Whither Thou Goest

by William Le Queux

off."

  The question was a supreme test of Moreno's modesty, but he was nottaken aback. He turned the situation lightly, and with his usualassurance.

  "I am certain I should have done," he said composedly.

  Contraras frowned a little. He had been very fond of Valerie Delmonte;he rather resented any criticism of her.

  "Why are you so sure, comrade Moreno? Valerie was very clever, verysubtle. Are you more so?"

  The young man looked at his chief calmly. "I daresay she was much moreclever, much more subtle than I am, but she lacked my nerve."

  "Ah, there is something in that," agreed the older man. "A woman mayhave the brains of a man, I agree, that is to say, an exceptional woman,but come to a crucial moment, and the brain will be dominated by thenerves. It is the penalty of the sex."

  The Chief ruminated over these remarks a few seconds before he spokeagain.

  "Well, Moreno, I am going to give you a chance to prove your mettle.You know the next item on our programme is the removal of Guy Rossett."Moreno nodded. He had shot a side glance at Violet Hargrave, but shehad betrayed no sign of emotion. And yet, in the flat at Mount Street,she had alluded to the project in a spirit of exultation.

  "It was the first item on the programme, and was shelved in favour ofthe later one. What do you mean precisely by the term `removal'?"Contraras shrugged his shoulders. "That I have not yet quite decidedupon. The first thing is to get hold of him."

  "That is quite easy," said Moreno in his usual quiet way.

  Contraras looked at him sharply. "You speak very confidently, Moreno.You appreciate the difficulties in the way? To get him either out ofthe Embassy or his flat will be a tough job. He is well guarded, youmay depend."

  "I appreciate all the difficulties, Contraras. To get him out of theEmbassy is well nigh impossible. To get him out of the flat is theeasier job of the two. Well, I will undertake to bring him to any placeyou like."

  "Your methods?" queried Contraras, in the same sharp tone.

  Moreno bowed with great courtesy to his titular Chief.

  "Pardon me for declining to answer that question at present. I am avery new member of the brotherhood, I have my spurs to win, I have tojustify your confidence in me, or I should rather say the confidence ofLucue, for you know next to nothing of me. I want to show you that I ama little more clever, a little more subtle than perhaps you imagine.When I deliver him to you, I will possibly explain my methods, notbefore."

  "You will undertake to deliver him to us?" questioned Contraras, stillspeaking a little doubtfully. He was, however, very much impressed bythe young man's confident manner.

  "On any day, at any hour you like to name," was the reassuring reply.

  "I will settle the details later on," said Contraras, his voicebetraying a note of agitation. "Anyway, I depute you and VioletHargrave to see that this thing is carried out."

  Moreno looked at the woman. "You will be my assistant in this?" heasked.

  Her voice was very low. "Of course, if the Chief wishes it."

  Contraras spoke in his most authoritative tones. "You have no choice.You took a solemn oath to obey the orders of the Chiefs of theorganisation. As your Chief, I call upon you to do this."

  Violet Hargrave bowed her head submissively. She remembered there was aterrible penalty attached to hesitation or disobedience. She alsorecalled the fate of Valerie Delmonte, and her face went white.

  Moreno thought to himself, "Infernal old scoundrel, he doesn't care whomhe sacrifices. And in the meanwhile he is living in luxury, and gettingus poor devils to run all the risk."

  Aloud he said: "And what will you do with Guy Rossett when I deliver himto you?"

  Contraras reflected before he spoke. "As I told you just now, I havenot quite made up my mind." He paused, and struck an imposing attitude."You know, Moreno, it has always been my policy to strike at the headand heart of this effete system. The humbler members, mere tools oftheir superiors--well, I would be inclined to show them mercy."

  "I know that has always been your generous inclination," replied Moreno,masking his loathing of this fanatical creature. "Well, I should sayRossett was quite a tool, very poor game."

  "I am inclined to agree with you. Still, he is active and dangerous,and a menace to the Cause. He knows too much about many of us."

  "Quite true, quite true," said Moreno. He had an object in humouringthis venerable visionary. He wanted to know what was at the back of hismind, what dark scheme he was working out in his subtle brain!

  Contraras spoke in a meditative voice. "These Englishmen are strangepeople; they have a great respect for their word."

  "It is one of their peculiarities," admitted Moreno drily.

  "If he would take a solemn oath to resign his post, and withdraw himselffrom any further opposition to the brotherhood, I think I would acceptthat, and let him go free."

  "And that, I am afraid, is just the thing you will never induce anEnglishman to do," said Moreno bluntly. "I know the type too well.Better death than dishonour, all that sort of thing, you know. It's intheir blood."

  Contraras smiled oddly. "In that case, I think there is only onecourse. It is regrettable, it is repugnant to me. But the safety ofthe brotherhood is my first consideration."

  Moreno had learned all he wanted to know. He knew now what was workingin that fanatical brain.

  "I understand," he said quietly. He added with the most apparentsincerity. "The safety of the brotherhood must always be the firstthought. I quite agree."

  Shortly after, Contraras left to return to his luxurious hotel. Heparted from the two with many expressions of good-will. He was disposedto confirm Lucue's high opinion of Moreno. There was a confidentbearing about the young man that impressed him. He was sure that hewould prove a valuable recruit to the brotherhood.

  They were left alone--the man quite young, the woman still comparativelyyouthful.

  Moreno spoke first. "We have been assigned a post of honour, but it isalso a post of danger. Don't you think so?"

  Mrs Hargrave shivered. "When I remember poor Valerie Delmonte, I mustconfess I don't feel very brave. But you spoke very confidently ofbeing able to snare Rossett."

  "I am quite confident of being able to do that."

  "I suppose you won't tell me why you are so confident of the fact?"

  Moreno shook his head. "No, I certainly won't. In this business, neverlet your left hand know what your right hand doeth."

  She shot at him a rather coquettish glance, which thrilled him just alittle. She was certainly a very pretty and fascinating woman.

  "I am to be trusted, really, you know," she pleaded. "I can be as closeas wax."

  "I will tell you some day," he answered. He thought, as he spoke, theday might be a very long one.

  "But you will tell Contraras and everybody then," she pouted. "Ithought we had been such pails."

  It suddenly dawned upon him that this adventuress, as he had alwayslooked upon her, was falling in love with him. He was not quite certainthat he was not falling in love a little bit with her. If he were onlycertain that in her were the makings of a good woman! But he wouldrequire great proofs of that.

  He broke a rather embarrassed silence.

  "Well, now you will get your revenge on Guy Rossett."

  "I am not quite so certain that I want it now." She spoke in a very lowvoice.

  "But this is a very different mood from that of a certain night at MountStreet."

  "I know, I know." Violet spoke a little wildly. "I was very bitterthen. Things seemed changed somehow."

  "You know that Guy Rossett has to be `removed,' in obedience to theorders of our revered chief?"

  "I know, I know." Suddenly she burst into bitter sobbing. Presentlyshe lifted her tear-stained face. "You think I am a very bad woman,don't you? I am not really, only hard and embittered with my earlylife. If I could only find somebody who really cared for me!"

  It was a clear in
vitation. Moreno took her hand in his; he could notdisguise from himself that he was attracted. But, at the same time, hedid not lose his head. Could he trust her--would she be useful for hispurpose?

  "Suppose that I said I cared?"

  Violet sobbed afresh. "No, no, it is impossible. You would neverbelieve in me, you could never trust me."

  And then Moreno leaned forward and spoke to her, very gravely.

  "I think, before you leave, we must have a little conversation together.When it is finished, I will tell you whether I trust you or not."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  It was a long time before Moreno spoke. It was evident