The Passenger from Calais
Page 22
CHAPTER XXII.
The rest of the first day at Aix passed without any importantincident. I was a trifle surprised that the Colonel did not put in anappearance; but it was explained by l'Echelle, whom I met byappointment later in the day. I understood from him that the Colonelhad decided to remain down in the town, where he had many friends, andwhere he was more in the thick of the fun. For Aix-les-Bains, as everyone knows, is a lively little place in the season, and the heart andcentre of it all is the Casino. The Colonel had established himself ina hotel almost next door, and ran up against me continually thatafternoon and evening, as I wandered about now under the treeslistening to the band, now at the baccarat table, where I occasionallystaked a few _jetons_ of the smaller values.
He never failed to meet my eye when it rested on him; he seemed toknow intuitively when I watched him, and he always looked back andlaughed. If any one was with him, as was generally the case--smartladies and men of his own stamp, with all of whom he seemed on veryfamiliar terms--he invariably drew their attention to me, and they,too, laughed aloud after a prolonged stare. It was a littleembarrassing; he had so evidently disclosed my business, in scornfulterms no doubt, and held me up to ridicule, describing in his own wayand much to my discredit all that had happened between us. Once he hadthe effrontery to accost me as I stood facing the green board on whichthe telegrams are exposed.
"Where have we met?" he began, with a mocking laugh. "I seem to knowyour face. Ah, of course, my old friend Falfani, the private detectivewho appeared in the Blackadder case. And I think I have come acrossyou more recently."
"I beg you will not address yourself to me. I don't know you, I don'twish to know you," I replied, with all the dignity I could assume. "Idecline to hold any conversation with you," and I moved away.
But several of his rowdy friends closed around me and held me there,compelled to listen to his gibes as he rattled on.
"How is his lordship? Well, I hope. None the worse for that little_contretemps_ this morning. May I ask you to convey to him my deepregrets for what occurred, and my sincere wishes for his recovery? Ifthere is anything I can do for his lordship, any information I cangive him, he knows, I trust, that he can command me. Does he proposeto make a lengthened stay here?"
"His lordship--" I tried vainly to interrupt him.
"Let me urge him most strongly to go through the course. The warmbaths are truly delightful and most efficacious in calming the temperand restoring the nerve-power. He should take the Aix treatment, heshould indeed. I am doing so, tell him; it may encourage him."
"Colonel, this is quite insufferable," I cried, goaded almost tomadness. "I shall stand no more of it. Leave me in peace, I'll have nomore truck with you."
"And yet it would be wiser. I am the only person who can be of any useto you. You will have to come to me yet. Better make friends."
"We can do without you, thank you," I said stiffly. "His lordshipwould not be beholden to you, I feel sure. He can choose his ownagents."
"And in his own sneaking, underhand way," the Colonel answeredquickly, and with such a meaning look that I was half-afraid hesuspected that we were tampering with his man. "But two can play atthat game, as you may find some day."
When I met l'Echelle that same evening as arranged, at the Cafe Amadeoin the Place Carnot, I questioned him closely as to whether his masterhad any suspicion of him, but he answered me stoutly it was quiteimpossible.
"He knows I see you, that of course, but he firmly believes it is inhis own service. He is just as anxious to know what you are doing asyou are to observe him. By the way, have you heard anything of yourother man?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Oh, don't trouble; only if I could pass him on a bit of news eitherway it might lead him to show his hand. If Tiler is getting 'hot'--youknow the old game--he might like to go after him. If Tiler is thrownout the Colonel will want to give help in the other direction."
"That's sound sense, I admit. But all I can tell you is we had atelegram from him an hour or two ago which doesn't look as if he wasdoing much good. It was sent from Lyons, a roundabout way of gettingto Paris from here, and now he's going south! Of all the born idiots!"
"Poor devil! That's how he's made. It's not everyone who's a borndetective, friend Falfani. It's lucky my lord has you at his elbow."
We parted excellent friends. The more I saw of l'Echelle the more Iliked him. It was a pleasure to work with a man of such acuteperceptions, and I told him so.
Nothing fresh occurred that night or the next day. I was never veryfar off my Colonel, and watched him continually but unobtrusively. Ihope I know my business well enough for that.
I was rather struck by a change in his demeanour. It was very subtle,and everyone might have noticed it. He wore an air of preoccupationthat spoke to me of an uneasy mind. He was unhappy about something;some doubt, some secret dread oppressed him, and more than once Ithought he wished to keep out of sight and avoid my searchinginterrogative eyes.
"You're right," said l'Echelle. "He's down on his luck, and he don'twant you to see it. He's dying for news that don't seem in a hurry tocome. Half a dozen times to-day he's asked me to inquire if there's atelegram for him, and he haunts the hall porter's box continually inthe hope of getting one. Have you heard any more from Tiler?"
"Yes, another mad telegram, this time from Marseilles. Fancy that! Itwill be Constantinople next or Grand Cairo or Timbuctoo. The folly ofit!"
"What does my lord say?"
"Plenty, and it's not pleasant to bear. He's getting fairly wild, andcart ropes won't hold him. He wants to go racing after Tiler now, andif he does he'll give away the whole show. I hope to heaven your bosswill show his hand soon."
"It's not for me to make him, you must admit that. But cheer up,_copain_, things may mend."
They did, as often happens when they seem to be at their worst.
I have always been an early riser, and was specially so at Aix, nowwhen the heat was intense, and the pleasantest hours of the day werebefore the sun had risen high. I was putting the finishing touches tomy toilette about 7 A.M. when I heard a knock at my door, andwithout waiting permission l'Echelle rushed in.
"Already dressed? What luck! There is not a moment to lose. Comealong. I've a _fiacre_ at the door below."
He gave the _etablissement_ as the address, and we were soon tearingdown the hill. As we drove along l'Echelle told me the news.
"It's come, that satanic telegram, and just what he wanted, I'mprepared to swear. He simply jumped for joy when he read it."
"But what was the message? Go on, go on, out with it!" I shoutedalmost mad with excitement.
"I can't tell you that, for I haven't seen it yet."
"Are you making a fool of me?"
"How could I see it? He put it straight into his pocket. But I meanto see it pretty soon, and so shall you."
"You mean to abstract it somehow--pick his pocket, or what?"
"Simplest thing in the world. You see he's gone to have his bath, helikes to be early, and he's undergoing the douche at this very moment,which means naturally that he's taken off his clothes, and they arewaiting in the dressing-room for me to take home. I shall have a goodquarter of an hour and more to spare before they carry him back to thehotel in his blankets and get him to bed."
"Ha!" I said, "that's a brilliant idea. How do you mean to work itout?"
"Take the telegram out of his waistcoat pocket, read it, or bring itto you."
"Bring it; that will be best," I interrupted, feeling a tinge ofsuspicion.
"But I must put it straight back," continued l'Echelle, "for he issure to ask for it directly he returns to the hotel."
Within a few minutes he had gone in and out again, carrying now one ofthe black linen bags used by _valets de chambres_ to carry theirmasters' clothes in. He winked at me as he passed, and we walkedtogether to a shady, retired spot in the little square where thecab-stand is, and sat in the newspaper kiosk on a couple ofstraw-bottomed chairs of th
e Central _cafe_.
"Read that," he said triumphantly, as he handed me the familiar scrapof blue paper.
"Have got safely so far with nurse and baby--entreat you to followwith all possible speed--dying to get on.--CLAIRE, HotelCavour, Milan."
"Excellent!" I cried, slapping my thigh. "This settles all doubts. Somuch for that fool Tiler. My lord will be very grateful to you," and Ihanded him back the telegram, having first copied it word for word inmy note-book.
"It means, I suppose," suggested l'Echelle, "that you will make forMilan, too?"
"No fear--by the first train. You'll be clever if you get the start ofus, for I presume you will be moving."
"I haven't the smallest doubt of that; we shall be quite a merryparty. It will be quite like old times."