into my wardrobe and seen the promised uniform, but I refrained from touching it, fearing a late visit from Buldeo. I pretended to be suffer
ing from a bad headache, and told this admirable servant that I wanted nothing but to lie down, and would not receive any one that evening but the doctor....
Now I was alone, waiting the coming event which was to set me free. And I was living through moments of intense excitement when the doctor opened my door, saw me and shook his head. He seemed more embarrassed than ever.
“This is not, as I had hoped, the decisive moment,” he began, and I quivered from head to foot.
“Well, what is it!” I muttered in a whisper. “ Have you already given up the plan of helping me to escape?”
“No, not at all,” he replied with emphasis, “ That still holds good. But meanwhile we mustn’t be rash.”
“I am entirely of your opinion.”
Then he whispered in my ear:
“Senorita Dolores obtained a Vengeance uniform for me and I myself brought it to you just now in my bag. You must have found it in your cupboard. You did well not to put it on because we are not at the end of our difficulties.”
“Oh, really. What’s happened? Everything seemed to have been settled so easily.”
“Well, it happens that things aren’t so promising as they appeared to be at first.”
“How’s that? Come, speak out.”
“I must tell you that we are not going to stop at Cadiz.”
“All right.... But why not?”
“I don’t know all the reasons. In any case, we aren’t taking those doctors on board, because they are being sent elsewhere direct. Captain Hyx could tell us the why and wherefore. Moreover, something’s been in the wind during the last few hours, particularly since the receipt of the post-bag from Cadiz. He would be a very clever person who could tell us what we want to know, except the Captain.”
I could not refrain from interrupting him.
“And how does all this affect my escape?” I inquired anxiously.
“Oh, calm yourself. I have already told you that it still holds good. But it will take place at Vigo.”
“At Vigo?”
“Yes; isn’t it all the same to you? We shall reach Vigo in a few hours. I think,” he added, nodding his head, “ that there is something especially new at Vigo. What is it?... Ah, there’s the rub. But the Captain seemed to me to be extraordinarily excited, I can tell you that. The special wireless can’t have brought him any good news. In short, my opinion is that something has gone wrong. In any case, he can rely on my devotion.”
“And I, Monsieur, can I still rely on it?”
“Still.... Why do you doubt it?... So long as Senorita Dolores does not change her mind!”
“That’s fortunate. Then am I to board the ship’s launch, behind the ‘middy,’ at Vigo instead of boarding her at Cadiz?”
“Not at all. What’s going to happen is... Are you listening?”
He went to the door, as was his custom when he thought it necessary to tell me in confidence anything important, listened, ran his eye down the corridor, returned to my side and said with a sigh:
“I will tell you. We’re going to run along the bottom at Vigo.”
“How do you mean ‘ run along’?”
“We run along the bottom of the sea like a vehicle. We run along on wheels, in fact. In short, there must be some danger in coming to the surface seeing that we’re going to use our wheels and disembark in the bed of the sea.”
“What do you say? Disembark in the bed of the sea?”
“Yes, the ‘middy’ will still be told off for duty, but this time he and his men will reach land by the bottom of the sea. Do you follow me?”
“No, I don’t follow you. What shall I be doing all this time?”
“Well, you will join the trip just the same... that’s understood.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Of course, but, as you see, it will not be quite so simple; at least, it won’t appear to you to be quite so simple. You will have to get into the thing.”
“What thing?”
“Why, the diver’s dress. Oh, that’s nothing with such a sea-bottom as there is at Vigo. Scarcely any pressure. Seventy-five feet of water on your head. You’ll see for yourself, it will be like being at home!”
I did not even reply to him, so greatly was I staggered by the idea of walking about under the sea in a “diver’s dress.” I should, certainly, have much preferred the other arrangement. In order to fight against my depression, the doctor gave me some very agreeable details on the manner of breathing and so forth.
“You will never.. he said, “never have another opportunity like it... more sure or more certain. It’s not so easy, perhaps, but in other ways it’s safer than the ship’s launch. Who would recognise you dressed as a diver? No one.”
“I fully admit that. But neither would any one come to my assistance if we lost our way under the sea.”
On hearing these last words Mederic Eristal laughed quietly.
“Oh,” he said, “there’s no danger of that. The tracks are marked out under the sea, believe me. For that matter, Captain Hyx brought Senorita Dolores here one morning by those very tracks.”
“You don’t say so!”
“Why, didn’t she tell you the story?”
“She hadn’t time to finish it.”
“Well, here’s the end of the story. One morning early Captain Hyx and two lieutenants were walking along the bottom of the bay at Vigo. He was trying to discover the whereabouts of the replenishing stations for German submarines, when a bag fell upon his head and then slipped into his arms. Something was moving inside the bag. The Captain and his men, carrying it, hurriedly made for one of our under-water launches which fortunately was quite near. When they got out of the ‘divers’ compartment’ the movement in the sack had ceased. They opened it, and found Senorita Dolores in it, almost suffocated, but absolutely dry, the bag being waterproof. A little artificial respiration practised by your humble servant brought the Senorita back to life again.
“And now,” concluded the doctor, taking me by the lapels of my coat, and shaking his head, “ you know Dolores’ story in its entirety. Make the most of it, and you will recognise that a good diver can not only preserve his own life in the depths of the sea, but also save the life of others.”
“It’s marvellous,” I said, shaking my head in my turn. “That possibility did not enter into Von Treischke’s calculations.”
“You may well say that.”
“So he thinks that Dolores is dead?”
“Of course.... And her mother also thought that her daughter was dead. And she died from the shock. People in Vigo believed that it was a love tragedy, and that Senorita Dolores committed suicide by throwing herself into the sea after wounding her lover. They searched for the body for a couple of days. Afterwards, nothing more was said about it. Not even by young Fritz, who did not die, but a few weeks later, nearly well again, left the country with the sham Kessel, on a neutral vessel which was to take them to America... or elsewhere!... Oh, by the way, Gabriel swallowed everything he was told about Dolores’ attempted suicide. Captain Hyx requested her not to tell him anything about the bag, which would have made the young man mad with rage against Von Treischke.”
“It shows a great deal of consideration for Von Treischke.”
“Oh, you must understand that the Captain is bent on having a personal revenge. That’s really the reason why he deemed it unnecessary for Dolores to tell Gabriel the whole truth. It would only have excited the Basque still further against the man whom Captain Hyx has marked down for his own. What would the Basque have done? He would have stabbed him with a dagger. Nothing more than that. The Captain has something else in store for him. Alas!”
“May your Captain be damned,” I cried, “since it’s by the torture of an innocent woman that he is to create hell for the guilty man. It’s horrible... horrible.” The doctor placed his hand over my mouth.
“It’s not a matter for crying ‘horrible’ every minute.
We have said it ourselves... the ‘ middy,’ Dolores, Gabr
iel and I... and perhaps we were wrong to say ‘horrible.’ It’s a question of taking advantage of the time during which we’re consciously at one with you about this ‘horror.’ Are you prepared to escape? Yes or no?”
“Of course... of course. How can you ask me such a question?”
“To escape as a diver?”
“Oh, that’s another thing.... That’s an entirely different proposition.”
“It’s the only way at present. Think about it for the last time and give me your answer. Afterwards it may be too late.”
“But it’s frightful... frightful.”
“Hush! “ he said all of a sudden. “Listen.... What’s that noise?”
CHAPTER XXVIII
WHY THE IRISHMAN WAS THE MOST RELENTLESS OF ALL
WE COULD HEAR a great Bacchanalian outburst despite the lateness of the hour. There were shouts of hoch, hoch, ach, ach and hurrah, hurrah, the clinking of glasses, and the singing of songs, among which I recognised Gaudeamus igitur (Let us therefore rejoice).
The door of the smoking-room at the end of the alley-way which led from the white prison must have been left open. But what was the reason for this extraordinary “ rejoicing.”
The doctor pushed my door ajar and listened.
“There’s no mistake about it,” he said. “Some horrible festival is going on to-night.”
“Am I never to hear anything in this place but stories of murder, shouts of death, and the farewells of human beings who are being prepared for the slaughter-house?”
I groaned with a shudder.
“Well, my dear young sir,” whispered the doctor, again placing a finger near my lips, “what would you have said if you had found yourself on the Belgian frontier at the time of the invasion?”
At that moment Buldeo hove in sight in the alley-way and gave us a short sharp bow. He was wearing a white tie and the dress suit reserved for important occasions. He had also assumed his most imposing manner as chief steward, and was carrying in his hands an amazing number of empty champagne bottles.
Collected Works of Gaston Leroux Page 354
