The Beautiful White Devil/Chapter 14
CHAPTER XIV.
PLOTTING AND PLANNING.
Directly I realised who my guest was, I rushed forward and seized his hand with a show of delight greater than, I believe, I have ever felt at meeting a man before or since. If I had been given the pick of all men in the work at that particular juncture in my life's history, I believe I should have declared for him.
"We had no idea that you were in England," I said when the first excitement had somewhat subsided. "Both Alie and I thought you were ten thousand miles away. You have heard the awful news, I suppose."
"How could I help it when every board in the streets sets it forth, and all the paper boys are bellowing the latest news of the capture of the Beautiful White Devil. But I want to know the real facts."
"You shall know everything directly. But first tell me what has brought you home in this providential manner?"
"I came because I heard that Barkmansworth was coming. I received a warning from Hong Kong that he had applied for leave, and I knew that if he found out her ladyship was in England he would lose no opportunity of revenging himself for that affair outside Singapore. But he got away before me, and my welcome to London yesterday was the news of her ladyship's arrest. You did not see me at the preliminary examination this morning, I suppose?"
"No! I certainly did not. And I thought I scanned every face."
"And yet I was standing beside you all the time!"
"Good gracious, how do you mean?"
"Pray tell me who stood next to you? Wasn't it a medium sized military-looking man in a much worn frock coat with a velvet collar."
"Now I come to think of it, it was!"
"Well, I was that man. I'm beginning to think my disguises are artistic after all."
"But why all this disguise? What are you afraid of in London."
"I am afraid of our friend Barkmansworth, if you want to know. I was the man who took him off the mail boat, remember, and my face must be unpleasantly familiar to him. If he saw me, I should be arrested within an hour, and whatever happens, seeing the work that lies before us, that must not!"
"Do you think you can be of use to her ladyship in her defence then?"
"It must never come to a defence. It would be fatal to allow her to be sent to Hong Kong. They would convict her at once. No! There is nothing for it but for us to plan some means of escape for her, and yet, when one thinks how perfect English police arrangements are, that seems wellnigh impossible. However, done it must be, by hook or crook, and we must set about it at once."
"But how? Have you any idea in your head?"
"Not at present, but it will be strange if I don't hit upon one before very long. If only her ladyship could help us!"
"Wait one moment. Perhaps she can. When I left her this afternoon she gave me a note, which I was not to open until I got home. Let us see what it says."
I took it out of my waistcoat pocket, opened it, and read it aloud. It certainly contained the germs of an idea and ran as follows:
"I have been thinking over what we spoke of this morning and it seems to me that, if I am to escape at all, the attempt must be made during the time I am being conveyed from Bow Street to Holloway in the prison van. The question is whether sufficient temptation could be put before the driver and the guard to induce them to assist me. Will you think this out?"
When I had finished reading, I asked Walworth for his opinion. But for nearly five minutes he allowed no sign to escape him to show that he had heard my question, only laid himself back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and meanwhile slowly tore my newspaper into rags. When he had finished his work of destruction, he sat up straight and slapped his hand on his knee.
"Her ladyship is always right. I believe I do see a way now!"
"What is it?" I asked, in almost breathless excitement.
"You must not ask me just yet. I'll go away and make a few inquiries first. To-night at nine o'clock I'll come back here, and we'll go into the matter thoroughly. For the present then, good-bye, and keep up your heart. Have no fear, we'll rescue her yet."
There was something so strong and confident about the man that this assurance roused and braced me like a tonic. I stopped him, however, before he could reach the door.
"One word first, Walworth. Do you know the position in which I stand towards Alie?"
"I know that you were to have been married within the next three weeks, if that's what you mean?" he answered. "And so you shall be yet if I can bring it about. Dr. De Normanville, you have got a woman for whom we all would die. This is your chance to show yourself worthy of her, and, if you will allow me to say so, I think you will. I am your faithful servant as well as hers, remember that. Now I must go!"
"Good luck go with you!"
I let him out by the front door, and then went back to my room to try and discover what the idea could be that he had got into his fertile brain? I felt I would have given anything to have known something a little more definite. However, as I didn't know, there was nothing for it but to exercise my patience until nine o'clock should arrive.
It may be guessed how anxiously I watched the hands of the clock upon my mantelpiece. At last, however, they drew round to the appointed hour and I prepared myself for Walworth's arrival. But, though I saw no sign of him, I had not very long to wait for a visitor. The last stroke of nine had hardly died away before my ear caught a ring at the bell and a moment later a "Mr. Samuel Baker" was ushered into the room. As be entered, I took stock of him, half fearing he might be some sort of police officer in disguise. He was a stout, rather pompous man of middle height, with fluffy whiskers, clean shaven chin and upper lip, and from his dress might have been a linen draper or small tradesman from some cathedral town. Having warmly shaken hands with me he put his top hat down on a chair, seated himself on another, mapped his forehead with a red bandanna handkerchief, took off and carefully wiped his spectacles, returned them to his nose, and then said quietly. "What do you think of this for a make-up. Dr. De Normanville?"
"Walworth," I cried, in utter amazement. "You don't really mean to say it's you, I was just beginning to wonder how I should manage to rid myself of Mr. Samuel Baker before you should arrive. You are certainly a genius at concealing your identity, if ever there was one."
"I have had to do it so often," he replied, "that I have reduced it to a science."
"Have you anything to report?"
"A good deal," he answered. "But before I begin, may I light a cheroot? I see from the ash trays you smoke in here!"
"Smoke as much as you please," I replied. "May I also offer you some refreshment. Perhaps you haven't dined? If so, I can tell them to bring you up something!"
"No, thank you," he answered; "I have dined, and excellently. Now let us get to business without any further waste of time."
"With all the good will in the world," I said, seating myself again. "Go on. Tell me all."
"Well! in the first place, you must understand that when I left here this afternoon I went for a walk to think out my plan. To begin with, I saw quite clearly that any attempt to rescue her ladyship from either Bow Street police station itself or Holloway Gaol would only be a farce, and by proving a failure would end by completely spoiling the whole thing. I settled it, therefore, that the only time when it could be done, with any hope of success, would be on the journey from the court to the prison. In other words, during the time she is in the van. But how that is to be managed is more difficult to see. To bribe the officials, as her ladyship suggests, would be altogether too hazardous a proceeding, even if it were possible, nor is it to be imagined that we could secure the van for ourselves."
"It seems a very difficult matter."
"Difficult, certainly, but by no means as hopeless as you would be inclined to suppose. No! I have an idea in my head that looks promising, and you must assist me in carrying it out."
"You have every reason to know that you may count upon my doing that," I answered. "Who would so gladly assist as I?"
"Of course I understand that, but I have to warn you that this will mean, either way you look at it, social extinction for you. If it fails and we are caught, you are done for as far as your reputation here is concerned. If we are not caught, well, I suppose you will fly with her, and in that case you will certainly never see England again."
"Do you suppose I shall allow my own social position to weigh with me, if by risking it I can save her?"
"No, I don't think you will. But now let me detail my scheme as I have thought it out. In the first place I have ascertained that the van leaves the prison at a definite hour every day. It drives down, takes the prisoners up, and drives back again. This being so, it is certain, as I have said before, that it must be stopped on its way from the prison to the court, and in such a way that it cannot go on again for at least half an hour. In the meantime another van must drive down equipped in every way like the real one. This one will take up the prisoner and drive off. Once out of sight of the station it will drive into the yard of an empty house, a conveyance will then be in waiting in the other street, her ladyship passes through the house, gets into that and drives off to a railway station; there a Pullman must be in readiness to take her to the seaside, whence a yacht will convey her to some place where we can have the Lone Star to meet her. I shall cable to Patterson to set off and be in readiness to pick us up directly we have decided where that place shall be."
"But how will you cable to him without exciting suspicion?"
"You need have no fear on that score; we have a means of communicating of our own, which I would explain now only it would be waste of time. What do you think of my scheme?"
"It sounds all right, but is it workable?"
"I really think so! However, we will discuss it, item by item, and try and arrive at a conclusion that way. To begin with, money must be considered no object. If even £10,000 is necessary to its success, £10,000 will be spent. In the first place, we must find a competent coachbuilder at once. If he has a van on hand, which is hardly likely, we'll purchase it! If not, well, then he must put on all his hands and make one, even if he has to work day and night to do it."
"But how will you explain the purpose for which we want it?"
"I have thought of that, and, when I left you, I sent the following telegram:"
Here he produced a duplicate form from his pocket and read it aloud:
"To the Lessee Olympic Theatre, Manchester:
"What dates this month? Reply terms, Stragaus, West Strand Telegraph Office.
"But who on earth is Maximillien Stragaus, and what has the Royal Olympic Theatre, Manchester, to do with our scheme?"
"Everything. In the first place you must realise the fact that I am Maximillien Stragaus, the world-renowned theatrical entrepreneur, and that you are his secretary, Fairlight Longsman. Having received a reply from Manchester, I decide to open there with my wonderful and intensely exciting prison drama, 'Saved by a Woman's Pluck,' on the third Saturday in June. Here is the preliminary announcement. I had it struck off this afternoon."
He took from the small bag he had brought into the room with him a large theatrical poster, covered with printing of all colours of the rainbow. It read as follows:
ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
MANCHESTER.
Lessee, . . . . . . . . . . Mr. William Carrickford.
For Ten Nights Only,
Commencing Saturday, June 20th.
Mr. Maximillien Stragaus' World-renowned Standard Company, in the intensely exciting Prison Drama,
"SAVED BY A WOMAN'S PLUCK."
Detectives—Police—Bloodhounds—Real Horses and Real Prison Vans.
Sole Manager and Proprietor, . Mr. Maximillien Stragaus,
Secretary, . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Fairlight Longsman.
"There! what do you think of that for a poster?"
"Very startling," I answered. "But I must reiterate my former remark, that I do not understand in the very least degree what it has to do with us."
"Why, look here, it means that to-morrow morning we go to that coachbuilder I was speaking of and give him an order for a prison van. Incidentally we will show him this poster, and state that, owing to change of dates, we must have the van delivered this day week. Don't you see? If we hadn't something to show, he might suspect; this poster, however, will set his mind completely at rest, and, at the same time, be an excuse for haste. Now, do you understand?"
"I do, and I must say I admire your wonderful resource. What next?"
"Well, the next thing will be to obtain two police uniforms and two trustworthy men, one to drive the van the other to act as guard. That, however, will be easily managed. The next item will be rather more difficult!"
"What is that?"
"Why, to find a sure and certain means of stopping the real van on its way down to the court."
"We couldn't waylay the driver and keep him talking, I suppose?"
"We could try it, of course; but it wouldn't be sure enough. He might be a conscientious man, you see, and not like to stop, or he might stop and afterwards whip up to make up lost time. No! we must hit on something that will absolutely prevent him from going on for at least half an hour, and yet something that will not excite suspicion. I think I see a way to do it, but it will require the most minute and careful working out to insure its success. To begin with, I shall have to find a first-class man for the job, and possibly I shall have to cable to America for him."
"What is your idea?"
"To arrange a collision. To have a runaway, and crash into the horses."
"Would that do, do you think?"
"If I can find the right man and the right sort of horses."
"I don't like it. To quote your own words, it doesn't sound sure enough,"
"We shall have to do it if we can't hit out a better way. Then we must discover a house somewhere in a handy neighbourhood; it must have a yard at the back, opening into an obscure street. The yard must have high gates and be in such a position that it cannot be overlooked by the neighbours. Then the day before the business comes off we must find an invalid carriage, engage a Pullman car for Portsmouth, and hire a yacht for a voyage to the Cape."
"It will mean simply superhuman labour, if it is all to be accomplished in a fortnight."
"It will, but I don't think either of us is afraid of work. Aren't we fighting for what is more precious to her than her life? Yes! We'll do it between us. Don't you doubt that. Now I must be off again; I've a lot to do before I can get to bed to-night, By the way, will it be convenient for you if I call here at half-past five to-morrow morning? We must be at the coach-builder's by seven o'clock."
"Come at three if you like, you will find me quite ready."
"Then good-night."
He went away and I to bed. At five o'clock I woke, had a bath, dressed, and went down stairs. Punctually, almost to the minute, a slightly Jewish, black-ringletted man, wearing a profusion of diamonds, put in an appearance, bag in hand. Though I should never have recognised him as Walworth I felt certain it was he, so I let him in and we went into my study together.
"Now," said my friend, for it was Walworth, as I suspected, "I don't know what you'll say to it, but it's absolutely necessary for the success of our scheme that you should assume some disguise. As you are known to be the affianced husband of her ladyship, the police will be certain to have their eyes on you."
"Do with me as you like," I replied; "I am in your hands entirely."
"Then, with your permission, we will set to work at once. I have taken the liberty of bringing a few things with me. You have an old-fashioned frock coat, I presume."
"A very old-fashioned one," I answered, with a laugh.
"Then put it on, also a pair of light check trousers, if you have them."
I went to my room and did as he desired. When I returned to the study he had arranged a number of articles upon the table—crepe hair, spectacles, a curiously low cut collar, and a soft felt hat with a dented crown. He gazed at me with approval, and then said:
"The effect will be excellent, I feel sure. Sit down here."
I did as commanded and he immediately set to work. As he was occupied behind me I could not of course see what he was doing, but after a while he took off my own collar, put on the low one he had brought with him, cut up some crepe hair and gummed it to my face, with what I believe is technically termed "spirit gum," trimmed its exuberances with a pair of scissors, and finally combed my moustache over it. This accomplished, he placed the spectacles upon my nose and the soft felt hat rather rakishly upon my head, patted me on the shoulder, and said:
"Look at yourself in the glass."
I rose and went over to the fire-place. But, though I looked in the mirror above the chimney piece, I did not recognise myself. My moustache was waxed to a point and stood out above a close-cropped chestnut beard, while over my coat collar hung a profusion of curls of a corresponding colour. Indeed, my whole appearance suggested a man whose aim in life it was to copy, as nearly as possible, the accepted portrait of the Bard of Avon.
"It is wonderful," I said. "Nobody would ever recognise me. I feel a theatrical agent all over."
"Remember you are Fairlight Longsman, the author of several farces, and my secretary. Whatever you do, don't forget that. Now we must be going. Come along."
We left the house unnoticed, and, having hailed a hansom, were driven to the carriage builder's yard at Vauxhall. Walworth had evidently written preparing him for our visit, for, early as it was, we found him waiting to receive us.
"Zir," began Mr. Maximillien Stragaus, in broken English, as soon as he had descended from the cab. "Is it you dot are Mr. Ebridge?"
"That is my name, sir," said the coachbuilder. "And you are Mr, Stragaus, I presume."
"Dot is my name. Dis shentleman is my secretary, Mr. Fairlide Longsman. Now, you know, an' so we can our business begin to dalk!"
"Perhaps you will be good enough, gentlemen, to step into my office first. We shall be more private there?"
We followed him into the room he mentioned, and took possession of the chairs he offered us.
"Now, Mr. Stragaus, in what way can I be of service to you?" he asked, seating himself as he spoke at his desk.
"Zir! My segratary sprechens the Anglaish better nor me, he vill dell you."
I felt that it behoved me to do my best, so leaning forward in a confidential manner, I said:
"My employer, as doubtless you are very well aware, Mr. Ebridge, is one of the largest theatrical entrepreneurs in England. His dealings are gigantic. And it is the business connected with one of those enormous productions that brings us here. In the first place, you must know that, on the third Saturday in this present month, he has arranged to produce the entirely new and original drama, "Saved by a Woman's Pluck," at the Royal Olympic Theatre, Manchester. By the way, have you the preliminary poster with you, Mr. Stragaus?"
In answer Mr. Stragaus produced from his bag the placard before described and spread it upon the table, at the same time looking at the coachbuilder as if to demand his opinion on such a fine display of colour.
"You will observe, Mr. Ebridge," I continued, when the other had read it, "that the whole production will be on a scale of unparalleled splendour,—police, bloodhounds, live horses, and one large prison van, all on the stage,—it will be one of the greatest successes of the century. But we want your assistance."
"You mean, of course, that you want me to make you a van!"
"Exactly!"
"Just a makeshift affair for the stage, I presume?"
"Oh, dear, no! That is not Mr. Stragaus' way of doing business at all. If he has a fire engine on the stage, as he had in his last production, it must be a real engine, with every detail complete and in proper working order. In the same way then, when he orders a police van, he wants it made in every particular just as you would make it for Her Majesty's Government. There must be no difference at all in any one respect, neither the painting, lettering, nor the internal fittings."
"It will cost you a lot of money, Mr. Stragaus," said the builder.
"Dot is no madder at all to me," replied Mr. Stragaus pompously; "I vill 'ave de ding berfect or nod at all. Vot is more, I must 'ave it at once."
"Mr. Stragaus, I may point out to you, Mr. Ebridge," I continued, "is in a very great hurry. There has been a slight pushing forward of dates, and in order to insure a success he is willing to pay you handsomely if you will complete the work in a short space of time."
"How long can you give me, sir?"
"A week exactly. Not a day longer!"
"Impossible. It cannot be done!"
"Den ve must go elsewhere, mine vriend," said Mr. Stragaus. "Dot is all. If you will underdake to do de vork and to 'and me over de van gomplete on next Duesday evening at twelve o'glock, I vill pay you dwice de sum you ask me now."
The man looked up in surprise at this extraordinary offer, and asked to be excused for a moment while he consulted with his foreman. While he was absent, Walworth whispered:
"I think he'll do it. And if we can arrange it that way we shall be able to get it safely up to the yard of the house unobserved."
Here the coachbuilder returned.
"My foreman tells me he thinks it can be done, sir. But you must see that it will mean night and day work for us all. And the charge will have to be on a corresponding scale."
"Dot is nodings to me. You do de work, and I vill pay der money. You agree? Den it is arranged I shall send my men for der van 'ere on Duesday night at twelve o'glock, and you will 'ave it gomplete! Den we can zend it on by rail vorst ding in der mornin'. But, mind you dis, if it is not done den, I vill not pay you von farding, you agree?"
"I agree. I have given you my promise, Mr. Stragaus, and whatever happens, it shall be completed by that time!"
"Dot is goot. You might, too, 'ave a tarbaulin to cover it rait, so that de publick shall not see it ven ve take it away. Now, zir, I vish you goot morning. You vill be paid for de van ven my men dake delivery."
"Thank you, sir! Good-morning, gentlemen."
When we were once more in the cab, and on our way back to town, Walworth discarded his German accent and resumed his natural tongue.
"So far so good. That bit of business is satisfactorily accomplished."
"You did not say anything to him about observing secrecy."
"It wasn't necessary. That poster, which you will notice I have left upon his table, will account for everything."
"But supposing the police get to hear of it, and it rouses their suspicions?"
"Well, let them get to hear of it. If they suspect, they will call on Ebridge and make inquiries. He will then describe us and show the poster. They may then possibly telegraph to the Olympic, Manchester, and learn that Mr. Stragaus has booked a season there for his new play. That will put them off the scent completely."
"And what are we to do now?"
"Well, now, you had better come to breakfast with me, I think, at my lodgings. You can there resume your own everyday appearance. During the morning I am going to meet two men I have in my mind for the policemen; after that I shall visit a tailor's shop and order the uniforms as arranged. In the afternoon I'm going to hunt for a house."
"Can I do anything else to help you?"
"Not just at present. Unless you can find me a trustworthy lady who will consent to masquerade for a little while as a hospital nurse?"
"There I think I can help you. My sister Janet, I'm sure, would gladly do so. I'll call upon her this afternoon and see."
I did so, and of course secured Janet's immediate promise of co-operation.