The Man Without a Memory, Arthur W. Marchmont [best business books of all time .txt] 📗

knocked me all to pieces for the moment. We were done. That was a certainty. I could have bluffed the Jew, probably, with the official authority which von Gratzen had given me; but von Welten was what Jimmy Lamb would have called a very different proposition.

"I think I'll have a cigarette," I said; and pulled up to light it and try to think what to do.

"Whatever's the matter, Jack?" whispered Nessa. "Your hand shakes like anything and you're looking awful."

"Nothing to what I'm feeling. I'm afraid it's all up. I can't tell you all about it now. Just shake hands with me and trot back to the waiting-room. If you see me stopped—wait till the train has actually started, of course—make a bee line back to the von Reblings. If it's all right, I'll beckon to you."

"But if there's any trouble why should I leave you in it alone?" she protested, like the brick she was.

"Let me be boss now. If you're with me, you may never get away at all; and if you're not, it may only mean a postponement. Be a good sort. Good-bye, Miss Caldicott;" and I held out my hand.

She took it reluctantly. "I'd rather be with you," she replied with a glance for which I could have kissed her. Then she did as I wished.

I put as bold a face on things as I could, walked quickly up to the barrier, putting my hand in my pocket as if for my ticket.

"Good-evening, sir," said the Jew as I approached.

"Hullo, you here, Graun?" very much astonished.

"Herr Johann Lassen?" asked his companion.

"That's my name, certainly. Who are you, and what do you want? I'm in a hurry to catch the train."

"I'm a detective and have to ask you a few questions."

"Fire 'em out, quick as you can, please."

"There's no such hurry as all that. You can't go by this train. You paid a visit to this man to-day."

"We shall be here half the night at this rate. I went to purchase an identification card and he sold me one in the name of Liebe."

"Your object?"

"That's my affair. I haven't it with me and am not going to use it."

"That's your story. I don't believe it. Give it to me."

"I've told you I haven't it."

"Give it to me."

"I would if I had it. As it is, I can't."

"Give it up at once," he repeated very sharply.

This looked like a deadlock and moments were flying fast. There was nothing for it but to try the effect of my official authority, and I was fingering it, when von Welten caught sight of me and hurried in our direction. I threw up the sponge. To produce the authority in his presence would be only to make bad worse, so I put it in my waistcoat pocket.

The detective knew von Welten and saluted him.

"Well, Grossbaum, what is it? How do, Herr Lassen?"

"This man had a deal with Graun to-day and is travelling——"

Von Welten interposed angrily. "Hold your tongue, you fool. I've always thought yours was the woodenest head in the force. I suppose you brought this disreputable old scoundrel here. Get away, both of you. Think yourself lucky if I don't report this last cleverness of yours. Be off, I say;" and the precious pair slunk away like a couple of whipped curs. "I'm awfully sorry about this, Herr Lassen; but why on earth didn't you show the fool that paper the chief gave you?"

"I was going to," I stammered, utterly bewildered by the turn of affairs and gaping in wonder what would happen next. I was prepared for almost anything except what did happen.

"I knew you would travel by this train and thought I'd like to be certain that everything was all right about the ring;" and he dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Yes. He came to my rooms and I gave it him."

"The artful devil! Of course he's planted some of the woman's things there. I told the chief I thought he would; and I'll see to that in the morning. But where's Miss Caldicott?"

"Eh?" I asked stupidly.

"Do you mean to say she isn't going after all?"

"N-no. I mean—yes. She's over there," I stammered.

"Well, she'd better be here if you wish to catch the train. There's only another minute and they'll start on the tick."

Oh, I was surely dreaming. In a dream I beckoned to Nessa, who came hurrying up; in a dream von Welten was introduced and rushed us through the barrier to a compartment he'd already secured for us; in a dream he stood by the carriage door till we started, saying he thought it better for us to travel alone; and in a dream we shook hands out of the carriage window, and he waved to us as the train steamed out of the station.

Even when we quickened up speed through the outskirts of the city, I had hard work to wake up from that tremendously splendid dream. But Nessa was very much awake and boiling over with excitement, curiosity and delight. "What's the matter with you, Jack? Aren't you just mad with joy? I am."

"That's all right," I nodded.

"But you look so odd."

"Only intoxicated a bit."

"Surely you haven't been taking some drug or other! You came along the platform as if you were walking in a dream."

"Are you sure it isn't one? Are we really in a railway carriage?"

"Of course it is, and a very comfortable one too. But whatever do you mean? Are you trying to frighten me or just fooling as usual?"

"I don't know, but I simply can't believe it all yet."

"Why? Do you understand that I'm bubbling over with curiosity? Do wake up and make haste and satisfy it, if you don't want to drive me out of my senses. Good heavens, you're on fire!" she exclaimed in alarm, as she wrapped her hand in her cloak and pressed it against my side excitedly.

That roused me effectually. My waistcoat was smouldering and I plunged my hand into the pocket and discovered the reason. In my stupid absent-mindedness I had shoved the lighted end of my cigarette into the pocket and it had set fire to a couple of papers and singed the cloth.

"Nothing to worry about," I said. But there was. When I unfolded one of the papers, I found that it was the authority von Gratzen had given me. A fair-sized hole had been charred right through the folds and the tinder dropped as I opened out the sheet. It was hopelessly unreadable and thus useless. "I didn't think I could be such a gorgeous idiot," I exclaimed staring fatuously at the ruin.

"It's serious then?" asked Nessa, who had watched me anxiously.

"Try if you can make anything out of it."

She studied it and shook her head. "A word or two here and there are readable. That's all. What is it?"

"The proof that I ought to be shut up in a lunatic asylum. But it was something that would have taken me anywhere and everywhere through this beastly country and forced every one to help me."

"That's delightfully intelligible," she cried, laughing. "Are you going to keep this up much longer, or tell me things?"

"I'm going to tell you everything; but that silly ass trick of mine has knocked me. I'll smoke a cigarette. You don't mind?"

"Providing you don't put the end in another pocket," she quizzed. "I thought it was agreed we were not to take things too seriously," she added as I lit up.

"I've learnt my lesson." I had indeed. It had cost me the best safe conduct a man could have wished for, and if any unexpected trouble arose, there was now no possibility of undoing the mischief. As the guard passed along the corridor a little later, I decided to report the loss at once, and beckoned to him. "I've had an unfortunate accident," I said. "I'm travelling on special State business and have burnt this very important paper;" and I handed it to him.

He looked at it, turned it over, and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid I can't be of much help, sir."

"It is my authority signed by Count von Gratzen; you can just make out a part of the official seal; and you will have seen that Herr von Welten was on the platform when we left Berlin."

"Yes, sir. He gave me orders to reserve this compartment for you, but——"

"You can't do anything, I know; but I wish you to make a note that I told you of the loss. That's all."

"Would you telegraph to his Excellency, sir?"

"Where's the first stop?"

"Not till Hanover, sir; but as it is State business and so important, I could stop at the next station for you to send a message, and you would have a reply wired to Hanover, or Osnabrück, if you are going so far."

"A good idea, guard. I'm much obliged to you. I'll think about it; just give me a form." He took one from his pocket and went off, saying he would come back for the message.

Nessa had listened in the greatest amazement. "Who on earth am I travelling with?" she cried. "Do you mean that you are able to have trains stopped at your mere nod?"

"I'll tell you who you're travelling with in a moment, but let me think whether I dare send that wire." It wasn't long before I decided to risk it. Von Gratzen himself had suggested I should get out of the way for a time: even go to a distance: and would understand the importance of the ruined authority, since I could not return when he needed me without it. He would therefore wire me all I should require, pending the receipt of a new authority. That was all clear enough.

But there was a fly in the ointment. He might have discovered the theft of the papers. But even in that case there wasn't very much risk, as the von Erstein affair was so vastly more important that he would hesitate before sending any instructions to get me into trouble. So I wrote the message and gave it to the guard, with a ten-mark tip, and the train was accordingly stopped for it to be despatched.

Then I was ready to satisfy Nessa's acute curiosity. "Now you want to know who your fellow traveller is, eh? I'll tell you. He's a composite individual: an Englishman, a German, a State official, a spy, a thief, and an alleged murderer. I hope you're proud of him."

"I don't care what he is if he's going to get me out of Germany. I needn't know him afterwards, I suppose."

"If you're disrespectful and don't behave yourself I'll—I'll——"

"Dock my wages, mate?" she popped in in her slangy voice.

"That reminds me. There's a little thing to be done in case of accidents;" and I took her bag from the seat.

"You don't mean to tell me you're going to keep me waiting any longer!"

"I'm not going to have young Hans' clothes found in your possession; much too risky;" and I packed them into my suit case.

"But your risk?"

"There's none for me. I'm travelling on business of State and may need disguises of any sort. And now I'll read you the riddles; but we shall have to be quick about it."

"If you dare to hurry over it and not tell me every little detail, I'll never speak to you again, Jack," she declared with great energy.

"We must drop that Jack business, and speak in my language. And I have to be quick because it's nearly bedtime."

"You don't imagine for an instant I'm getting into any sleeping berth to-night surely! I couldn't sleep a wink. I want to do nothing but talk."

"All right, let it go at that;" and I began the long story. It is needless to say that her interest was acute. She was literally hungry for every detail and interrupted with innumerable questions, so that it took hours to tell, and I hadn't quite finished when we reached Hanover, where I broke off to get something for us to eat.

A number